On Mar 13, 5:39 pm, Bob Moore wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote

What does it mean when the crew of an aircraft look for "the pin" held
by the ground crew after pushback?

They are looking for the Nose Gear Ground Locking Pin to insure
that it has been removed prior to flight. If not, the nose gear
will not retract.

Bob Moore
ATP B-707 B-727

In the Navy the pins also cause the gear to be rigid so it doesn't
sway when the ship does. I remember once an A-7 arrived without the
pin in its normal on-aircraft storage place, there was a mad search to
find it. The concern was it may have fallen out of the storage and
fallen onto someone on the ground. Turns out some line guy on the ship
had forgotten to put it in where it was suppose to go, it was later
found hidden in his locker.

-Robert