Pilots can now take a free video course, Understanding Aircraft Marshalling, from King Schools to help them learn the signals used by marshallers at a busy ramp.
Aircraft marshalling is rarely covered during pilot education, leaving many pilots scratching their heads when presented with marshalling signals, according to King Schools officials.
“Watching this course will help them understand ground signals they may see on busy ramps, at fly-ins, and aviation events. They will also learn what signals to give back to the marshaller when necessary, instead of guessing what the marshaller wants to see.”
“A pilot may see many different marshalling signals at a busy airport or event, so we cover them all,” said John King, co-chairman of King Schools with his wife, Martha. “From start-up and departure to arrival and shut-down, this course has the common signals, as well as specialty and seldom-used signals. Like any other phase of flight, risk management is also a vital part of taxiing and parking safely, so we cover risk management best practices while on the ground too.”
“After a long flight, many general aviation pilots have found themselves in front of a marshaller, realizing they were either unfamiliar with, or very rusty on, marshalling signals,” Martha added. “We developed this course to help fill that gap in aviation training.”
The course runs about 20 minutes and is available free on the King Schools website.
I have dream all my life to study and become an aircraft marshall.
I agree. Marshaling technique varies so much that it’s a long way from universal. It’s been awhile, but I have even had a rampy signal me to back up!
It has been my experience that most pilots know marshalling hand signals – but a lot of “ramp marshals” don’t, or don’t know where to position themselves to be seen. For example, after losing the front crank seal and spraying oil all over my windscreen at Fond du Lac a couple years ago, I made it back, landed, and taxied to the ramp. The young ramp marshal didn’t try to make eye contact with me when I got to the ramp, probably because she hadn’t been properly trained. As a result, she stood directly in front of my aircraft virtually invisible to me and expected me to follow her directions. I shutdown, towed my bird the last, short distance they needed, and then explained why so she would know next time. Her comment was that she had never been taught she needed to make sure she could be seen.
It might be beneficial if King could develop the ground-side of this activity because a lot of FBOs seem to leave it up to luck and the movies to train their “greeters”.