Can't you leave the practicalities about pushing to those that know about it, and stick to the technical side?
Ignoring the obvious insult....
Maybe I should just leave the job to baggage handlers... or become a baggage handler and buy shares in this company?
If there is no comms, how does the marshaller know
1) when to push
2) which way to point the aircraft (where there is a choice). Or does he look for a windsock?
3) which aircraft has priority if there is an aircraft pushing at the same time (behind him at parallel terminal fingers)? Sometimes manoeuvering aircraft at our terminal is akin to solving a chinese puzzle.
This forum is for disseminating information.. If I don't ask questions or make comments, how am I to learn how things work in your part of the world?
Also, just because this system works at your airport/in your country, it doesn't mean it will work at ours.
18 Wheeler.. thanks... but it was a mostly rhetorical question about lead length... I'll be sure to build up my neck muscles to take the weight of the cord (until I learn how to do the required hand signals).
Swedish Steve... I don't like hanging around the nosewheel either, but our company is trying to improve its ontime performance by keeping engineers from various trades on standby in the vicinity of the airplane. If we are there, we may as well do the pushback. Also, excuse my feeble attempt to save my job.