AERO Specialties

As is the case with any industry, money can be tight for ground crew operations. In many cases, it’s even tighter with high aviation industry insurance rates and the cost of maintaining fleets of sophisticated machinery. With the value of life and equipment at stake, there aren’t really any corners to cut in the name of savings. However, sometimes doing just the opposite can prove financially beneficial. Upgrading or investing in a new aircraft pushback tractor, service cart, or other ground support equipment (GSE) can not only improve productivity but can also save money.

Better GSE Requires Less Maintenance

Perhaps the most obvious way that investing in new GSE or upgrading a current fleet could save an airside operation money is simply by improving functionality. New, more technologically advanced GSE from a reputable provider will typically require less maintenance and repair than older models. Improved functionality also reduces the downtime that accompanies maintenance and repairs. In the aviation business, time is money, and downtime costs a lot of it.

Increased Efficiency Can Increase Savings

In a win-win for a business’s pocketbook and carbon footprint, that new aircraft tug or baggage tractor is likely to be more fuel efficient than older models. Environmental regulation and improved technology have resulted in a great selection of cleaner, greener, and more efficient GSE vehicles. Doing one’s part for the environment is particularly satisfying when fuel savings from the new electric baggage/cargo tractor or hybrid aircraft ground power unit are considered.

Safer GSE Helps Prevent Accident Expenditure

The primary benefit of safer GSE is that the operator, other members of the crew, and airside operations, in general, are made safer by it. Overhauling a fleet is certainly an expensive investment, but the long-term cost reduction from safer operations is often worth it. For instance, safer GSE is less likely to be involved in accidents, and accidents can be extremely costly, unpredictable expenses.

Industry innovations, like those developed by GSE provider AERO Specialties, can go a long way toward accident prevention, and some of the most innovative solutions can even be fitted to your existing fleet. AERO Specialties’ SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System, for instance, monitors and records the stress being applied during aircraft pushback or tug tows, alerting operators to potential overstress events before they take place.

Safer GSE Is Popular with Insurance Providers

In addition to lowering the risk of injury and reducing the likelihood of costly damage, there’s another benefit to investing in safer GSE: pleasing insurance providers. Insurance companies typically take note of the extra steps businesses take to avoid accidents and reduce liability. There aren’t likely many insurers that would have no preference between a fleet of GSE vehicles that have been upgraded or replaced with newer, cleaner, safer models, and one that hasn’t.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is a ground support equipment (GSE) supplier that combines innovative, cutting-edge technology with rock-solid reliability. They bring the industry’s latest developments in safety, emissions reduction, and reliability to partners both military and civilian, private and regional, and corporate and commercial, at airports and FBOs across the globe. Part of their success in supplying safe, user-friendly, and reliable new, used, and refurbished GSE is due to the training that every member of the AERO Specialties team receives to ensure their familiarity with the equipment. If your business would benefit from an efficient, safe aircraft ground power unit, LED marshalling wand, bypass pin set, or any other GSE, think AERO Specialties.

Choose incredibly reliable GSE from an incredibly trustworthy GSE provider, AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2uRp31M

Ground crews working on the airside face unique challenges on a daily basis. They face all of the physical demands of other labor-intensive professions: they work outdoors, with heavy machinery, and in stressful conditions. Ground crews also face additional risks. The only occupation that’s roughly comparable is road construction and maintenance, except those crews only face traffic from road vehicles. Airside crews face traditional and ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles headed in every direction, in addition to taxiing and towed aircraft with all of the noise and hazards accompanying them. These unique challenges and risks make reliable GSE crucial for safety and efficiency on the airside.

Upgrade GSE to Maintain the Safety of Crews and Passengers

Low-quality GSE is incredibly frustrating for its operators, and considering the importance of their jobs, it can be difficult for frustrated operators to perform at their best. Additionally, the effective operation of GSE is related directly to the well-being of the operator, other crew, passengers, and the aircraft being serviced. For the sake of optimizing safety on the airside, low-quality GSE is not an option. Upgrading your current fleet of GSE with modern safety features or investing in new aircraft tugs, service carts, and other tools is vital for ongoing airside safety.

