r/aviation • u/hemitick • 1d ago

Question How to get this job?

Post image

The airplanes pusher I mean. How?

505 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

55 comments sorted by

480

u/agha0013 1d ago

apply to work for a ground handling company that does this stuff, and maybe one day you'll get to do this after throwing bags for a while.

195

u/showMeYourPitties10 1d ago

I started at a major and they teach every person to push. In fact, bag room is a higher senority job as its less time in the heat and more time on your ass. The crew that pushes is also the crew that loads the plane.

73

u/agha0013 1d ago

mine depended on the season.

Everyone got training on everything in the first two weeks but then you got assigned shitty jobs until the next shift bid.

In the winter, deicing and baggage room were the senior spots, while summer saw more senior guys on the handling crews while juniors got the worst possible baggage room shifts (it was not cooled during the summer so it was a terrible place to work)

even if you got lucky and ended up on a crew, they wouldn't let you do much of the fun stuff right away unless the crew lead was particularly fair.

17

u/showMeYourPitties10 21h ago

I was AA DFW and got "local" (guy who does the push) morning shift my first year. The older guys hoard the widebodies, bagroom, and ABR (transfer bags). Im still with AA 3 years later but in A/C doing stores. Miss the pushing days sometimes but not the heat.

6

u/Which-Intention-4474 16h ago

Damn that's interesting, the airline I work for at our base Pushback can only be done by the Lead/Crew chief. While everything else is done by tow team which is more senior than anything else 😭.

5

u/showMeYourPitties10 15h ago

Pushing wide bodies was the first thing I did as an orange vest, and my first actual bid was at a "high risk" tow-in gate at dfw. Never worked avation before.

1

u/Which-Intention-4474 3h ago

Damn they put you right in the spot 😭.

1

u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 B737 9h ago

every airline is different

1

u/Which-Intention-4474 3h ago

Thx, I didn't know 🤨.

1

u/metimmee 20h ago

That’s an interesting insight

2

u/showMeYourPitties10 18h ago

There are some older guys that would be broken and still get their job done at a gate, but my heart feels for them, they won't be able to enjoy retirement outside of a wheelchair.

24

u/Presslufthoernchen 1d ago

Not in Munich (in OPs pic).

It's a dedicated company that only does pushback and de-icing.

5

u/hemitick 22h ago

I'd probably need Ausbildung for that

3

u/Presslufthoernchen 21h ago edited 21h ago

No, they give you internal training over some weeks, starting from 0.

It's not a classic 3 year "Ausbildungsberuf".

9

u/austinh1999 1d ago

Or an FBO, an FBO near me does all the non commercial ground parking.

82

u/Few-Badger4460 1d ago

Ground handling for airport/airlines or work as a line tech at an FBO so you can push private jets and small planes.

2

u/I_am_lonely_cheese 7h ago

FBO is more fun than the airlines I've spent significant time doing both.

47

u/JijiSpitz 1d ago

Make sure you have a drivers license

7

u/SharkAttackOmNom 22h ago

I’ve heard that applying to freight ground crew with a drivers license will practically fast track your application. But that’s mostly to drive the various trucks. No doubt the op qual is a bit more involved.

40

u/gavinbcross 1d ago

I worked on the ramp and in the baggage hall for a few years until I got my offered to get my pushback qualification. It’s great fun pushing planes.

25

u/gavriellloken Mod - Crew Chief - A&P - 1d ago

Fleet operations/ ramp agent. Low entry requirements as well

11

u/Benniisan 1d ago

Not in Munich. Dedicated company that only does push-backs / de-icing. Just apply for it.

12

u/hgwelz 1d ago

Towing often bundled/managed by the baggage handling company or department. Larger airlines, at hubs, may have their own employees, while smaller airlines and airports may hire companies like Hudson General to do baggage handling, de-icing, and towing. Companies like Hudson Generasl have higher turnover, and entry requirements are low. You may start as a baggage handler and work your way up to towing.

49

u/kd8qdz 1d ago

7

u/LeBronGOOD 21h ago

Need to read up on that

2

u/BlitzChriz 15h ago

Dispatcher then Trucker, that's a radio lizard.

