#RUNWAY TOWING MANUAL#

The ground crew should have intercom communication with the personnel on the flight deck and both parties should be able to listen to communications with ATC. The responsibilities of a ground crew team carrying out an aircraft tow include ensuring that no part of the aircraft structure will impact any fixed object, vehicle, or other aircraft. This positions two low level ‘arms’ either side of the aircraft nose landing gear and these are used to engage with the aircraft gear leg and raise it slightly off the ground.Īll towing is subject to the observance of any AFM limits for maximum nose landing gear steering angle. An alternative method which is becoming more common for towing is the use of a specialised vehicle called a ‘towbarless tug’. These must be approved for use with a particular aircraft type and clearly marked as such since there is no universal towbar specification. The ‘traditional’ method of allowing the ground vehicle to move an aircraft is to attach it to the aircraft nose landing gear by means of a towbar. When any ground locking pins are fitted to an aircraft for towing (or any other purposes) or when they are subsequently removed, it is usual to require the recording of such action in the Aircraft Technical Log.

If a gear ground lock pin is installed for the tow, it may need to be removed after the completion of the manoeuvre.

#RUNWAY TOWING MANUAL#

The prescribed RTF phraseology for obtaining clearance to tow is contained in ICAO PANS-ATM (Doc 4444) and ICAO Manual of Radiotelephony (Doc 9432).įormerly, almost all aircraft types required that the ground locking pin be installed in at least the nose landing gear during any towing operation but this is no longer always the case. If an out of service aircraft is being repositioned, the clearance will normally be obtained by the operator of the tow vehicle. If the aircraft is being towed to a start position or to a Push and Hold location, this normally will be obtained by the aircraft commander or other person on the flight deck.

Unless the manoeuvre is taking place outside the movement area controlled by ATC, an RTF clearance to carry it out will be required. Once the person in charge on the flight deck of the aircraft has given their confirmation of ‘brakes released’ to the person in charge of the ground crew vehicle who are to carry out the tow, the ground crew become responsible for the safe manoeuvring of the aircraft in accordance with any ATC Clearance which may be required and as may have been specifically agreed beforehand. As part of out of service repositioning of aircraft supervised by maintenance personnel, it may follow the Pushback from a nose-in gate of an empty aircraft with engines off. This will affect the promulgation of procedures and the required qualification for those occupying the flight crew seats on the aircraft during the manoeuvre. It may occur for the movement of both in service and out of service aircraft. The forward movement of an aircraft, usually with engines off, using the power of a specialised ground vehicle attached to or supporting the nose landing gear.

Runway towing