Upgrade GSE to Lower Stress and Reduce Human Error

The airside is a stressful place to work. Crews must be alert and efficient at all times while handling vehicles and managing the risks of their work. Human error can cause a lot of damage, which compounds the daily stresses of the job. The detrimental consequences of a stressed-out workforce can’t be overstated. Stress can result in poor decision making, lapses in concentration, and mistakes. Mistakes made by someone operating GSE can prove catastrophic, especially if they’re performing delicate work such as towing aircraft. Provide ground crews with technology that reduces their stress. An aircraft tow tractor that’s safe, effective, reliable, and easy to use goes a long way to reducing stress. Technology assistance, such as tow stress monitors, can also significantly reduce human error.

Upgrade GSE to Improve Communication, Customer Service, and Accountability

Better GSE allows airsides to run more efficiently, with fewer mistakes, fewer delays, and better outcomes for both airlines and passengers. The responsibilities being handled by a ground crew carry a high financial risk. GSE being out of commission, not functioning properly, or not functioning safely can result in delays for an airline or other aviation business. Delays, for an aviation business, can mean thousands of dollars lost, or more. Not to mention the damage caused by accidents during service.

Better, more reliable performance from a GSE fleet means better, more reliable customer service from a ground crew. Assisting delicate operations with technology also increases the accountability of your operation, allowing you to diagnose mistakes and proactively prevent them from happening. Finally, because GSE is such an important and complex feature of the aviation industry, finding a GSE provider that likewise effectively communicates and offers great customer service and support is a priceless commodity.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is a ground support equipment (GSE) supplier that combines innovative, cutting-edge technology with rock-solid reliability. They bring the industry’s latest developments in safety, emissions reduction, and reliability to partners both military and civilian, private and regional, and corporate and commercial, at airports and FBOs across the globe. Part of their success in supplying safe, user-friendly, and reliable new, used, and refurbished GSE is due to the training that every member of the AERO Specialties team receives to ensure their familiarity with the equipment. If your business would benefit from an efficient, safe aircraft tug, LED marshalling wand, bypass pin set, or any other GSE, think AERO Specialties.

Choose incredibly reliable GSE from an incredibly trustworthy GSE provider, AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/31Txvd4

Ask virtually any owner or manager of a small, local airport, airstrip, or FBO and they’ll tell you that their business isn’t a road to immediate riches. It’s a labor of love. However, that doesn’t mean that being the owner of a small aviation destination can’t be exciting, fulfilling, fun, and profitable. As with any small business, success means shrewd decision making. In this case, that encompasses everything from choosing the right aircraft pushback tractor to marketing your business successfully. Consider the following suggestions for a more profitable small airport or FBO.

Invest in Efficient GSE

Ground support equipment (GSE) is among the most important factors in the efficient operation and continuing success of a small local airport. GSE is generally a sizable investment, making it all the more important to make good choices. It’s also a long-term investment, as a good GSE vehicle can be with an aviation business for decades. As such, one of the most important considerations when selecting GSE is energy efficiency. Efficient GSE is better for the environment but that efficiency translates into savings as well. Lower carbon emissions means less fuel being used and less fuel being wasted. Whether it’s a lavatory cart, aircraft pushback tractor, or aircraft ground power unit (GPU), look for GSE high efficiency ratings.

Consider Refurbished or Rental GSE

Finding an excellent, efficient aircraft tug or ground power unit (GPU) is, as mentioned, a top priority. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the GSE in question has to be brand-new. An often overlooked GSE market that can prove a great option for any local airport or FBO is the used, refurbished, and rental market. If your business exclusively services small to medium personal and corporate aircraft traffic, a fleet of brand-new heavy-duty pushback tractors is most likely not going to be necessary. Instead, look for a high-quality used or refurbished model that will do the job safely and efficiently and save money in the bargain. GSE rental is also an excellent option, particularly for airports or FBOs that need seasonal vehicles several months of the year, or for which the need for such varies from year to year.

