Rules of the Air — Page 133, Lesson 210

We're moving into marshalling signals now. This is a big part of the Rules of the Air, and it's all about non-verbal communication between the ground crew and the pilot. When an aircraft is on the apron, engine noise makes voice communication impossible, so we use a standardized set of hand signals with illuminated wands. These signals are universal, so a pilot can operate anywhere in the world and understand exactly what the marshaller is telling them. Let's start with the wingwalker or guide signal. The marshaller raises their right hand above head level with the wand pointing up, and moves the left-hand wand pointing down toward the body. The note here is important: this signal is given by a person positioned at the aircraft wing tip. It tells the pilot, the marshaller, and the push-back operator that the aircraft movement on or off a parking position would be unobstructed. So it's a clearance check from the wing tip. Next is "Identify gate." The marshaller raises fully extended arms straight above the head with wands pointing up. That's the signal for the pilot to identify the correct gate. Then we have "Proceed to next signalman or as directed by tower or ground control." Here, the marshaller points both arms upward, then moves and extends the arms outward to the sides of the body, pointing with the wands to the direction of the next signalman or the taxi area. So it's a directional handoff. "Straight ahead" is next. The marshaller bends the extended arms at the elbows and moves the wands up and down from chest height to head. That tells the pilot to continue rolling forward. Now we get into turning. "Turn left" — and note this is from the pilot's point of view. The marshaller extends the right arm and wand at a 90-degree angle to the body, and makes a "come ahead" signal with the left hand. The rate of the signal motion tells the pilot the rate of the aircraft turn. So a faster motion means a faster turn. "Turn right" is the mirror image. With the left arm and wand extended at a 90-degree angle to the body, the marshaller makes the "come ahead" signal with the right hand. Again, the rate of signal motion indicates the rate of turn. Then we have the stops. "Normal stop" — the marshaller fully extends arms and wands at a 90-degree angle to the sides, then slowly moves them above the head until the wands cross. That's a gradual, controlled stop. "Emergency stop" is different. The marshaller abruptly extends arms and wands to the top of the head, crossing the wands. The abruptness is the key — it's an immediate, urgent command to halt. Now let's talk about brakes and chocks. "Set brakes" — the marshaller raises the hand just above shoulder height with an open palm. Then, ensuring eye contact with the flight crew, closes the hand into a fist. And importantly, the marshaller does not move until receiving a "thumbs up" acknowledgement from the flight crew. So it's a two-way confirmation. "Release brakes" is the reverse. Raise the hand just above shoulder height with the hand closed in a fist. Ensuring eye contact, open the palm. Again, do not move until the "thumbs up" acknowledgement comes back. "Chocks inserted" — with arms and wands fully extended above the head, the marshaller moves the wands inward in a "jabbing" motion until the wands touch. And ensure acknowledgement is received from the flight crew. "Chocks removed" — with arms and wands fully extended above the head, move the wands outward in a "jabbing" motion. And here's the critical part: do not remove the chocks until authorized by the flight crew. That's a safety lock — the crew has to give the go-ahead. Finally, engine signals. "Start engine(s)" — the marshaller raises the right arm to head level with the wand pointing up and starts a circular motion with the hand. At the same time, with the left arm raised above head level, points to the engine to be started. So the circular motion is "start," and the pointing hand identifies which engine. "Cut engines" — extend the arm with the wand forward of the body at shoulder level, then move the hand and wand to the top of the left shoulder and draw the wand across to the top of the right shoulder in a slicing motion across the throat. That's the unmistakable "cut" signal. "Slow down" — move the extended arms downwards in a "patting" gesture, moving the wands up and down from waist to knees. It's a gentle, rhythmic patting motion. And "Slow down engine(s) on indicated side" — with arms down and wands toward the ground, wave either the right or left wand up and down, indicating that the engine on the left or right side respectively should be slowed down. So the side of the wave tells you which engine. These signals are precise because lives and equipment depend on them. The key themes to remember: every signal has a distinct, deliberate motion, and many require an acknowledgement from the flight crew before the ground crew proceeds. That two-way confirmation is what prevents accidents on the apron.