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Ground

!!! info Cotonou does not have a dedicated Ground frequency, as such all Ground responsibilities are assumed by Cotonou Tower (DBBB_TWR). Under no circumstances should a DBBB_GND position ever be opened without prior approval from staff.

Parking Stand Restrictions

The following table details the Parking stand wingspan restrictions for the Cotonou Airport.

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!!! note Code F aircraft are not permitted to operate out of the Cotonou Airport. However, since VATSIM is VATSIM, code F aircraft can be accommodated with stands 7-10.

Pushback Procedures

Directions

Runway in use Pushback clearance
21 Facing East
03 Facing West

Pushback Phraseology

"(callsign), push and start approved, facing west, QNH (QNH)."

Taxi Out Stands

Traffic parked on stands 1, 4B, 13A.

Taxi Procedures

Taxi Out

  • When Runway 24 is active, departing traffic shall be instructed to taxi to holding point A.
  • When Runway 06 is active, departing traffic shall be instructed to taxi to holding point B.
  • Traffic should advise whether Backtrack onto Runway 06 or 24 is required.
  • It can be assumed that all medium and heavy category aircraft require backtrack.

Taxi in

  • The Tower controller should give priority to arriving traffic taxiing to their stand before issuing pushback clearances to departing traffic. This is to prevent traffic from blocking holding points A and B.

Taxi Phraseology

"(callsign), taxi to holding point A Runway 24."

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Start-up and Taxi Procedures

On initial call with Tower, the VFR aircraft is expected to provide:

  • Aircraft Registration, if the callsign used is not the aircraft registration
  • Aircraft Type
  • Persons on Board
  • Fuel Endurance
  • Intentions

Once this data has been received by the Tower controller, the controller shall then issue the QNH, Active runway, and if operating on a FPL, a squawk.

VFR Phraseology

"TYOWU, thank you, start up approved, Runway 24 in use, QNH 1021, report ready for taxi."