Appealing to Niche Travelers

An additional strategy for making the most of your small aviation business is marketing to the right niche. The key is identifying the specific population or populations that either are already taking advantage of your location or should be and focusing marketing and advertising campaigns on that market. For instance, if your airport is located conveniently close to great fishing or hunting, target publications or groups dedicated to those activities. If you’re close to hotels or convention centers, market the advantages of your small operation to corporate travelers. Consider your proximity to activities, events, or points of interest that are perhaps less well-known or targeted by competitors. That could include local hiking or rock-climbing access, music festivals, state parks, amusement parks, skydiving or hot air ballooning destinations, anything that might draw traveler interest.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties has established a reputation as a respected and trusted supplier in the aviation industry. As aviation ground support equipment (GSE) providers, they’re trusted by civilian and military aviation crews for offering unmatched GSE for airports and FBOs, including private, regional, corporate, and commercial partners. The AERO Specialties team specializes in supplying user-friendly, reliable, and safe used and new GSE. Part of that success is due to the fact that every AERO Specialties team member is trained to be entirely familiar with all of their GSE. Whether your aviation business needs a reliable, powerful, safe, and efficient aircraft ground power unit or a variety of the best LED multipurpose marshalling wands in a selection of colors, you can trust AERO Specialties.

Help your aviation business reach new heights of growth and success with AERO Specialties’ industry-leading GSE selection, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/30sMzxi

The airside is one of the most dynamic, fast-moving, and dangerous work environments. Workers perform heavy labor, they work exposed to the elements, they’re often required to operate heavy machinery and specialized vehicles, and they have to contend with the risk of vehicles operating in close proximity.

Those vehicles are heading in all directions, and vary greatly in size and speed. That includes aircraft tugs and tractors hauling baggage trains, other ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles, and of course aircraft. Thousands of tons (and millions of dollars worth) of aircraft on the ramp need to be serviced, and the safety of crews and passengers is at stake. A safe airside work environment is of absolute importance.

Training and More Training

This may be something of a cliché to anyone who manages grounds crews and GSE, but perhaps the simplest way to improve airside crew safety is training, training, and more training. Ensure that the entire ground crew is trained on every piece of GSE they use, and that each GSE vehicle is only accessible to those certified to operate it. There can be a tendency to suggest that someone trained on the use of one pushback tractor or tug will have the skills necessary to drive any GSE vehicles. That’s never a good idea. All airside vehicles handle differently, and require specific training.

Invest in Safe GSE

The other element of a safe work environment is safe, updated equipment. If an aircraft tug comes with automatic safety features like proximity alarms or overstress warning alarms for towing (or is compatible with their installation), it’s a safer vehicle. Embracing safety technology features on the airside might mean replacements or upgrades, but it’s an investment that pays off. In addition to making the work safer for the operator, investing in safer GSE can proactively prevent damage to aircraft.

Effective Communication

Effective communication is absolutely crucial to airside safety. That includes ensuring that crew members are familiar with the necessary contacts for questions and emergencies. It means effective communication between both crews and their leadership, and those crews with other airside crews, airport personnel, air traffic control, flight crews, and everyone else who makes decisions at an airport. It also means effective communication strategies. For instance, handing out safety pamphlets to crews describing safety procedures may be less effective than recorded safety and training videos showing processes clearly, step-by-step. Pertinent communication and safety information should also be posted in clear view around the workspaces.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties has established a reputation as a respected and trusted supplier in the aviation industry. As aviation ground support equipment (GSE) providers, they’re trusted by civilian and military aviation crews for offering unmatched GSE for airports and FBOs, including private, regional, corporate, and commercial partners. The AERO Specialties team specializes in supplying user-friendly, reliable, safe used and new GSE. Part of that success is due to the fact that every AERO Specialties team member is trained to be entirely familiar with all of their GSE. Whether your aviation business needs a reliable, powerful, safe, and efficient aircraft tow tractor or a variety of the best LED multipurpose marshalling wands in a selection of colors, you can trust AERO Specialties.

