Follow-me vehicles: what they do and where to see special ones

A yellow car turns off the apron, rotating beacons flashing on the roof, “Follow me” lit up on top – and behind it rolls a jet that is otherwise never seen at this airport. For many spotters, the follow-me vehicle is a sign that something special is about to happen. This article explains what the guide vehicles are for, when they roll out, how you recognize them and at which airports unusual models lead the way.

Follow-me vehicle: the short answer

A follow-me vehicle is a motorized guide vehicle on the airport grounds. It drives ahead of an aircraft and leads it over taxiways and the apron to its destination – the parking position, the holding point before the runway or a special area. The crew then doesn’t have to work its way through the taxiway network on its own, but simply follows the vehicle. That saves time, prevents wrong turns and lowers the risk of accidentally ending up on a wrong taxiway or even an active runway.

The name says it all: “Follow me.” In everyday talk people also say follow-me car, and in German occasionally guide or lead vehicle. The same thing is always meant.

When a follow-me vehicle rolls out

Modern airports are well signposted. Taxiways carry letters and numbers, holding points are marked, and ground control gives an exact route by radio. How the system of signs and designations works is explained in the guide Taxiways, holding points and signs. Even so, there are situations in which a crew prefers to taxi behind a vehicle.

Unfamiliar airport

Anyone flying into an airport for the first time knows the taxiway network only from the chart. At big hubs with dozens of taxiways, several aprons and tangled junctions this is demanding. Business jets, charter flights and freighters on rare routes in particular like to make use of a follow-me vehicle.

Special positions and unusual destinations

Not every aircraft parks at a normal gate. Government aircraft, military transports, ferry flights to maintenance companies or aircraft on remote parking areas often have to go to places a foreign crew can’t easily find. More on the different parking positions is in the article Gates, passenger boarding bridges and remote stands.

Construction sites and changed taxi routing

Construction work on taxiways is everyday business at an airport. If a section is closed, the routes run differently at short notice than the published aerodrome chart shows. A follow-me vehicle then leads the aircraft safely around the construction site.

Poor visibility

In fog and low visibility, taxiing becomes more difficult. Markings and signs are harder to see, and the risk of missing a turnoff goes up. A vehicle with lights driving ahead then gives the crew a clear reference point. Whether and when follow-me vehicles are used in poor visibility is regulated by each airport in its procedures.

Large or unusual types

Very large aircraft are not allowed on every taxiway, because wingspan, landing gear width or clearances to obstacles don’t fit everywhere. When a type that is rare at the airport arrives, a follow-me vehicle helps to stick exactly to the cleared route.

More than leading the way: the other duties

Follow-me vehicles are all-rounders at the airport. Besides the actual guided drive, they take on further tasks depending on the organization:

• Inspection drives: Runways and taxiways are regularly checked for foreign objects, damage, wildlife and the condition of markings and lighting. Foreign objects on the runway – in technical jargon FOD for foreign object debris – can damage engines and tires.
• Escorting vehicles: Construction vehicles, suppliers or outside companies that are not allowed to move on the airfield on their own are escorted by a follow-me vehicle and brought safely to their work site.
• Transporting marshallers: Where aircraft are still guided in by hand, the vehicle brings the marshaller to the parking position. There the marshaller takes over the last few meters with hand signals or light wands.
• Support during disruptions: In case of outages, taxiway closures or special situations, the follow-me vehicle is often the first vehicle on the scene and keeps contact with apron or ground control.

Who takes on which of these tasks differs greatly between airports. Sometimes the operator’s traffic supervision is responsible, sometimes apron control, sometimes a ground handler. How apron control works is described in the article Apron control as a career; an overview of the jobs around ground handling is given in Working on the apron.

How a guided drive works

The procedure is similar at most airports, even if the details are set out in local procedures.

The radio link is crucial: the vehicle moves on areas subject to control and needs a clearance just like the aircraft. If you listen in on radio traffic, you often catch follow-me jobs before the vehicle even sets off. Which unit is responsible for which area is explained in Delivery, ground, tower, approach, center; what applies legally when listening in is summarized in Listening to aviation radio: the legal situation.

How you recognize a follow-me vehicle

Most follow-me vehicles are tuned for maximum conspicuity. Typical are:

• Yellow base color: Yellow stands out well against asphalt, concrete and grass.
• Checkerboard pattern: Many vehicles carry a checkered pattern, often black and yellow, at some airports in other color combinations.
• Illuminated sign: A raised box on the roof with “Follow me” is the clearest feature. Some vehicles also show messages like “Stop” toward the rear.
• Rotating beacons: Orange flashing lights, at some airports also red ones, make the vehicle visible from afar even at dusk and in poor visibility.
• Tall body: Vans and pickups are popular because the light box and lights sit high enough there to be easily seen from the cockpit.

