Stephen Swaby loves to ‘signal the plane’

When Stephen Swaby left Potsdam district in St Elizabeth to seek employment in the Corporate Area in 1989, he never envisioned that he would fall in love with aviation.

Swaby is the senior ramp attendant employed with Airways International. THE STAR visited the offices of the 51-year-old at the Norman Manley International Airport, where he was sitting anxiously awaiting the arrival of his next flight. His joy could not be contained as he explained the tasks he is appointed on a daily basis.

His journey in aviation started 21 years ago, when he was employed to Air Jamaica as a warehouse attendant, collecting new and old aircraft parts. He always admired the waving gallery and vowed that he would one day work on the tarmac as a ramp attendant. However, financial issues caused the airline's wings to be clipped and Swaby was laid off.

But he did not leave the airport and sold lunches on the compound. It was not until in 2014 that he was recommended to apply to Airways International, which was seeking ramp attendants.

"Someone told me of a vacancy and I applied, given that I have a background working with Air Jamaica. My first day was fun because it was something I was looking forward to. I gained on-the-job experience, marshalling the aircraft for the first time was fun. When the pilot gives you the [full] attention, as you marshal the aircraft and when you stop it, they stop. It is just that respect that you get from doing this, I enjoy it," Swaby reflected.

Decked in his neon orange safety vest and with batons in hand, Swaby shared that his days generally begin at 8 a.m., when his first scheduled flight arrives. He also maintains the aircraft, ensuring that it has the correct fuel and air pressure in the tyres. Swaby also checks for any damage to the wings or landing gear. He indicated that training is continuous and the team also gets certification from the National Air Transportation Association annually.

"This job entails preparing the gate for the aircraft and checking for foreign objects. So, you make sure that the gate is clear of those, because you don't want the plane's engine to get any damage because an aircraft engine can run up to US$1 million. If you miss a screw, chances are the aircraft won't suck it up or it will suck it up and you don't want to take any chance at all," he said.

For most persons, marshalling the aircraft is what is popularly known as 'signalling the plane'. But Swaby was quick to highlight that not all persons who wear the bright coloured vests on the tarmac do that.

"You have people who marshal the plane, persons who chock the plane [place stops behind the wheels to keep grounded planes stationary], people who drive the baggage carts, people who pack the cargo or the bags. So is not everybody you see in a vest is a marshaller because on the airport, you have specific duties for different persons," he explained.

There are various hand signals that are used in marshalling, for example, crossing the hands against the chest signals the pilot to come to a stop.

According to the St Elizabeth Technical High School alumnus, the best part of his job is meeting new persons and having satisfied customers. He noted that superstar producer DJ Khaled even recently utilised their services for his flights to the island.

With the potential for increased air travel during the Yuletide season after the industry was slowed down by the novel coronavirus, Swaby does not intend to leave the tarmac soon, as he is fascinated with ensuring the safety of aircraft that carry travellers across the globe.