Escort aircraft using a vehicle

URN: PPLAOG50
Business Sectors (Suites): Aviation Operations on the Ground
Developed by: People 1st
Approved on: 2021

Overview

This standard is about escorting aircraft using a ‘follow me’ vehicle. This involves preparing the vehicle, equipment and route for escorting the aircraft. This also involves following your organisation’s and the airport/airfield's aircraft escorting procedures at all times, whilst adhering to the relevant legal requirements and maintaining the safety of other airside users. You must be able to ensure that you have the correct documentation to drive airside, and escort the aircraft safely, use signs and signals to communicate with the flight deck crew to safely escort the aircraft, and follow your organisation’s and the airport/airfield's radiotelephony procedures. You must know and understand your organisation's and the airport/airfield's low visibility, adverse weather and emergency procedures.

This standard is for those who work in an airport/airfield who are responsible for 
escorting aircraft.

When you have completed this standard, you will be able to demonstrate your 
knowledge of and ability to:
Escort aircraft using a vehicle


Performance criteria

You must be able to:

1. Prepare to escort aircraft using a vehicle in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements 2. Carry a valid airside driving permit (ADP) at all times when operating a ‘follow me’ vehicle in line with your organisation's and the airport/airfield's procedures and relevant legal requirements 3. Confirm your ADP is compliant with the vehicle you are operating to escort aircraft using a vehicle and area in which you are driving  4. Prepare and use the required vehicle, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to escort the aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements 5. Prepare the route for escorting the aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures and relevant legal requirements 6. Escort aircraft using a vehicle in line with organisational, airport/airfield and airline procedures, and relevant legal requirements 7. Use the required standard signs and signals to allow the flight deck crew to follow the escorting vehicle in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures 8. Interpret and initiate standard radio messages when escorting aircraft as required in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures 9. Maintain your own, colleagues’, passengers’, and visitors’ health, safety and welfare when escorting aircraft 10. Complete the required documentation for escorting aircraft in line with organisational and airport/airfield procedures

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

1. Prepare to escort aircraft using a vehicle in line with your organisation’s and the airport/airfield’s procedures and relevant legal requirements 2. The importance of carrying a valid airside driving permit (ADP) and confirming it is compliant with the vehicle you are driving to escort aircraft using a vehicle 3. Your organisation’s and the airport/airfield’s  procedures and relevant legal requirements for preparing and using the required vehicle, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to escort the aircraft 4. How to prepare the route for escorting aircraft and the importance of doing so 5. The relevant regulatory and legal requirements for driving a vehicle airside, and your organisation’s and the airport/airfield’s procedures, including free-ranging, as they apply to airside traffic 6. Escort aircraft using a vehicle in line with organisational, airport/airfield and airline procedures, and relevant legal requirements 7. How to escort aircraft using a vehicle during daytime and night time operations 8. How to use standard hand signals 9. How to interpret standard signals from and give standard signals to the flight deck crew when escorting aircraft 10. How to interpret and initiate standard radio messages when escorting aircraft 11. The types of health and safety risks to yourself, colleagues’, passengers’, and visitors’ when escorting aircraft 12. How to maintain your own, colleagues’, passengers’, and visitors’ health, safety and welfare when escorting aircraft 13. Your organisation’s and the airport/airfield's procedures for reverting to marshalling in an emergency 14. Your organisation's and the airport/airfield's low visibility and adverse weather procedures 15. Your organisation’s and the airport/airfield's procedures for completing documentation in relation to escorting aircraft

Scope/range

Hand signals include:
a) Proceed under guidance of another marshal
b) Move ahead
c) Open up starboard engine or turn to port
d) Open up port engine or turn to starboard
e) Stop
f) Start engines
g) Chocks inserted
h) Chocks away
i) Cut engines
j) Slowdown
k) Slow down engines on indicated side
l) This bay
m) All clear
n) Marshalling finished
o) Hover
p) Land
q) Move upwards
r) Move downwards
s) Move horizontally
t) Move back
u) Release load
v) Release brakes
w) Engage breaks
x) Start engine(s)
y) Attach or detach the Ground Power Unit, Air Starter              Unit

Adverse weather includes:
a) Wind
b) Snow
c) Heat
d) Sun
e) Visibility
f) Ice



Scope Performance


Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours


Skills


Glossary

FOD
Foreign Object Debris

GPU
Ground Power Unit

ASU
Air Starter Unit

ADP
Airside Driving Permit

PPE
Personal Protective Equipment

Your Organisation
This is the company you work for or are contracted to

Organisation’s Procedures
These are the procedures your organisation has in place to ensure compliance with relevant rules, regulations, instructions, policies, procedures, legislation and laws relevant to the activity

Aviation terms, phrases and hand signals have been standardised to improve communication and safety across the global aviation industry. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) set out the standard for nonverbal communication and guidance signals in the IATA Standards in the Airport Handling Manual (AHM) and IATA Ground Handling Manual (IGOM). The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) set out the common language used for verbal communication including radiotelephony, the phonetic alphabet and phraseology to be used.


Links To Other NOS


External Links


Version Number

2

Indicative Review Date

2026

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

GoSkills

Original URN

GSKAOG50

Relevant Occupations

Transport Drivers and Operatives, Transport Operations and Maintenance

SOC Code

8233

Keywords

drive, vehicle, aircraft, escort, permits, safety