Ground Ops Dialogue
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Ground Ops Dialogue
Hi all
I'm creating a flight deck-ground crew soundset for a flight sim add-on.
I just wanted to ask, once the interphone's connected, what is the standard phraseology for:
connecting ext power
connecting ext air
disconnecting the above
pushback
pushback and start
This is specifically for the 767-300, any details you can give me of the dialogue particularly during push would help me to make this more realistic. Many thanks in advance, ppruners.
RU
I'm creating a flight deck-ground crew soundset for a flight sim add-on.
I just wanted to ask, once the interphone's connected, what is the standard phraseology for:
connecting ext power
connecting ext air
disconnecting the above
pushback
pushback and start
This is specifically for the 767-300, any details you can give me of the dialogue particularly during push would help me to make this more realistic. Many thanks in advance, ppruners.
RU
Last edited by reverserunlocked; 26th Mar 2005 at 07:31.
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1. connecting ext power
None. They plug it in automatically as you pull onto stand. Some guys will bang on the side of the aircraft with a flat hand and wait for a thumbs up that the power is good before scuttling off back to their crew room.
2. connecting ext air
The hose would normally be connected without communication at some point during the turnaround. Actually providing the air - see below.
3. disconnecting the above (Normal Ops)
Ext Power
Usually no verbal communications. Once APU is clearly running, a ground crew member will usually bang on the side of the aircraft to get your attention and then make the disconnect external power hand signal, and wait for it to be returned by the flight crew before pulling the plug.
Air - n/a
APU less.
Should all happen as part of the start/push sequence below. However, for ultimate realism you might want to insert a random chance of the following
"Clunk" (Aircraft goes dark)
"********" (expletives from other flight crew member)
"Clunk/Sliding sound of window being open"
One of the following:
"OI!! You ****. What the **** did you do that for?"
or
"Excuse me my good man. You seem to have prematurely disconnect our external power, which, given that our APU is unserviceable today is a dashed inconvenience. Would you be so kind as to reconnect it as hastily as possible?"
4. Push / Start
Some companies have highly standardised phraseology, some don't. There is a lot of variation between individual pushback crews, and different airports as well. You would hear something like this:-
Firstly, some discussion to make sure the external tasks are complete, from the verbose: -
"Flight Deck - Ground. May we have your external checks please"
"Ground - Flightdeck. All holds and hatches are closed. Walkround complete and tug connected. - we are ready for pushback."
to the less verbose:
"Ready Ground?"
"Yes"
Next, Crew get start clearance from ATC. Most busy airport there is then a freq change to get pushback clearance. In an APUless situation, specific clearance to start one on stand would be requested.
[APU Less]
["Flight deck - Ground. We are clear to start. Give us the air please"]
[monitors air pressure rising and acceptable]
["Flight deck - ground - may we start Engine one please?"]
["You're clear to start engine one"]
["Starting one"]
[some ground staff will report rotation and light up to you. Most don't]
["Flight deck - ground. Engine one is good. Disconnect air and external power please."]
["Ok"]
Crew gets Pushback clearance. Most stands at most airports have a standard pushback - i.e. if no conditions are added, the groundcrew know where to push you by default.
"Flight deck - ground. We are cleared to push." (or something more complicated, like "After the outbound 747 we are clear to push into taxyway Lima to face south, long push to allow one onto stand)
"Ground - Flight deck. Release parking brake."
"Flight Deck - ground. Parking brake released."
"Ground - Flight deck. Commencing push. [Normal ops] Cleared to start two and one."
"Flight deck - ground. Starting two"
"Flight deck - ground. Starting one"
"Ground - Flight deck. Pushback complete - set parking brake"
"Flight deck - ground, Brake set."
[APUless]
["Flight deck ground - may we increase thrust on engine one and start two?"]
["Affirm"]
"Flight deck - ground - Engines are running, waiting for visual clearance."
"Ground to Flight deck. Tug and towbar are disconnected. Final visual clearance on the Left (or right or ahead). Have a good flight."
