Simviation Forums

When/why is the fallow-me car used?

Good afternoon "BoeingGuy"

I take it you mean  "Follow Me Car/Vehicle"


The origin of follow me cars dates back to the WWII era. USAAF and other foreign pilots were stationed in the U.K. to provide support for the allies. The RAF ground crews were growing increasingly frustrated with the the Americans, who, despite being instructed to taxi on the LEFT sides of the taxiways, were attempting to taxi on the far RIGHT sides of the taxiways. After hundreds of incidents involving damaged wingtips, ruptured tip tanks, and even detonated missles and rockets, the British decided to employ individual escorts to prevent further confusion. This method of taxiing assistance continues today, as the U.K. and much of Europe has yet to adopt the more sensible approach of driving/taxiing on the RIGHT side of the road or taxiway.

That is from an official web-site however the Folllow-Me-Vehicle can be used for a number of reasons on Canadian Airports.
-radio failure...to escort aircraft with radio failure off runway, across runways or off taxi-ways to a ramp for parking
-to escort non radio equipped vehicles and personnel on and off the airport runways and taxiways as well as on controlled ramps
-to escort civilian police or emergency vehicles anywhere on the controlled portion of an airfield or controlled/non controlled ramp
-to perform the assigned tasks by a Duty Watch Officer on a military airfield/station

I am sure there are a few more.

This method of taxiing assistance continues today, as the U.K. and much of Europe has yet to adopt the more sensible approach of driving/taxiing on the RIGHT side of the road or taxiway.

My experience of follow me vehicles:

- Busier international airports for irregular users of the airport.

- Military airfields with large ramps, and/or obsured/limited taxyway markings.

- At the crew's request.

- Quite often the follow me vehicle will chirp up on frequency if he isn't busy and ask if you'd like their service.

Hi "C"

I don't want to hijack "BoeingGuys" thread.   :)

However:

I have even heard that the Follow Me Vehicle was used to pick up tea/coffee & donuts for some of those overseas crews in the wee hours of the morning at the local Tim Hortons or equivalent.   ::)

Dang Dastardly Aircrews get all the breaks...        

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Thanks "Flying Trucker" for the history behind the follow-me-vehicles, and "C" for more reasons why they are used.

I have also see them used at airports with multiple FBOs on the field to draw in customers before they go to the competitors ramp. 

Hi Folks...

Several types of vehicles operate on a regular basis on an airfield outside of emergency vehicles.

Flight Line or Crew Bus:
-used to move crews back and forth to aircraft if not on a gate
-will move passengers to aircraft from terminal or from terminal to aircraft if aircraft is not on a gate
-will most likely transport Customs Agents to aircraft if aircraft is not on a gate...Custom Agents normally do not have a vehicle on Military Airfields nor are they armed on Military Airfields
-a Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus will move Aircrew only to or off Military Airfields to or from civilian accommodations
-perform tasks assigned by Duty Watch Officer

Food Truck:
-moves food only, nothing else, no passengers or freight from kitchen to aircraft

Follow-Me-Vehicle:
-as mentioned above by "C" and myself

Outside of the Food Truck the Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus will assist each other during peak periods of Launch and Recovery...normally at that time their should be two Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus vehicles on duty

The Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus and Food Truck has frequencies to talk with the Duty Watch Officer and the Ground Controllers but depending on the Military Airfield/Station not to aircraft, they usually have to go throught the Ground Controller however there are exceptions and that would be up to the Base/Station Commander.
The Follow-Me-Vehicle usually has a full compliment of radios plus ICAO (correct me if that is the wrong term as it has been awhile) lighted electric signals visible to the following aircraft on the top rear of the vehicle.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

We've even got one at Popham now. 8-)

Hi Folks...

Several types of vehicles operate on a regular basis on an airfield outside of emergency vehicles.

Flight Line or Crew Bus:
-used to move crews back and forth to aircraft if not on a gate
-will move passengers to aircraft from terminal or from terminal to aircraft if aircraft is not on a gate
-will most likely transport Customs Agents to aircraft if aircraft is not on a gate...Custom Agents normally do not have a vehicle on Military Airfields nor are they armed on Military Airfields
-a Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus will move Aircrew only to or off Military Airfields to or from civilian accommodations
-perform tasks assigned by Duty Watch Officer

Food Truck:
-moves food only, nothing else, no passengers or freight from kitchen to aircraft

Follow-Me-Vehicle:
-as mentioned above by "C" and myself

Outside of the Food Truck the Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus will assist each other during peak periods of Launch and Recovery...normally at that time their should be two Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus vehicles on duty

The Flight Line Bus/Crew Bus and Food Truck has frequencies to talk with the Duty Watch Officer and the Ground Controllers but depending on the Military Airfield/Station not to aircraft, they usually have to go throught the Ground Controller however there are exceptions and that would be up to the Base/Station Commander.
The Follow-Me-Vehicle usually has a full compliment of radios plus ICAO (correct me if that is the wrong term as it has been awhile) lighted electric signals visible to the following aircraft on the top rear of the vehicle.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Not to mention all of the grass cutters, airport operations vehicles, airfield maintenance, snow plows, fire trucks etc.  Basically all the vehicles I drive at work.   ;)

Good evening all....

Thanks Dave that is a few I forgot about.

BoeingGuy here is something should give you a laugh.

Now you all know how us Captains think we are God's gift to the universe and all of aviation well this happened about thirty years ago when I was taking a DC4 from Toronto to Halifax and my co-pilot was flying the first leg, I was doing the radio work and the house keeping.

Called in for engine start then called ground to taxi.
Now I was a company check pilot and you can imagine when the Ground Controller cleared us to taxi and hold number two (2) behind a little Fordson Farm Tractor Grass Cutter.

Well Doug, things had changed by the time arrived on the ATC scene.

That is weird that they wanted planes to taxi on the one side of the taxi way in the UK.

But as I did that job in Kuwait Int. and I do it as my day to day job for the USAF, we use it for escorting aircraft to and from parking, from parking ramp to the runway during poor visibility, aircrews from other bases bringing back home station birds, guiding planes safely through areas that are under construction, escorting military equipment across the airfield to the FBO's when military aircraft req special equipment that the FBO does not have.

That is weird that they wanted planes to taxi on the one side of the taxi way in the UK.

I'm not convinced that's true. Doug's little joke perhaps.

Incidentally, I believe that the UK & Ireland are the only countries in Europe where vehicles are driven on the left.*

*PS. Forgot Cyprus.

just for fun heres the meaning of fallow (used as a verb):

"to plow, harrow, and break up (land) without seeding to destroy weeds and conserve soil moisture"

So a "fallow-me car" would be a tractor.   For my sake, please to not fallow me, that could get messy

Sorry for being off topic, I saw this and thought it was a GRE word for some reason

That is weird that they wanted planes to taxi on the one side of the taxi way in the UK.

I'm not convinced that's true. Doug's little joke perhaps.

On a serious note, taxying on the centerline is more uncomfortable for the passengers. A couple of feet either side!

*PS. Forgot Cyprus.

Gives us a fighting chance of surviving the locals' driving!