Single man pushback
 

Guys,

what is the information about? What advantage has it for me as a cockpit crew member?

Thanks for the help

OD

You mean single man pushback as in one man on ground or one man in the cockpit ?

The way they do it in Amsterdam is very efficient..not limited by the walking speed of the second guy :}. I'm not sure I understand your question though.

Exactly PENKO,

It beats the way the whole show is run in LGW, where you need about 4 people to do a pusback.

Is this actually a UK regulation or just the lack of investment in the Tugs which have the capability to be operated by just one person?

More than likely, some sort of labour union rule/requirement.

Olendirk - once again your question is a difficult one! What are you asking about? Do you mean the 'Powerpush' as used in Brussels (in my experience) or what?

Allways need more people during pushback if there is a roadway behind the stands....as is the case at a lot of LGW stands. 2 to stop traffic, one in tug, one on headset / disconnecting towbar.

You can see it everyday in e.g. ZRH or CPH, but as I noticed - only for towbarless pushback. Works well, but I was never informed that would be a single man operation. But when complete you have to know how many persons you have to see before starting taxi.

...............

well, BRU isn't a very good example how something works or not...
I guess it wouldn't have been faster if there were a dozen of people on the ground :hmm:

Dani

Rainboe - the disadvantage of working for a loco. Powerpush in Brussels always used to be quick and smooth for a proper airline.:) Normally on the port main gear for us, with a right turn off stand, and always an interesting challenge to 'back yourself' onto the yellow line.

Anyone seen Olendirk..............................?:ugh:

Depends on the airport and its regulations, along with the handling firms equipment/policy... in all honesty i think a 1 man push-back is unsafe... say the tug driver suddenly took ill during pushback at a crucial stage, could lead to damage, injury or even death, but thats my views

BFS is a 3 man push-back, 1 for traffic / removal of bar / bypass pin, 1 tug driver, 1 on the headset... this is the same throughout the 3 handling firms (Aviance, Menzies and Servisair) this is similar at many airports that have roads at the back of stand

Sometimes, the six P's can be put to good use, when required.

A couple of months ago, the tug driver comes up and announces...'my headset doesn't work, do you have an objection?'

I mention to the guy...
'Hand signals work fine for me, I'll flash the taxi light, one for start, two for stop...and I think we have done this before, have we not?'

He says...'yes, we have, thanks Captain' and the resultant pushback works quite OK.

PS:
6 P's.
Prior Planning Prevents Pi** Poor Performance.

Bad idea 411, our company policy specifically excludes pushback without headset communication and for good reason.


Too many things can go wrong where rapid, clear two way communication can be a great asset.

What lights would you flash for an engine fire on start?

Stilton, bad idea as your policy would lead to many delays and cancelations:ok: I see your point though, but my company doesn't mind so much to push back, and even start engines simultaneously without headset communication.

Mustafa, what lights would you flash and to whom when you start the second or the third engine on taxi out? Or when you are parked remotely and have to start without ground support? Again, you have a point, but...

Regarding the safety of a one man push, I wonder if the tugs have an equivalent of the 'dead man's stick' I am told you find in trains.

One man pushback is definitely an unsafe practise. Here, it is, 1 man on airtug, one on headset and one to disconnect towbar and bypass pin and standby for visuals.I personally encountered a situation when after removing the towbar and bypass pin, I stood in direct visual contact with the cockpit while my colleague was on the headset. After disconnecting the headset, he had problem closing the headset panel(B737) and was trying to close it.The capt saw the airtug(which was parked on the capt side with back facing a/c) and decided to power up and taxi. Luckily, I( FO side) ran infront of the a/c and gave brakes on hand signal. My colleague wet his pants when he heard the engines spool up.
And if you are doing a headsetless pushback, it's always better to use the standard ICAO handsignals rather than flashing torchlights. Proactive, but very limited in usage and prone to miscomm.

Good for you, stilton, seems like your company has not adopted alternate plans for when a headset is not available/unserviceable....or even when English is not that well spoken by ground personnel.
This way you get more time off.:}

Our group, on the other hand is slightly more adaptable, and have learned how to cope with odd situations.
We combine standard ICAO hand signals with whatever else is necessary, to get the job done in a reasonable manner.

As for an engine fire upon start, I wonder what mustafagander does when he wants to start an engine whilst taxying...have someone on headset running along side?:rolleyes:

Odd situations require just a bit of thought...the 6 P's again.:)

Leewan, towbars are so out of date! You need one of those all singing and dancing sexy little pusher thingys for a one man show.

Simple economics , tow bar less tugs are very expensive, which is why you still get pushed by ancient tugs in a lot of places ! Ref headsets , you cant use them when theres a lightning risk so if your airline doesnt allow handsignals then i guess you take a long delay............