Aviation Word Of The Day - Marshal

 Marshaling an aircraft, or to marshal is one of the numerous ramp services which means to direct an aircraft by way of hand signals.Positioning an aircraft can be quite a challenging task.Owing to the fact that an aircraft in it's whole is sizable, time must be taken to position it in the best manner possible and this cannot be achieved by the pilot alone in his cockpit. He needs remote assistance on the ground to make sure all angles are taken care off. I can't think of any better example - it's as involving as parking a huge car,where the driver himself cannot do all the work. He parks the vehicle perfectly when assisted by someone on the outside with obviously a better view of the exterior.Transfer that analogy here.
The person who does the marshaling is termed aircraft marshal or simply marshaler.

 By guiding the pilot on which specific turns to take, whether to slow down, stop, shut down engines and so on, marshalers see to it that
• the aircraft are appropriately parked or aligned on the right position line (after landing)
• the aircraft are marshaled to the disembarkation or unloading point (after taxiing)
• they guide the pilot towards the correct taxiway that will lead them to the runway (during takeoff).
All of the above is done on the ground. Generally, marshals communicate with pilots in the cockpit by using hand signals which are understood by both the pilot and the aircraft marshal. Given the numerous hazards posed by a moving aircraft, aircraft marshals undergo strict training on the job.

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