Aircraft Parking Mirrors

Consequently various simpler guidance systems have been developed to provide accurate positional guidance with lower costs and less complexity. Many such methods are in common use but mirrors have the advantage of giving the pilot a true view of his nose wheel approaching the correct stop position.

Maintenance is straightforward with cleaning being required regularly depending on pollution levels. The only other check is alignment and this can be automatic. No doubt pilots will be quick to point out any misalignment! It is worth noting that a mirror system is failsafe. It cannot give a dangerous image; either the wheel is visible or not. Some airports have barriers around the mounting post to help prevent impact damage.

Mirrors provide an excellent method of automatically assisting aircraft parking. Provided care is taken on the initial installation they can give many years of low maintenance service. They are especially suitable for use in airports experiencing expansion with low cost airlines.

Mirrors are made in a variety of sizes to accomodate differing aircraft types.

Generally the maximum size is the A300.  Where a stand is used for a wide variety of aircraft, a two-high mirror set-up may be used, thus allowing both smaller RJ 80 types(lower mirror) and medium bodied aircraft (upper mirror) to be guided to the same stand.