Make your airside safer with AERO Specialties’ selection of industry-leading GSE, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/3844opc

There are good reasons to be especially cautious airside when handling diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Over the last 20 months, at least three incidents involving DEF fuel contamination have occurred. Two of which included Cessna Citation 550 twinjets carrying out air ambulance flights. Though all aircraft landed safely and there were no injuries, the occurrences speak to the importance of taking steps to mitigate or remove the risk of DEF contamination in fuel.

The cause of these near-tragedies was the introduction of DEF into the fuel supply. The threat of DEF contamination of a fuel supply is a harrowing one, but, whether it’s by cautious loading of an aircraft tug or an update to ground crew training, with some basic precautions even near-tragedies can be averted.

What is DEF?

DEF is a non-hazardous fluid that, to meet federal environmental regulations, is added to the exhaust systems of diesel vehicles to break polluting emissions into water and nitrogen. While it’s good for the environment, the water and urea mixture can result in the formation of crystals that can plug up fuel filters, damage aircraft engines, and result in engine failure. DEF should never be used as an additive for any fuel, diesel or aircraft, and is sprayed directly into exhaust systems.

The Real-Life Risks

Unfortunately, it’s not all that hard for ground crew to accidentally contaminate the fuel supply with DEF. Investigations into the recent engine failure incidents have found that the most common cause of DEF contamination is crew members confusing the DEF with the additive Fuel System Icing Inhibitor (FSII). Both liquids are clear and colorless, they can be stored in similar-looking containers, and are often stored next to each other. Particularly when the work gets rushed, it’s easy to make mistakes.

No-DEFGSE

Among the most direct and effective solutions for avoiding any dangerous DEF contamination events is choosing “NO-DEF” ground support equipment (GSE), which simply removes DEF from the equation. For example, technological advances have allowed GSE manufacturers and vendors to focus on producing and providing a cleaner, lower-emission breed of aircraft tug, pushback tractor, and aircraft ground power unit (GPU), among other GSE offerings.

Consider GSE provider AERO Specialties’ revolutionary AERO JetGo 99 28V Diesel-Hybrid GPU that offers the highest continuous amperage available in the class. Also, with the engine’s hybrid-efficiency, emissions are reduced sufficiently enough that DEF is unnecessary.

Storage, Labeling, and Ground Crew Training

In addition to NO-DEF GSE, there are basic preventive steps that can avoid confusion and contamination. A big one is simply storing DEF away from any fuel additives, particularly FSII. DEF control and recording steps include ensuring that DEF is kept behind lock and key as well as logging and recording any use or transfer of it. Labeling that is clear, legible, easy to read, and unobscured will further reduce the risk of contamination. An additional safety measure could include ordering and storing DEF in noticeably different containers than the FSII and other additives. Along with these steps, ensuring that all members of the ground crew are well-trained on DEF use and handling is crucial.

About AERO Specialties

Throughout the aviation community in general, and among ground support equipment (GSE) providers specifically, AERO Specialties is known as an industry leader. They’ve established a reputation among both military and civilian airsides for offering peerless GSE for FBOs or airports, whether major, corporate, private, or regional. Whatever an aviation partner needs, they can rely on the AERO Specialties team for the most reliable, effective, and user-friendly new, used, and refurbished GSE. Additionally, every member of the AERO Specialties team is trained until they’re wholly familiar with all of the GSE on offer. So whether you need a safe, powerful, reliable aircraft pushback tractor, or the best LED marshalling wands in a variety of colors, trust AERO Specialties.

