Effective communication and aviation safety go hand in hand.Although modern radio communications are used throughout most of theflight, vital communications at the beginning and end of each flight aretransmitted visually between the pilot and the line service specialist.Aircraft marshaling is an important safety component because it affordsan extra level of safety by having a set of eyes and ears outside the aircraft.Developed by the National Air Transportation Association’s Safety 1stProgram in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),this hand signal guide is designed to provide a clear and concise descriptionof the twenty-five internationally accepted hand signals used today.

Ready to Guide: Start Ready to Guide: Finish

Stand facing the aircraft with feetslightly apart. With wands at your side,raise your arms outward and upward ina large sweeping motion until you getthe pilot’s attention.

End with the wands slightly separatedabove your head. When the aircraftstarts taxiing to you, change to the nextappropriate hand signal.

Come / Taxi Ahead: Start Come Taxi Ahead: Finish

Once the aircraft is lined up in front ofyou, extend your arms or wandsforward from your shoulders.

Pull your hands or wands straight backto your shoulders and repeat thismotion as long as you need the aircraftto taxi forward.

RIGHT Turn: Start RIGHT Turn: Finish

Smoothly transition from your last signal,stretch both arms or wands straightout at your sides.

Hold your LEFT arm or wand straightout pointing in the direction you wishthe aircraft to turn. Repeatedly moveyour RIGHT arm from side to side.

LEFT Turn: Start LEFT Turn: Finish

Hold your RIGHT arm or wand straightout pointing in the direction you wishthe aircraft to turn. Repeatedly moveyour LEFT arm or wand side to side.

Smoothly transition from your last signal,stretch both arms or wands straightout at your sides.

Slow Down: Start Slow Down: Finish

Hold both elbows at your side, withforearms forward. Repeatedly moveboth forearms in a downward motion.

Repeatedly move both forearms in adownward motion.

Indicate Affirmative: Indicate Negative:

To ACKNOWLEDGE or AGREE with apilot request or hand signal, reply witha THUMBS UP.

To DISAGREE with a pilot request orhand signal, reply with a THUMBSDOWN

Indicate Clearance Distance: Indicate Closing Distance:

Hold your hands or wands over yourhead spaced apart to represent theamount of distance available.

If the distance between the aircraftand the obstruction is closing, keepmoving your hands or wands closertogether to show the smaller distance.

Prepare to STOP: Start STOP: Finish

Extend arms or wands away from yoursides. Just prior to where the aircraftshould stop, slowly raise both arms orwands upward in a sweeping motion.

End with your arms or wands meetingand crossing overhead at the pointwhere the aircraft should stop.

Emergency STOP: Start Emergency STOP: Finish

To indicate an emergency stop,QUICKLY and repeatedly sweep armsor wands from a separated positionoverhead to a position where thewands are crossed above your head.

Repeat this action several times inrapid succession until the aircraftstops.

Chocks Installed: Start Chocks Installed: Finish

Raise both arms overhead with wandsor thumbs pointed inward toward eachother.

End with the tips of the wands orthumbs touching above your head.

Chocks Removed: Start Chocks Removed: Finish

Start with your wands or handsextended over your head with thewands or thumbs pointed outward.

End by moving your wands or handsapart.

Set Brakes: Start Set Brakes: Finish

Raise both hands over your head withyour palms facing the aircraft.

Close your fingers, making a fist withboth hands.

Release Brakes: Start Release Brakes: Finish

Start with arms raised and hands in aclenched fist position.

End by unclenching your fists, palmsfacing the aircraft.

Stop Engine: Start Stop Engine: Finish

Start by raising your right arm to aposition across your left shoulder.

End by quickly pulling the wand acrossyour neck in a slicing motion.

Ext. Power Connected: Start Ext. PowerConnected: Finish

Start by placing your left arm at a45 degree angle with your fingerspointing toward your head. Place yourright hand away from and below yourleft hand.

End by moving your right hand upbehind your left hand as if you wereplugging it in.

Ext. PowerDisconnect: Start Ext. PowerDisconnect: Finish

When using wands, place your rightwand at a 45 degree angle, pointingtoward your head. The right wandshould touch the center of the leftwand.

End by quickly moving your right wandaway from your left in an unpluggingmotion.

Open Air Stairs: Start Open Air Stairs: Finish

Start by raising your left arm or wandup from your side at a 45 degree angle.Position your right arm or wand againstyour chest, pointing along the sameline as your right.

End by sweeping your right armdownward, duplicating the openingairstair movement.

Close Air Stairs: Start Close Air Stairs: Finish

Start with your left arm or wand up at a45 degree angle and your right arm orwand down at a 45 degree angle.

End by moving your right arm or wandup across your chest towards your leftarm in a sweeping motion resemblingthe closing of an airstair.

Start Engine: Start Start Engine: Finish

Start by pointing your arm or wand atengine. Raise your other arm or wandupward and behind you.

Rotate the raised arm or wand that isbehind your head in a tight, circularmotion.

Engine Fire: Start Engine Fire: Finish

Should an engine fire occur duringstart up, point toward the problemengine with your left arm.

Move right hand/wand in a “fanning”motion from shoulder to knee. Continueto point to problem engine with left-hand wand

Brake Fire: Start Brake Fire: Finish

Should a brake fire occur, quickly pointto the problem landing gear with yourleft wand.

Move right hand/wand in a “fanning”motion from shoulder to knee. Continueto point to problem landing gear withleft arm/wand.

Don’t Touch Controls: Start Don’t Touch Controls: Finish

Upon noticing an obstruction or objectnear a movable aircraft surface, getthe pilot’s attention because he maynot be looking for signals yet.

Then, grab one wand in the middle andhold it up over your head with the wandparallel to the ground.

Pass Control Off: Start Pass Control Off: Finish

Start by pointing the closer arm towardthe next marshaler. Raise the otherarm or wand across your chest,pointing to the other marshaler.

End by facing away from the aircraftand face the other marshaler. Lookback at the aircraft and then awayagain. Stand at ease after the pilot hastransitioned.

End Ground Guidance andClear To Depart: Start

End Ground Guidance andClear To Depart: Finish

Stand at attention and give a crispmilitary salute with your right hand tothe pilot.

End by standing at ease as the aircraftdeparts.

To order additional copies of the Ramp Hand Signals DVDand booklet, contact:

�ATA Safety 1stAviation Training Institute, LLC

4226 King StreetAlexandria, VA 22302www.natasafety1st.org

E-mail: Safety1st@nata.aeroPhone: 703-575-2045