Effective communication and aviation safety go hand in hand. Although modern radio communications are used throughout most of the flight, vital communications at the beginning and end of each flight are transmitted visually between the pilot and the line service specialist. Aircraft marshaling is an important safety component because it affords an extra level of safety by having a set of eyes and ears outside the aircraft. Developed by the National Air Transportation Association s Safety 1st Program in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), this hand signal guide is designed to provide a clear and concise description of the twenty-five internationally accepted hand signals used today.
Ready to Guide: Start Ready to Guide: Finish Stand facing the aircraft with feet slightly apart. With wands at your side, raise your arms outward and upward in a large sweeping motion until you get the pilot s attention. End with the wands slightly separated above your head. When the aircraft starts taxiing to you, change to the next appropriate hand signal.
Come / Taxi Ahead: Start Come Taxi Ahead: Finish Once the aircraft is lined up in front of you, extend your arms or wands forward from your shoulders. Pull your hands or wands straight back to your shoulders and repeat this motion as long as you need the aircraft to taxi forward.
RIGHT Turn: Start RIGHT Turn: Finish Smoothly transition from your last signal, stretch both arms or wands straight out at your sides. Hold your LEFT arm or wand straight out pointing in the direction you wish the aircraft to turn. Repeatedly move your RIGHT arm from side to side.
LEFT Turn: Start LEFT Turn: Finish Smoothly transition from your last signal, stretch both arms or wands straight out at your sides. Hold your RIGHT arm or wand straight out pointing in the direction you wish the aircraft to turn. Repeatedly move your LEFT arm or wand side to side.
Slow Down: Start Slow Down: Finish Hold both elbows at your side, with forearms forward. Repeatedly move both forearms in a downward motion. Repeatedly move both forearms in a downward motion.
Indicate Affirmative: Indicate Negative: To ACKNOWLEDGE or AGREE with a pilot request or hand signal, reply with a THUMBS UP. To DISAGREE with a pilot request or hand signal, reply with a THUMBS DOWN
Indicate Clearance Distance: Indicate Closing Distance: Hold your hands or wands over your head spaced apart to represent the amount of distance available. If the distance between the aircraft and the obstruction is closing, keep moving your hands or wands closer together to show the smaller distance.
Prepare to STOP: Start STOP: Finish Extend arms or wands away from your sides. Just prior to where the aircraft should stop, slowly raise both arms or wands upward in a sweeping motion. End with your arms or wands meeting and crossing overhead at the point where the aircraft should stop.
Emergency STOP: Start Emergency STOP: Finish To indicate an emergency stop, QUICKLY and repeatedly sweep arms or wands from a separated position overhead to a position where the wands are crossed above your head. Repeat this action several times in rapid succession until the aircraft stops.
Chocks Installed: Start Chocks Installed: Finish Raise both arms overhead with wands or thumbs pointed inward toward each other. End with the tips of the wands or thumbs touching above your head.
Chocks Removed: Start Chocks Removed: Finish Start with your wands or hands extended over your head with the wands or thumbs pointed outward. End by moving your wands or hands apart.
Set Brakes: Start Set Brakes: Finish Raise both hands over your head with your palms facing the aircraft. Close your fingers, making a fist with both hands.
Release Brakes: Start Release Brakes: Finish Start with arms raised and hands in a clenched fist position. End by unclenching your fists, palms facing the aircraft.
Stop Engine: Start Stop Engine: Finish Start by raising your right arm to a position across your left shoulder. End by quickly pulling the wand across your neck in a slicing motion.
Ext. Power Connected: Start Ext. Power Connected: Finish Start by placing your left arm at a 45 degree angle with your fingers pointing toward your head. Place your right hand away from and below your left hand. End by moving your right hand up behind your left hand as if you were plugging it in.
Ext. Power Disconnect: Start Ext. Power Disconnect: Finish When using wands, place your right wand at a 45 degree angle, pointing toward your head. The right wand should touch the center of the left wand. End by quickly moving your right wand away from your left in an unplugging motion.
Open Air Stairs: Start Open Air Stairs: Finish Start by raising your left arm or wand up from your side at a 45 degree angle. Position your right arm or wand against your chest, pointing along the same line as your right. End by sweeping your right arm downward, duplicating the opening airstair movement.
Close Air Stairs: Start Close Air Stairs: Finish Start with your left arm or wand up at a 45 degree angle and your right arm or wand down at a 45 degree angle. End by moving your right arm or wand up across your chest towards your left arm in a sweeping motion resembling the closing of an airstair.
Start Engine: Start Start Engine: Finish Start by pointing your arm or wand at engine. Raise your other arm or wand upward and behind you. Rotate the raised arm or wand that is behind your head in a tight, circular motion.
Engine Fire: Start Engine Fire: Finish Should an engine fire occur during start up, point toward the problem engine with your left arm. Move right hand/wand in a fanning motion from shoulder to knee. Continue to point to problem engine with lefthand wand
Brake Fire: Start Brake Fire: Finish Should a brake fire occur, quickly point to the problem landing gear with your left wand. Move right hand/wand in a fanning motion from shoulder to knee. Continue to point to problem landing gear with left arm/wand.
Don t Touch Controls: Start Don t Touch Controls: Finish Upon noticing an obstruction or object near a movable aircraft surface, get the pilot s attention because he may not be looking for signals yet. Then, grab one wand in the middle and hold it up over your head with the wand parallel to the ground.
Pass Control Off: Start Pass Control Off: Finish Start by pointing the closer arm toward the next marshaler. Raise the other arm or wand across your chest, pointing to the other marshaler. End by facing away from the aircraft and face the other marshaler. Look back at the aircraft and then away again. Stand at ease after the pilot has transitioned.
End Ground Guidance and Clear To Depart: Start End Ground Guidance and Clear To Depart: Finish Stand at attention and give a crisp military salute with your right hand to the pilot. End by standing at ease as the aircraft departs.
To order additional copies of the Ramp Hand Signals DVD and booklet, contact: ATA Safety 1st Aviation Training Institute, LLC 4226 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 www.natasafety1st.org E-mail: Safety1st@nata.aero Phone: 703-575-2045