Aircraft marshalling is visual signalling between ground personnel and

pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...

on an

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

, aircraft carrier or

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard ...

Activity

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

aircraft ground handling In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at a terminal gate of an airport. Overview Many airlines subcontract ground handling to airports, handling agents o ...

. 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 airsp ...

. The usual equipment of a marshaller is a reflective

safety vest High-visibility clothing, sometimes shortened to hi vis or hi viz, is any clothing worn that is highly luminescent in its natural matt property or a color that is easily discernible from any background. It is most commonly worn on the torso and ...

, a helmet with acoustic

earmuff Earmuffs are clothing accessories or personal protective equipment designed to cover a person's ears for hearing protection or warmth. They consist of a thermoplastic or metal head-band that fits over the top or back of the head, and a cushion o ...

s, 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 According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

. Sometimes, the marshaller indicates directions to the pilot by driving a "Follow-Me" car (usually a yellow

van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across t ...

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 The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

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, elec ...

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 ...

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

, and the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

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 Chock or Chocks may refer to: Devices for preventing movement * Wheel chock, tool to prevent accidental movement * Chock (climbing), anchor * Chock, component of a sailing block Other uses * Chock (surname) * ''Chock'' (TV series), a Swe ...

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

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