"See you guys"
(Ground crew move off, and gives you a thumbs up and shows you any type specific lockout pins etc.)
(Flight crew returns thumbs, plus an "ace rimmer" salute or the middle finger as the mood takes you)
(Ground crew return obscene hand gesture)
Hope that helps.
Finally, no discussion of flight deck to ground communications would be complete without reporting the following.
Flight deck to one another on intercom:
"Wow - Look at her! She's gorgeous." (referring to an agent visible to the front of the aircraft)
"yes, I bet she could suck a golf ball though a hosepipe"
etc etc...
after a couple of minutes along a similar vein....
"Flight to ground - what do you think?"
"Actually sir that is my fiance..."
CPB
None. They plug it in automatically as you pull onto stand. Some guys will bang on the side of the aircraft with a flat hand and wait for a thumbs up that the power is good before scuttling off back to their crew room.
2. connecting ext air
The hose would normally be connected without communication at some point during the turnaround. Actually providing the air - see below.
3. disconnecting the above (Normal Ops)
Ext Power
Usually no verbal communications. Once APU is clearly running, a ground crew member will usually bang on the side of the aircraft to get your attention and then make the disconnect external power hand signal, and wait for it to be returned by the flight crew before pulling the plug.
Air - n/a
APU less.
Should all happen as part of the start/push sequence below. However, for ultimate realism you might want to insert a random chance of the following
"Clunk" (Aircraft goes dark)
"********" (expletives from other flight crew member)
"Clunk/Sliding sound of window being open"
One of the following:
"OI!! You ****. What the **** did you do that for?"
or
"Excuse me my good man. You seem to have prematurely disconnect our external power, which, given that our APU is unserviceable today is a dashed inconvenience. Would you be so kind as to reconnect it as hastily as possible?"
4. Push / Start
Some companies have highly standardised phraseology, some don't. There is a lot of variation between individual pushback crews, and different airports as well. You would hear something like this:-
Firstly, some discussion to make sure the external tasks are complete, from the verbose: -
"Flight Deck - Ground. May we have your external checks please"
"Ground - Flightdeck. All holds and hatches are closed. Walkround complete and tug connected. - we are ready for pushback."
to the less verbose:
"Ready Ground?"
"Yes"
Next, Crew get start clearance from ATC. Most busy airport there is then a freq change to get pushback clearance. In an APUless situation, specific clearance to start one on stand would be requested.
[APU Less]
["Flight deck - Ground. We are clear to start. Give us the air please"]
[monitors air pressure rising and acceptable]
["Flight deck - ground - may we start Engine one please?"]
["You're clear to start engine one"]
["Starting one"]
[some ground staff will report rotation and light up to you. Most don't]
["Flight deck - ground. Engine one is good. Disconnect air and external power please."]
["Ok"]
Crew gets Pushback clearance. Most stands at most airports have a standard pushback - i.e. if no conditions are added, the groundcrew know where to push you by default.
"Flight deck - ground. We are cleared to push." (or something more complicated, like "After the outbound 747 we are clear to push into taxyway Lima to face south, long push to allow one onto stand)
"Ground - Flight deck. Release parking brake."
"Flight Deck - ground. Parking brake released."
"Ground - Flight deck. Commencing push. [Normal ops] Cleared to start two and one."
"Flight deck - ground. Starting two"
"Flight deck - ground. Starting one"
"Ground - Flight deck. Pushback complete - set parking brake"
"Flight deck - ground, Brake set."
[APUless]
["Flight deck ground - may we increase thrust on engine one and start two?"]
["Affirm"]
"Flight deck - ground - Engines are running, waiting for visual clearance."
"Ground to Flight deck. Tug and towbar are disconnected. Final visual clearance on the Left (or right or ahead). Have a good flight."
"See you guys"
(Ground crew move off, and gives you a thumbs up and shows you any type specific lockout pins etc.)
(Flight crew returns thumbs, plus an "ace rimmer" salute or the middle finger as the mood takes you)
(Ground crew return obscene hand gesture)
Hope that helps.
Finally, no discussion of flight deck to ground communications would be complete without reporting the following.
