Aircraft marshalling is visual signalling between ground personnel and pilots on an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

helipad A helipad is the landing area of a heliport, in use by helicopters, powered lift, and vertical lift aircraft to land on surface. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fa ...

Activity

Marshalling is one-on-one visual communication and a part of

aircraft ground handling In aviation, aircraft ground handling or ground operations defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at a Gate (airport), terminal gate of an airport. Overview Many airlines subcontract ground hand ...

. It may be as an alternative to, or additional to, radio communications between the aircraft and

air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

. The usual equipment of a marshaller is a reflective safety vest, a helmet with acoustic earmuffs, and gloves or marshalling wands – handheld illuminated

beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

s. At airports, the marshaller signals the pilot to keep turning, slow down, stop, and shut down engines, leading the aircraft to its parking stand or to the

runway In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...

. Sometimes, the marshaller indicates directions to the pilot by driving a "Follow-Me" car (usually a yellow van or pick-up truck with a checkerboard pattern) prior to disembarking and resuming signalling, though this is not an industry standard. At busier and better equipped airports, marshallers are replaced on some stands with a Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS), of which there are many types. On aircraft carriers or helipads, marshallers give take-off and landing clearances to aircraft and helicopters, where the very limited space and time between take-offs and landings makes radio communications a difficult alternative.

U.S. Air Force procedures

Per the most recent U.S. Air Force marshalling instructions from 2012, marshallers "must wear a sleeveless garment of fluorescent international orange. It covers the shoulders and extends to the waist in the front and back. ..During daylight hours, marshallers may use high visibility paddles. Self-illuminating wands are required at night or during restricted visibility."U.S. Air Forc
Flying Operations and Movement on the Ground
Flight Rules and Procedures. AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 11-218, 28 October 2011, Incorporating Change 1, 1 November 2012, 89 pp Marshallers, like other ground personnel, must use

protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electr ...

like protective goggles or "an appropriate helmet with visor, when in rotor wash areas or in front of an aircraft that is being backed using the aircraft's engines." It also prescribes "earplugs, muff-type ear defenders, or headsets in the immediate area of aircraft that have engines, Auxiliary Power Unit, or Gas Turbine Compressor running."

Noise exposure

Excessive noise can cause hearing loss in marshallers, either imperceptibly over years or after a one-time acoustic trauma.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA
FAA Webtraining Environment
Human Factors Awareness Course, n.d., accessed 7 January 2015. In the United States noise limits at work are set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Fixed wing aircraft hand signals

Despite efforts to standaridize aspects of aviation communication, such as terminology and language, hand signals used to guide aircraft on the ground still vary between various major organizations, such as the

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...

, and the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

FAA hand signals

During darkness or periods of poor visibility, the signals remain the same, but the signaler should use illuminated marshaling wands, or another handheld light source. File:Aircraft hand signal all clear.svg, All clear (O.K.) File:Aircraft hand signal flagman directs.svg, Flagman directs pilot File:Aircraft hand signal insert chocks.svg, Insert chocks File:Aircraft hand signal pull chocks.svg, Pull chocks File:Aircraft hand signal start engine.svg, Start engine (Signaler points at engine to be started.) File:Aircraft hand signal cut engines.svg, Cut engines File:Aircraft hand signal proceed straight ahead.svg, Proceed straight ahead File:Aircraft hand signal turn left.svg, Turn left File:Aircraft hand signal turn right.svg, Turn right File:Aircraft hand signal slow down.svg, Slow down File:Aircraft hand signal stop.svg, Stop

Helicopter signals

File:Helicopter hand signal takeoff.svg, Take off File:Helicopter hand signal land.svg, Land File:Helicopter hand signal move upward.svg, Move upward File:Helicopter hand signal move downward.svg, Move downward File:Helicopter hand signal move left.svg, Move left File:Helicopter hand signal move right.svg, Move right File:Helicopter hand signal move forward.svg, Move forward File:Helicopter hand signal move rearward.svg, Move rearward File:Helicopter hand signal hold-hover.svg, Hold hover File:Helicopter hand signal release load.svg, Release sling load

References

External links

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UK marshalling signals, airfield markings and lighting standards.
from the CAA. Aircraft ground handling Articles containing video clips Sign systems