Industrial buttons: Jetways

After traveling on my third round-trip flight in less than a month, it seems like a good time to feature some unsung buttons, the industrial-strength buttons that maneuver jetways to and from airplanes. And it’s about time: Industrial buttons have been severely underrepresented on this site.

Each flight I take, I can’t help but look at this panel as I board the plane. These buttons look like they haven’t changed since the 1960s. And why should they? Buttons of this era, and industrial buttons in general, are very direct. They do one thing and they do it well.

Each button is an action and an indicator. It can be pushed and has a light underneath to indicate the status of that component of the jetway. And typical of industrial buttons, each component gets its own button, since these are buttons that trigger mechanical events. Steer the jetway left or right. Extend or retract the canopy. Deploy the 400 Hz cable.

The funny thing is, I haven’t been able to determine if the red buttons aren’t buttons at all, or just indicator lights. By their phrasing, they seem to say that something has happened. “Hey, the spacer limit was tripped. Just thought you might like to know.” They look pushable, but I’m afraid to approach them and poke at them for two seconds before the TSA descends upon me, giving them a little excitement for the day.

Then there’s the industrial Stop button, possibly the most simple and straightforward button of them all. Big huge red panic button. It’s offset from the others. It’s large. It’s perfect for that emergency oh holy crap moment when you need something to stop NOW. The button you want to be the least used is designed to be the most usable.

By the way, jetways were invented by Jetway Systems. “Jetway” itself was originally the brand name for the movable platform that connected the plane door to the terminal door, but it has now descended into common usage. The first jetway was installed in the San Francisco Airport in 1959.