When Marshalling an aircraft, how to you signal to come right or left?

Question

Basically walk me through the procedure. Do I point to my left with my right hand in the air for a left or right turn and vice versa. The pictures that I have seen are confusing. Thanks...

Answer 1

When marshalling in an airplane and you want him to turn left, you will place your left arm straight out and move your right arm in the upward fashion. If you want them to move right then you will point straight out with your right arm and move your left in the upward fashion. If you want them to come straight at you then you move both arms in the upward fashion.

Answer 2

Helicopter Marshalling Hand Signals

Answer 3

Be it a left turn or a right turn, the proceedure is the same:

1) Point in the DIRECTION you want the plane to GO
2) Motion back and forth with the arm that isn't pointing

That is what I used to tell my ramp trainees as so many developed dyslexia when they had to marshal in their first flight! Don't think too much about left or right. It will just confuse you. Simply POINT them where you want them to go with the arm on that side.

SEE what I mean by watching these signals and how the a/c responds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5snhB_f3Is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hta-5BbRFxc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvl0onSy0tc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7npKZ4UXOSM

As far as the 'point to the side you want the pilot to brake' idea.... well only if you are marshalling a light GA aircraft will that work. Airliners use "tillers" for steering into the gate, not differential braking.

Answer 4

As the rest have said..with the addition that the moving arm controls the speed of the turn the quicker the arm moves the tighter the turn.As a side note if the pilot knows the airfield they are likely to not pay a whole lot of attention the the marshaller and do their own thing.

Answer 5

The easiest way to remember:

Point to the brake that you want the pilot to apply.

On aircraft without nose-wheel steering, turning the aircraft involves applying pressure on the wheel the aircraft needs to pivot around. To turn right, the pilot steps on the right brake. To turn left, he steps on the left brake.

If you want the aircraft to turn right (your left), then point to the aircraft's right brake (with your left hand) and keep your right hand up.

Answer 6

If you want the Aircraft to turn right you put your right hand parrellel to the ground and put the left and up and motion side to side. Exact opposite for aircraft turning left

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_marshalling

Here is a video from youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvl0onSy0tc