Important: there is no worldwide binding look. Yellow with a checkerboard is widespread, but not an industry standard. Each airport decides for itself, within the applicable regulations, which vehicles it uses and how it marks them.

Vehicle type	Typical use	Advantage	What spotters like about it
Van	standard at many big airports	plenty of space, tall light box, good visibility	rather inconspicuous, but clearly recognizable
Pickup or SUV	inspection drives, also on grass areas	robust, cargo bed for equipment	looks good in photos with a big jet behind it
Car or compact car	smaller airports, short distances	inexpensive, nimble	often with an idiosyncratic paint scheme
Sports car	image and marketing at individual airports	eye-catcher, ambassador for region or partner	popular motif, rarely seen

Well-known follow-me vehicles: from sports cars to the Trabant

In principle, any vehicle can be a follow-me vehicle as long as it meets the requirements for equipment and visibility. Some airports have turned it into a showpiece.

Bologna: Lamborghini on the apron

At Bologna Airport, Lamborghini has provided sports cars as follow-me vehicles since 2013, starting with an Aventador. In 2020 a Lamborghini Huracán EVO took over the job, exceptionally not yellow but in matte green with an orange checkered pattern, with rotating beacons and a radio link to the tower. The sports car maker is based in Sant’Agata Bolognese, so in the region, and for many spotters the cars are a destination of their own. Which model is currently driving can change with every renewal of the partnership. If you want to get it in front of your lens, you also need luck: like any follow-me vehicle, it is only out when it is needed.

Hanover: sports cars in rotation

At Hanover Airport, too, sporty models were temporarily in use as follow-me vehicles, including a Porsche Cayman and an Audi R8, as well as a Mini. Which vehicles are currently driving can change – it is best to ask in the community or spotters on site. A good starting point is the observation deck at Hanover Airport; an overview of the spots there is given in Plane spotting in Hanover.

Leipzig-Altenburg: the Trabant

Leipzig-Altenburg airfield delivered a piece of cult history: until August 2006, a Trabant led the way there as a follow-me vehicle. That is history – today the Trabi is no longer in use there, but photos of it keep turning up in spotter circles.

Small but effective

At smaller airfields a very simple vehicle is often enough. Documented are, for example, a moped at Portorož Airport in Slovenia and a Smart Fortwo at the Austrian military airfield Zeltweg, known for the AIRPOWER. Such solutions show that the task matters more than the vehicle.

Follow-me, marshaller, tug: who does what?

Many special vehicles move around on the apron. For beginners they are quickly mixed up.

Vehicle or role	Task	Moves the aircraft itself?
Follow-me vehicle	drives ahead, crew taxis behind on its own engines	no
Marshaller	guides the aircraft onto the parking position with hand signals or light wands	no
Pushback tug	pushes the aircraft back from the parking position	yes
Aircraft tug when towing	pulls the aircraft over longer distances, for example to the shop	yes

The difference is important: with a follow-me vehicle the aircraft taxis under its own power, and the crew steers itself. With pushback or towing, a vehicle moves the aircraft. More on this is in the articles Pushback explained and Aircraft tugs. At many positions, electronic docking systems have meanwhile replaced the marshaller – at remote stands and special areas, though, guiding in by hand is still more common.

Photographing follow-me vehicles: tips for spotters

A jet with a follow-me vehicle ahead is a motif with a story. To make the picture work:

• Plan a longer sequence: Follow-me drives are slow. You usually have more time than for a landing and can try out several framings.
• Set vehicle and aircraft in relation: The size difference has the strongest effect when both are in the frame head-on or from an angle in front.
• Use the lights: At dusk or in fog the rotating beacons stand out beautifully. A somewhat longer exposure can capture the flashing, but also blurs the movement.
• Combine radio and live data: If you know when a rare guest lands, you stand at the right end of the apron in time. How that works with ADS-B is described in Flight tracking with ADS-B for spotters.
• Stay in public areas: What applies around the fence is summarized in Is plane spotting allowed?. You only get closer through official offerings such as an apron tour.

What to watch out for

• A follow-me vehicle is no coincidence. It rolls out because a crew needs help or the airport requires it. That makes it a good indicator of special movements.
• Not every yellow car guides. Many service vehicles are yellow and carry rotating beacons. Only the illuminated “Follow me” sign makes a vehicle unambiguous.
• Sports car follow-me vehicles are a matter of luck. Even where they exist, they don’t drive on every movement. Don’t plan the visit solely around the car.
• Treat history as history. Vehicles change. What drove at an airport a few years ago doesn’t have to be there today.

Conclusion

Follow-me vehicles are the pilot cars of the airfield. They lead crews safely over unfamiliar or changed taxiways, escort construction traffic and inspect runways. They are recognizable by yellow, illuminated signs and rotating beacons, even if every airport cultivates its own style. For spotters they are doubly interesting: as an indicator of special guests and as a motif, from the sober van to the Lamborghini in Bologna.