Flight deck to one another on intercom:
"Wow - Look at her! She's gorgeous." (referring to an agent visible to the front of the aircraft)
"yes, I bet she could suck a golf ball though a hosepipe"
etc etc...
after a couple of minutes along a similar vein....
"Flight to ground - what do you think?"
"Actually sir that is my fiance..."
CPB
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That was very funny, and answered all my questions at the same time, thanks Pit Bull, have a Good Easter! 
If I might trouble you a bit further, I'm now moving onto F/D/Cabin Crew/Captain PA dialogue, which I'm sure has more bonkers potential...
I'm looking for the kind of things you'd respond to the crew (and then tell the pax) if you discovered or the CC told you:
- there was smoke from an engine (overheat, for example)
- there was an engine fire
- there was some kind of (non-explosive) decompression or the masks deployed
- some other non-specific emergency such as hyd or electrical failure
If you could give me an example of a generic emergency PA that'd be helpful.
I really appreciate your help guys.
If I might trouble you a bit further, I'm now moving onto F/D/Cabin Crew/Captain PA dialogue, which I'm sure has more bonkers potential...
I'm looking for the kind of things you'd respond to the crew (and then tell the pax) if you discovered or the CC told you:
- there was smoke from an engine (overheat, for example)
- there was an engine fire
- there was some kind of (non-explosive) decompression or the masks deployed
- some other non-specific emergency such as hyd or electrical failure
If you could give me an example of a generic emergency PA that'd be helpful.
I really appreciate your help guys.
Last edited by reverserunlocked; 27th Mar 2005 at 12:54.
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Reverser,
Hot start:
it all depends....
If the ground crew includes a techie (more and more seldom), the comm would be something like
"Ground - Flight deck, hot start engine no 1" with instructions procedures from the book.
Under normal circumstances, no techie, the comm would be:
"errrh"
"Flightdeck - ground, Yes?"
"errh, I think, emmm, smoke and stuff, I mean ground to Flightdeck, I think that sometning went terribly wrong"
[Flightdeck follows procedures for hot start]
Hydraulic failure:
"Flightdeck to ground, stop push, hydraulics low"
"Ground to Flightdeck, push stopped, awaiting instructions (our coffee is getting cold)"
Decompression:
Decompression will not normaly occur under pushback or while still in contact with pushback crew. You would have to have one hell of a slope on the taxiway....
These days, most ground crew consists of a loader with limited xtra training, so don't expect extensive knowledge of aircraft specific problems. They have been informed about how to handle emergencies but haven't had them drilled.
As I have never flown any aircraft with cabin crew, I don't know the comm with them. Unless a flight with my gf counts: "Do you have to fly so high". "Its called altitude, dear, its for our safety". "Well, I don't like it. You want coffee?". 10 mins later: "When do we land - I have to pee".
/Flap Sup
Hot start:
it all depends....
If the ground crew includes a techie (more and more seldom), the comm would be something like
"Ground - Flight deck, hot start engine no 1" with instructions procedures from the book.
Under normal circumstances, no techie, the comm would be:
"errrh"
"Flightdeck - ground, Yes?"
"errh, I think, emmm, smoke and stuff, I mean ground to Flightdeck, I think that sometning went terribly wrong"
[Flightdeck follows procedures for hot start]
Hydraulic failure:
"Flightdeck to ground, stop push, hydraulics low"
"Ground to Flightdeck, push stopped, awaiting instructions (our coffee is getting cold)"
Decompression:
Decompression will not normaly occur under pushback or while still in contact with pushback crew. You would have to have one hell of a slope on the taxiway....
These days, most ground crew consists of a loader with limited xtra training, so don't expect extensive knowledge of aircraft specific problems. They have been informed about how to handle emergencies but haven't had them drilled.
As I have never flown any aircraft with cabin crew, I don't know the comm with them. Unless a flight with my gf counts: "Do you have to fly so high". "Its called altitude, dear, its for our safety". "Well, I don't like it. You want coffee?". 10 mins later: "When do we land - I have to pee".
/Flap Sup