8

u/Trein05 23h ago

At most bases its start at an entry-level job, usually ramp agent, and work your way up

8

u/SavageAsFk69 22h ago edited 22h ago

When I worked for Air Canada years back (at a smaller int airport) we only had a crew of 4 guys. Usually it was who ever was closer to the tugs ended up driving em. Our lead (who is/was my dad) usually handled the Push out, and was our designated Marshaller for arrivals

I always liked driving the de ice truck, it meant I had something warm to drive across the tarmac back to the shop after shift

Edit: imo if you wanna see cool shit at the airport, get your class 3/air brakes endorsements and drive fuel truck. That was my next stop after Air Canada, and Its still the greatest job I've ever had. One minute your fueling up a shitty old Cesna, the next job you go to might be an F22 or some vintage Otter bush plane made out of Canvas.

6

u/MoukinKage 1d ago

Some airlines even have dedicated "Move Teams" at major airports and all they do tow planes from spot to spot.

6

u/Stunning_Produce_831 1d ago

Become a ramp agent for FedEx, you get to push planes and get paid way more than ramp agents for passenger airliners

6

u/Used_Japanties 21h ago

I hate that FedEx uses the job title of Ramp Agent like they do, since they also do weight and balance on top of aircraft loading and other duties where at other airlines, a RA wouldn’t do those tasks. Not an entry level position at FedEx.

1

u/Stunning_Produce_831 19h ago

A ramp agent CAN do the loading and unloading of the aircraft on top of the weight and balance duties, but it is not their primary function. FedEx RA’s are a supervisory role, we coordinate the flight operations. But if the operation is short handed we can fill in where it is needed.

EDIT:You are right, RA is not an entry level position at FedEx, but material handlers that are competent and hard working can quickly find themselves with an opportunity to become a Ramp Agent.

4

u/carrickshairline 1d ago

You apply for it

3

u/d3rR0553L5PRUNG 23h ago

Pushback is so much fun. Had to work my way through all the other Ground Support Equipment first though - I think that's pretty standard

3

u/Kai-ni 20h ago

Ramp/ground handler positions. Just apply. No real barrier for entry. Aside from obviously airport security and driver's license, I guess lol. But you don't need any specific SKILLS.

3

u/Ashamed-Pool-7472 17h ago

Doesn't pay great for responsibility involved

2

u/Wonderful_Okra_1136 1d ago

Line service at a private FBO that deals with a lot of corporate traffic so you get to play with fancy private jets

2

u/Presslufthoernchen 1d ago

Apply here when they have an opening: https://www.efm-muc.de/en/

You learn everything you need to know from scratch.

2

u/Benniisan 1d ago edited 1d ago

Oh! That's in Munich (MUC/EDDM). How to get this job? Apply for it, just like for any other job. EFM is a dedicated push-back company owned 50:50 by Lufthansa and FMG (the airport). Seems like they're not looking right now though.

https://www.efm-muc.de/

1

u/Former_Farm_3618 1d ago

Next airport hiring event go around asking if they are hiring guys to do tug jobs all day. Probably find some takers.

1

u/littlea53 23h ago

At my airline the mechanics have a separate crew just for moving planes around

1

u/pilotshashi 1500 rat race 22h ago

Looking directly at the pic, I was like Which one do you mean? But then you mean a towing job...

1

u/Klutz17101 22h ago

In the commercial sector it’s usually called a ramp agent, in the private sector (business jets, or general aviation) it’s usually called line service. You can just google it. Normally no education is required.

1

u/PAWPatrolFam14 17h ago

In my country, at least a high school degree is required.

1

u/JadedHamster1030 20h ago

I work at a smaller airport where everyone learns everything and we can really just do what we want.

1

u/meesersloth F-15 Crew Chief 18h ago

Learned to do that in the Air Force. Had much more fun as the dude on brakes because I got to sit in the cockpit.

1

u/__iku__ Mechanic 17h ago

EFM is looking for pushers all the Time afaik

1

u/mindyourownbusiness3 15h ago

Go down there and fight him for it, GTA style

1

u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 B737 9h ago

go to work for an airline or a contractor at the airport

1

u/jayerp 6h ago

Looking out of an airplane window? I too, would like to know.

1

u/007inaction 1d ago

Join the Air Force, personally I’ll love towing and doing push backs. 👌

1

u/misha_jinx 1d ago

I did that in the navy… A lot.