Definition
The personnel who service, maintain, marshal, fuel, load, and otherwise support an aircraft while it is on the ground, as distinct from the flight crew who operate it in the air.
Plain English
The people who work on the aircraft while it's on the ground -- fueling it, loading it, guiding it on the ramp, and getting it ready to fly.
Context Anchor
You will encounter this term during ramp operations, fueling, towing, loading, parking, and communication around an aircraft before engine start or after shutdown.
Why Pilots Care
Proper communication with ground crew prevents ground-handling incidents, ensures correct fueling and loading, and supports safe departure.
Intuition Check
Do not read ground crew as simply any people standing on the ground. In aviation, it means the assigned support people who work around the aircraft while it is not flying.
Example Sentence 1
After engine shutdown, the ground crew chocked the wheels and connected the tow bar.
Example Sentence 2
Ground crew connected the fuel truck and began refueling the aircraft.