LOW VISIBILITY FOR TAXI. RPTR CREDITS NO INCIDENT THAT NIGHT ON DISCUSSIONS AND TRAINING FOR LOW VISIBILITY TAXI AT ARPTS WITH INADEQUATE TAXIWAY AND RWY MARKINGS.

Narrative

AS A TRAINING AND CHK AIRMAN; I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL MEETINGS WHERE INCREASED LOW VISIBILITY TAXI TRAINING WAS DISCUSSED. THIS HAS INCLUDED SIMULATOR SCENARIOS IN LOFT SESSIONS AS WELL AS BASIC LOW VISIBILITY TAXI GUIDELINES. THIS EARLY MORNING DEP FROM BNA BROUGHT A FEW MORE FACTORS INTO SHARP FOCUS: 1) REQUIREMENT FOR STANDARD TAXI IN/OUT MARKINGS ON INNER RAMP WITH TRANSITIONS TO OUTER RAMP WITH PAINTED 'INBOUND' AND 'OUTBOUND' DIRECTIONAL MARKINGS AND GATE IDENTIFIERS AND TAXI 'HOLD POINT' IDENTIFIERS IN PAINT! 2) IF THIS CREW HAD NOT BEEN VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RAMP CONFIGN AND TAXI LINE MARKINGS/EXIT POINT LOCATION; TAXI OUT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT; IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE; TO SAFELY ACCOMPLISH EVEN AT SLOW SPDS. 3) BASIC LOW VISIBILITY TRAINING SHOULD INCLUDE USE/BRIEFING OF TUG AND WING WALKERS AS TO SPD AND DIRECTION OF PUSHBACK. THIS SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE USE OF ACFT HDG XCHKS DURING THE PUSHBACK AS DISTRS OCCUR (I.E.; ENG START; CHKLIST USE; ETC) SO THAT DISORIENTATION DOES NOT OCCUR. 4) THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF OP IS OBVIOUSLY A RWY XING; BUT PUSHBACK AND INITIAL RAMP TAXI OUT ORIENTATION IS A CLOSE SECOND!