No, It’s Not A Leash — Here’s Why Planes Get ‘Walked’ Before Takeoff

Man with cable in front of planeIt shouldn’t have ruined my week, but it did. A TikTok from Elly Xia showed a man holding a cord in front of a grounded plane under the text: “Can some plane nerd pls explain to me what the use of a dude holding a 900lb plane on a leash?”. Though most of the responses were funny (one reads, “God forbid a guy has a pet plane”; another, “he’s a service human. The plane has anxiety”), I could not laugh long. I craved answers. I emailed a few aeroplane manufacturers and airports, perhaps a little desperately, to no avail. I checked forums, but none of the answers seemed verified. Thankfully, finally, as if he knew I was on the verge of wearing an aluminium hat to shield myself from Big Plane’s unknowable antics, Ryan Norman, Commercial Executive at Netflights, saved me.Here’s what’s really going on:@elly.xiawhat does it do?♬ original sound - Elly XiaIt’s a communication cable Speaking to HuffPost UK, Norman shares: “Although the TikTok humorously portrays the task as taking the plane for a walk, it’s an essential procedure for the aircraft’s performance and passenger safety.”Rather than a “leash,” he adds, “The employee on the ground holding the cord is communicating with the pilot through the headset he is wearing, which is plugged into the nose of the aircraft.“While it’s impossible to tell what the employee was discussing with those in the cockpit, the usual procedure is as follows: Airline staff who are situated on the ground use this cable, referred to as the ‘leash’ in the TikTok, to communicate with the pilot, for example, to tell them that the ramp is clear of FOD (Foreign Object Debris) and that the chocks are out. ”Chocks are the name for the blocks placed in front of the wheels of planes to keep them steady on the ground (and yes, they are related to the phrase “chock-a-block”).“So,” Norman continues, “despite TikTok viewers finding the procedure hilarious, the actual function is to be the pilots’ eyes and ears on the ground.” Now that we have answers... the comments really were goldThe comments under the original video seem more hilarious now I’ve been gifted those sweet, sweet answers.“Flight attendant here, he’s actually an ultra-super-basic-economy passenger. That ticket comes with no seat and he’s getting dragged like that the entire flight,” one commenter wrote. “They save on gas prices by hand walking the plane into position,” another joked. But my favourite? “Aviation student here!! It’s actually because planes have a tendency to chase after squirrels and that’s dangerous when there’s 100+ people on board.” Related...Patrick Warburton is Right – 'Raw Dogging' Flights Is MasochisticThese 7 Packing Mistakes Are Why Travellers Miss FlightsI'm a Flight Attendant — Here's The Most Secure Place To Park At The Airport

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