'Follow Me' vehicles

[Mooncrest]

Bear with me; I know this subject is part ATC and part Airfield Operations.

Anyways, are there any UK airfields that still deploy an FM, whether routinely or rarely? I've watched a number of Eurowings cockpit videos recently and many of the airfields they fly to (Greece and Spain, mainly) send out the FM for the benefit of the Eurowing jockeys. No harm in it and it probably keeps a few folk in a job but is it really necessary, especially in a relatively small or quiet airfield such as Kefalonia ? There are cockpit charts and marshallers so why the FM ?

Thankyou.

[jumpseater]

Bear with me; I know this subject is part ATC and part Airfield Operations.

Anyways, are there any UK airfields that still deploy an FM, whether routinely or rarely? I've watched a number of Eurowings cockpit videos recently and many of the airfields they fly to (Greece and Spain, mainly) send out the FM for the benefit of the Eurowing jockeys. No harm in it and it probably keeps a few folk in a job but is it really necessary, especially in a relatively small or quiet airfield such as Kefalonia ? There are cockpit charts and marshallers so why the FM ?

Thankyou.

No idea about Kefalonia.
FM’s are regularly provided for safety, and that covers many different aspects. They are often airfield operations teams whom are employed for wider operational duties too. Things like turn radii and ensuring a type is correctly placed on a taxiway/lane for clearances, and for example crew to ATC comms aren’t clear for varying reasons it’s far easier to provide an FM to ensure safe ground progress. Non standard taxiway markings, WIP and stands not marked for the type inbound, non standard parking position are other reasons for FM’s. So they are an essential part of the safe and compliant operation of manoeuvring areas.

[idloveit]

Here at Manchester we regularly use them, for various reasons.

Stand 27 requires a follow me vehicle to guide the a/c onto a slightly offset centreline that a few aircraft over the years have gotten wrong. So to save the hassle a FM vehicle picks up the a/c on taxiway D and guides them on.

Also there is no AGL in certain areas of the forever developing taxiway system so in the hours of darkness a FM vehicle picks up a/c for those unlit areas.

The FM staff are very good here. We do not need to contact them as they maintain a listening watch. We will issue the pilots the taxi instructions and advise them where they will meet a FM and they then take care of the rest.

[Denti]

In my current home base (OPO) the use of a FM is mandatory. Even on parking stands with parking systems. For those it is quite redundand, for those without a parking system of course you need marshalling, and as the handling crew is not trained for that a follow me is really required. And sometimes if you get a non-standard taxi clearance that is supported by a FM as well, although usually we are absolutely able to do it ourselves. For pilots it is always worth remembering that a FM is not responsible for correct taxi path and obstacle avoidance, that rests solely with the commander if anything ever happens, even if following the FM exactly.

[chevvron]

Personally I would say Follow Me vehicles are provided by aerodrome operations and have nothing to do with ATC operations but that's just my opinion.

[Flying Wild]

Jobs for the boys (or girls).

I really don't see the point of a follow me at the majority of Spanish (and other) airports where I'm being 'guided' onto a stand with docking guidance. What usually happens is the follow me car makes the docking system fall over and I need to wait for it to reset before I can park on stand. For non-standard parking positions, definitely.

[Mooncrest]

Thankyou all. I completely understand the need for extra guidance where there is a risk of deviation or collision or where the lighting is lousy. But to pick up an FM down a bright yellow line and follow it until the batman signals 'stop' strikes me as somewhat redundant. Perhaps it's a union thing at some airfields or maybe a management idea.

[lemonhead]

At Amsterdam there are a number of situations where a FM is deployed to pick up down a bright yellow line:

- Widebody inbounds for stand D03 need to follow a line that bring the wingtips somewhat close to the terminal. Too many deviated from the line and ended up parking slant with consequences for handling and the adjacent stand.
- Too many freighters taxied past their stand at the R-apron and needed a tug since it's a dead-end. As there's no docking guidance there, a marshaller is required anyway so it was decided they might as well pick them up at the beginning of the taxiway
- The K, J and P platforms have apron taxiways that are not part of the manoeuvring area and don't have ATC guidance, for compliance a FM is used
- Medical diversions always get a FM as it's assumed the crew are unfamiliar and didn't have time to look at the ground charts
- During works near taxiways that reduce the max wingspan below the requiered safety margin (I think up to max 2.5m less), a FM is used to ensure aircraft follow the centreline and can stop them if they deviate
- Upon request from the airport backoffice FM's are used for ceremonial purposes