Single Engine Taxiing on Boeing Aircraft: Procedures and Simulator Tips

Single-engine taxi after landing is common on Boeing narrow-bodies and wide-bodies when company policy and airport conditions allow. One engine is shut down after clearing the runway; the other provides thrust to the gate while the APU often supplies electrical and pneumatic air. For simulator pilots flying PMDG 737, iFly, Ultimate 787, or default MSFS Boeings, practicing OET builds awareness of rudder steering, engine start/shutdown flows, and why real airlines accept the operational trade-offs.

Why operators use it

Taxi fuel is a small fraction of total trip burn, but hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, or Heathrow can mean fifteen minutes of ground time per leg. Operating one CFM or LEAP engine instead of two roughly halves taxi fuel flow. Fleet-wide savings add up, and ground noise drops slightly — some airports encourage it through environmental programmes. Boeing fleets are not uniform: a 777 at high landing weight on a wet uphill taxi may keep both engines running; a light 737-800 on a flat ten-minute taxi to the terminal is the classic OET case.

Boeing-specific considerations

On the 737, crews often secure the left engine (number 1) and taxi on the right, or follow airline SOP for which side stays lit. The APU must be running before shutdown to avoid loss of packs and buses — verify on your add-on that bleed and electrical logic matches. Nose-wheel steering is tied to hydraulic systems; with one engine off, confirm green hydraulic pressure remains adequate (normally yes with APU or remaining engine-driven pumps).

On 777/787, OET checklists include fuel pump isolation, crossfeed status, and sometimes a minimum engine run cool-down before shutdown after long-haul landings. Brake cooling matters on heavy arrivals: single-engine taxi does not remove the need to monitor brake temperatures on long taxi routes.

Typical inbound flow in the sim

1. Land, exit runway, complete after-landing flow (flaps up, transponder standby, lights).
2. Start APU if not already running; confirm bleed available for packs if passengers are simulated.
3. At a safe straight segment, call for shutdown per checklist — fuel control switch to cutoff, verify spool down.
4. Taxi with moderate power on live engine; anticipate rudder for turns toward the dead engine side.
5. Before next departure or when parking, restart secured engine or leave for maintenance role-play.

Asymmetric thrust feel

Boeing twins at idle taxi N1 still produce noticeable thrust asymmetry. Use gentle power and plan wide turns when possible. If your sim assigns tiller separately from rudder, practice tiller on the ground below 30 kt. Holding brakes and pulsing thrust is sometimes smoother than high idle on one engine only.

When to skip OET in training

Short taxi to parking, cold-and-dark starts where you need both engines for electrical practice, or add-ons that model APU poorly may make OET more frustrating than educational. Use NG ROUTE to brief the arrival runway and METAR, then decide if gate realism includes OET for that session.

Airline SOPs differ by carrier and airport. Simulation training only — not for real-world operations.