Travellers have been left baffled by airport staff who appear to be walking planes “on leashes”, but the truth behind this peculiar sight has finally been revealed.
If you’ve ever gazed out of your plane window while taxiing to the runway, you might have spotted a ground crew member seemingly leading the aircraft with a long rope.
This curious scene may give the impression that the worker is using a “leash” to guide the plane, but in reality, that’s not the case. It’s impossible for one person to physically pull an aeroplane along, and besides, the pilot is perfectly capable of driving the plane to the runway.
The actual role of the individual with the so-called “leash” is quite different. Industry insiders have explained that the lengthy rope is, in fact, an extended headphone cable.
This setup enables the ground operative to connect their headset straight into the aircraft, establishing a direct communication line with the cockpit. They hold the cable aloft to prevent it from becoming entangled in the plane’s wheels.
The mystery was solved on TikTok when a vacationer uploaded footage of a man performing this very task outside an aeroplane. The puzzled poster enquired: “Can some plane nerd please explain to me what the use of a dude holding a 9,000lb plane on a leash is?”
The woman’s video quickly garnered a response from individuals well-versed in air travel protocols, including airport staff and pilots. They informed her that the person on the tarmac must maintain direct lines of communication with the pilot to convey critical information pre-flight.
An individual commented: “According to my dad, who works on aeroplanes, he’s wearing a headset plugged into the aircraft so that there is constant communication with the pilot in case of an accident or aircraft malfunction. The cord is long enough so that the pilot can visually see him.”
Another person contributed: “This is my actual job, and we are there to advise the pilots when it’s safe to start engines and stay with the plan until the pilots confirm everything is running normally and they are ready to depart! We also supervise the truck that’s towing the plane, as the nose gear of the plane is quite delicate!”
But amidst the earnest remarks were also a smattering of jests. A tongue-in-cheek statement from budget airline RyanAir suggested that planes simply “need walkies”.
One commenter humorously remarked: “Pilot here. The clip apparently cuts off before he does his job. He pulls the line really hard a few times to start the engines. Think like a lawn mower. Hope this helps!”.
A playful retort from another said: “Aerodynamics expert here, he actually runs with the rope to get it airborne like a kite.”
The subject also sparked discussion on a Reddit forum, where users claimed the individuals are referred to as “Wing Walkers”, tasked with providing an additional pair of eyes to support the pilot.
The Your Pilot Academy website corroborates this information, featuring a glossary definition for “Wing Walker” that reads: “An employee on the ground who assists during the ground movements of the aircraft by walking along the wings to ensure there is no collision.”