Did you sometimes get the impression that there was a disconnect between the people trying to marshal you and yourselves? I have certainly, especially on smaller fields. I remember in Pula being reprimanded by the marshaller for not understanding what he wanted from me, and very recently in LFKC Calvi almost getting into a fight with the crazy lady working at the GA terminal and “managing” their aircraft parking. The first weird moment was when she turned her back to me while I still had the engine running, then she started making unclear movements. But that didn’t remain the only bizarre experience on that airfield, others confirmed the first impression.
Sometimes it may be a more mundane communications problem between aircraft and marshaler like here:
https://www.facebook.com/An.Aviator90/videos/1342423225827050/
Ha, funny you should mention that. We had a similar thing at Calvi, probably the same person!
100% the same experience Rwy20. I used to get upset with some marshallers, who seemingly did not give me the right signs for what they wanted me to do. Nowadays, in some occasions, I just give up, shut down and use the towbar to move the aircraft on the final bits. Sometimes, this gets the marshaller upset…
I often think the best thing would be if they didn’t walk or move their arms at all, but just stand still, facing the direction from which they want me to approach them and that’s it. Some do that.
Hmmmm…my favorite welcoming encounter ($$$$$$).Cant forget the cretin marshaler at Samos LGSM (a place notamed for its unbelivable north gusts) who insisted me to park the 172 perpendicularly to these gusts,for which I didnt comply.And the other smart guy at Sitia LGST who confronted me AFTER having self- tied the plane at the ONLY safe place of the apron and declared NON RESPONSIBILITY since I wasnt going to pay him.Smartest of all was another one at Chios LGHI who put me next to a soon departing Chinook heli.I was young then , trusted people and complied to his “authority”.Luckily when the Chinook started engines all soldiers present at the grounds,rushed to hold the 172 from the struts Seemed like a parody…
Surely staff should know the ICAO standard hand signals for marshallers? Isn’t this PPL level knowledge?
Having marshalled many aircraft (including military) and been marshalled myself many times, I’d hazard a guess that for every marshaller that doesn’t know the correct signals, there are two GA pilots who either don’t know them or choose to ignore them….
My problem with marshallers is usually they aren’t used to tailwheel aircraft with approximately zero forward visibility on the ground, and they stand just where I can’t see them! Some airports are better than others.
