Aircraft marshalling
Encyclopedia
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
, aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
or helipad
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
. [Image:Marshalling Signals.gif] Marshalling is one-on-one visual communication and a part of aircraft ground handling
Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...
. It may be as an alternative to, or additional to, radio communications between the aircraft and air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
, The usual equipment of a marshaller is a reflecting safety vest
Safety reflector
A safety reflector is a retroreflector intended for pedestrians, runners, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles. A safety reflector is similar to reflective stripes that can be found on safety vests and clothing worn by road workers and rescue workers...
, a helmet with acoustic earmuffs, and gloves or marshalling wands, handheld illuminated beacon
Beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
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
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
. Sometimes, the marshaller indicates directions to the pilot by driving a "Follow-Me" car (usually a yellow van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
or pick-up truck with a checkerboard pattern) prior to disembarking and resuming signalling. This, however, is not an industry standard.
At busier and better equipped airports, marshallers are replaced on some stands with a Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS)
Visual Docking Guidance System
A stand guidance system is a system which gives information to a pilot attempting to park his aircraft at an airport stand, usually via visual methods, leading to the term Visual Docking Guidance System and also A-VDGS This allows them to remain clear of obstructions and ensures that jetways can...
, 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.