Push back question

[ZK-OKH]

I guess this is a very simply question for many of you but I couldn't find an answer. Every time I look at the push back of an aircraft I see a man who follows by foot the plane holding a cable connected to the plane. Why he is there and what is he doing? Thank you very much!

Alessio

[ErwinS]

That man is a ground engineer who has contact with the flightdeck. This engineer looks if the aircraft is free of obstacles during the push back and he tells the crew when the can pressurize the hydraulic system and off course when they can start the engines.
While starting up he looks at the engines and surrounding area for fuel leakage, hung starts or fire etc.
And when the push back is completed he will disconnect the towbar and remove the steering by-pass pin.

Done my fair amount of push backs


Rgds,

[T.O.G.A.]

That man is a ground engineer who has contact with the flightdeck. This engineer looks if the aircraft is free of obstacles during the push back and he tells the crew when the can pressurize the hydraulic system and off course when they can start the engines.
While starting up he looks at the engines and surrounding area for fuel leakage, hung starts or fire etc.
And when the push back is completed he will disconnect the towbar and remove the steering by-pass pin.

Done my fair amount of push backs


Rgds,

Engineer? You kidding me? Talk about being over qualified! High school education -at best. These are the same folks who load the baggage. In the US, they hook up to tell crew when to release their brakes and when to set them. They may tell crew it is clear to start engines or why they aren't moving (traffic).

[Curtis Malone]

Engineer? You kidding me? Talk about being over qualified! High school education -at best.

In Europe the term "engineer" is sometimes applied more liberally. For, instance, they have waste disposal engineers, as well as logistics engineers who drive FedEx trucks.

[ErwinS]

Engineer? You kidding me? Talk about being over qualified! High school education -at best. These are the same folks who load the baggage. In the US, they hook up to tell crew when to release their brakes and when to set them. They may tell crew it is clear to start engines or why they aren't moving (traffic).

Thanx, so you find me over qualified Ground Engineer is the common English name, and I'm certainly not loading baggage

Anyway, maybe Aircraft Mechanic sounds beter?

[T.O.G.A.]

Thanx, so you find me over qualified Ground Engineer is the common English name, and I'm certainly not loading baggage

Anyway, maybe Aircraft Mechanic sounds beter?

In Europe, "engineer" is a common title. I never understood why because in the States, Engineers are highly educated but inexperienced which makes them kinda useless so why endeavor to be called an engineer? .

[ZK-OKH]

Understood Erwin. Thank you for the clear answer!
What are your other tasks Erwin as ground engineer? I'm asking you this because I'm studying to become a mechanical/aeronautical engineer...

[T.O.G.A.]

Understood Erwin. Thank you for the clear answer!
What are your other tasks Erwin as ground engineer? I'm asking you this because I'm studying to become a mechanical/aeronautical engineer...

LOL! Ok. I'll apologize now and shut up before i start an international incident. Good luck in your studies ZK. Now scuse me while extricate foot from my mouf

[brianw999]

So...when I'm marshalling GA aircraft at Popham...does that make me a General Aviation Ground Services Movement Engineer ?.....

...or am I still "that big bastard in the orange overalls who ALWAYS parks me as far away from the clubhouse as possible". ??

[MCM]

TOGA,

It depends where in the world you are talking, and also which operator.

Our pushbacks are done by aviation maintenance engineers (the same ones that fix everything when we break it ). It is most definately not the same people that load the baggage (although they do drive the tug).

Some parts of the world use "unskilled" labour in the form of a ground handler, but certainly not in my airline... qualified maintenance engineers only.

For some ops, the person with the headset walking alongside is also driving the funny little electric pushback thing that attaches to the body gear of the aircraft... so I guess that makes him an aircraft dispatching, connecting, driving and observing facilitator?

[T.O.G.A.]

I hear you mcm. What do you call real engineers? Over here, technician is an overdiluted title. Manicures and haircuts are given by technicians. Myself, i do prefer the mechanic title. It's precise and concise.

[LH-B744]

This topic directly reminds me of the LEOS tugs that cruise around here. In "LEOS", the "E" is for "Engineering", too. Imho, an engineer is not only a man with university background ("Ingenieur").
The "man with the plug" is also an engineer (without university theories) because he literally is near to engines in a professional way. In German, I'd call him "Maschinist" or "Techniker".
In English, ... well, ground service movement man (or woman)?
One forum member has recommended a video that contained the word "pushback dude", which is not bad either.

[Jason]

Thanks, LH-B 744. I think that clarifies pretty much how we'd call it in europe.
however, although some call it unskilled staff or engineer, i am pretty sure that user ZK-OKH got the answer desired .

[P3_Super_Bee]

The Navy has the best term for this. "Lineman" quite simply they engineer NOTHING, but work on the LINE, and most of the time are a Man... I guess in this PC crap we live in now it should be Lineperson.

Calling a guy that drives a tug or directs an aircraft around on the flight line an Engineer is as about stupid as calling a housewife a Domestic Engineer.

[ErwinS]

Line maintenace is what I do. And our company rules desire that I , thus the Lisensed Mechanic, has to walk along with the pushback to give start up clearance etc. And if a problem should arrive during start up we can assist through our headset.

With the old tow trucks, with the towbar, it is mandatory that an engineer walks along. With the new scoop truckls the driver itself performs the pushback. These guys have extra training for this.


If I talk to English colleagues they name our job, Ground engineer....