Narrative:

Iah has very confusing controling operations on the ground. First west ramp; then 'monitor;' west ramp at spot 21; however; east ramp is so busy with departures that they have no time to tell you to switch to clearance; who then switches you to ground crossing the bridge to taxi to runway 26R. This ground controller said 'right on november bravo; taxi to runway 26R; hold short of runway 26L.' november bravo does not intersect runway 26L or runway 26R. Somewhere along november bravo; ground has you switch to tower for runway 26L. Runway 26L tower switches you to runway 26R on november papa. I know that air carrier Y is familiar with this inefficient method of control; but for those not flying out of iah consistently; I feel this creates a lot of unnecessary heads down work in a busy airport ground environment with all the switching of radio frequencys. Recap: east ramp; 'monitor;' west ramp; clearance; ground; tower 1; tower 2. Too many controling agencies. Why does west ramp control spot 21; when it is clearly a taxiway spot? (And all they did was hand us off to clearance; in a rude way.) what's up with clearance giving you taxi instructions? Can't east ramp just hand you to clearance at spot 21? Inform iah ground that taxiway november bravo does not intersect runway 26L; so it is physically impossible to hold short of a runway on a parallel taxiway. Finally; nearly all airports we fly to have you taking off on the inner; landing on the outer. Yet; iah is reverse of this when departing west. Any ideas why?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT DISCUSSES THE CONFUSING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT IAH.

Narrative: IAH HAS VERY CONFUSING CTLING OPS ON THE GND. FIRST W RAMP; THEN 'MONITOR;' W RAMP AT SPOT 21; HOWEVER; E RAMP IS SO BUSY WITH DEPS THAT THEY HAVE NO TIME TO TELL YOU TO SWITCH TO CLRNC; WHO THEN SWITCHES YOU TO GND XING THE BRIDGE TO TAXI TO RWY 26R. THIS GND CTLR SAID 'R ON NOVEMBER BRAVO; TAXI TO RWY 26R; HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L.' NOVEMBER BRAVO DOES NOT INTERSECT RWY 26L OR RWY 26R. SOMEWHERE ALONG NOVEMBER BRAVO; GND HAS YOU SWITCH TO TWR FOR RWY 26L. RWY 26L TWR SWITCHES YOU TO RWY 26R ON NOVEMBER PAPA. I KNOW THAT ACR Y IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS INEFFICIENT METHOD OF CTL; BUT FOR THOSE NOT FLYING OUT OF IAH CONSISTENTLY; I FEEL THIS CREATES A LOT OF UNNECESSARY HEADS DOWN WORK IN A BUSY ARPT GND ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL THE SWITCHING OF RADIO FREQS. RECAP: E RAMP; 'MONITOR;' W RAMP; CLRNC; GND; TWR 1; TWR 2. TOO MANY CTLING AGENCIES. WHY DOES W RAMP CTL SPOT 21; WHEN IT IS CLRLY A TXWY SPOT? (AND ALL THEY DID WAS HAND US OFF TO CLRNC; IN A RUDE WAY.) WHAT'S UP WITH CLRNC GIVING YOU TAXI INSTRUCTIONS? CAN'T E RAMP JUST HAND YOU TO CLRNC AT SPOT 21? INFORM IAH GND THAT TXWY NOVEMBER BRAVO DOES NOT INTERSECT RWY 26L; SO IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD SHORT OF A RWY ON A PARALLEL TXWY. FINALLY; NEARLY ALL ARPTS WE FLY TO HAVE YOU TAKING OFF ON THE INNER; LNDG ON THE OUTER. YET; IAH IS REVERSE OF THIS WHEN DEPARTING W. ANY IDEAS WHY?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.