Hand signals and marshalling — how to guide a plane without radio
When engine noise drowns everything else, the standardized hand signals are the plane's only safe language
With the engines running it is virtually impossible for a pilot to hear anything from outside. Therefore marshalling — guiding an aircraft with standardised hand signals — is still one of the most fundamental techniques on the apron even in a time of advanced radio communication and automatic docking systems in many airports.
§What is marshalling?
Marshalling means a trained signaler guides an aircraft visually typically as it leaves or approaches its parking position. The pilot can see the signaler through the cockpit window and follows their instructions about direction speed and when the aircraft should stop completely. Because a misinterpreted signal in the worst case can lead to an aircraft colliding with equipment buildings or other aircraft the signals are not something each airport invents itself.
§ICAO's common signal language
The standardized hand signals for marshalling are laid down by the UN's international civil aviation organization ICAO in Annex 2 on air traffic rules (Rules of the Air) where an appendix describes and illustrates the recognized marshalling and emergency signals. Because the signals are standardized internationally it means that a pilot from any airline can understand a signaller at virtually any airport in the world — the signal language is the same regardless of where you are on the globe.
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Arms extended straight up with signal sticks pointing upward | Drive towards the shown parking position |
| Arms bent at elbows sticks move up and down in front of body | Continue forward in a straight line |
| Stave the cross over the head | Stop the plane immediately |
| Arm extended horizontally with stick waved in toward the body | Turn towards the indicated side |
| Tied hand held up with thumb up/down | Put blocks under or remove blocks |
§Requirements for the signalman
You must not guide an aircraft unless you are trained, qualified and approved to do so by the relevant aviation authority or the approved organization you work for. The signalman must also be clearly identifiable: distinctive fluorescent safety vests are used so the pilot and others on the ramp are never in doubt about who is directing each maneuver. In daylight, fluorescent signal batons, table tennis paddles or gloves are used, while luminous batons are used when it is dark or visibility is poor.
§Why are signals still used in a radio-heavy industry
Although modern aircraft and airports have advanced radio communication hand signals are still indispensable. They work when the radio fails when engine noise is too loud to hear clearly and in situations where the pilot needs an immediate visual 'stop' without delay. For you as an airport operator the ability to read and execute these signals correctly is therefore a core skill — regardless of whether you yourself should stand with the batons or just understand what is happening when your colleague beside you does it.