Lift your aviation business to greater heights of success and growth with GSE from AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2EyC8hD

In most places, winter is going to bring disruptions and difficulties of one kind or another to an airport. In warmer climates, that can mean the increased risk of cloudbursts, electrical storms, and obscuring fog. For the colder regions, however, winter delivers an entire suite of challenges that can make everyone’s work all the more difficult. This is especially true with airside ground crews. They are dealing with all of the visibility and mobility issues of flight crews and air traffic control, on top of which they are moving baggage, piloting service carts, and driving aircraft tugs out in the elements all day. This makes planning, preparing, and stocking up for the winter particularly critical for smooth service airside.

Winterizing Your GSE and Preparing Your Ground Crew

Winterizing the airside ground support equipment (GSE) and ground crew requires more than outfitting the aircraft tug and baggage tractor with snow tires. It requires preparing the GSE and crew for the reality of work in the winter. That starts with examining the GSE that’s been set aside since the year before to be sure it’s in working order. The mechanics should check deicing vehicles, sprayers, platforms, and anything else necessary for winter use to ensure safety and functionality. It’s also a good time to consider purchasing or renting more GSE to add to your airside.

Additionally, since winter conditions can increase the risk of accidents and emergencies, make a point of establishing, emphasizing, and testing communication networks. That includes communication between crews: between flight crews and ground crews, between airside ground crews and airport management, and so on. Finally, train and prepare crew members on the realities of winter crew work, including emergency and protocols and communication best practices.

The Appropriate Deicing GSE

Once the deicing GSE has been inspected, topped off, cleaned up, updated, and repaired if necessary, determine whether it will prove sufficient to meet the crew’s needs in the winter. Beyond guaranteeing that the towable, heated deicer tank and deicing truck are good to go, consider if the appropriate gear is available. Sometimes crew members find that a portable four-gallon backpack-style anti-ice/deice sprayer unit is a far more convenient, hassle-reducing solution for servicing smaller planes than hooking up the deicer tank and maneuvering it over.

However, that convenient backpack sprayer isn’t going to be of much use if it’s only rated for type I deicing fluid and there’s only type IV on hand. Fortunately, unlike typical backpack sprayers, trusted GSE provider AERO Specialties sells a portable deicer, the 4-Gallon Backpack Deicing Sprayer, for type IV fluid that works great for small planes.

Additional Deicing GSE

That being said, an essential piece of deicing GSE every crew needs on hand—besides the vehicles, sprayers, and platforms—is deicing fluid. At the very least, it makes sense to have both type I and type IV fluid available for different applications.

Additionally important GSE is a selection of headsets and intercom systems. When a crew member is required to be out in particularly bitter winter weather spraying an aircraft down with deicing fluid, having a high-quality, working intercom in a weather-tight dual-ear headset can prove incredibly valuable.

About AERO Specialties

Throughout the aviation community in general, and among ground support equipment (GSE) providers specifically, AERO Specialties is known as an industry leader. They’ve established a reputation among both military and civilian airsides for offering peerless GSE for FBOs or airports, whether major, corporate, private, or regional. Whatever an aviation partner needs, they can rely on the AERO Specialties team for the most reliable, effective, and user-friendly new, used, and refurbished GSE. Additionally, every member of the AERO Specialties team is trained until they’re wholly familiar with all of the GSE on offer. So whether you need a safe, powerful, reliable aircraft tow tractor, or the best LED marshalling wands in a variety of colors, trust AERO Specialties.

Lift your aviation business to greater heights of success and growth with GSE from AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2M3jeDN

New risk reduction strategies and safety measures are often met with some trepidation. They can be considered an inconvenient disruption cluttering up the works. Industry changes, new statutes, regulations, and technological updates, however, mean that those changes are inevitable. When done right, risk reduction and safety updates, from upgrades to your aircraft tug fleet to more efficient crew conduct, can mean improved performance and therefore lower costs. There’s no reason to dread safety updates if an operation is properly prepared to roll them out.

GSE Organization Improves Everything

One of the most important areas in which an airside ground crew can improve safety and lower cost, significantly when done right, is by organizing the scheduling and use of ground support equipment (GSE). An increasingly popular method for doing so is by linking, tracking, and scheduling GSE vehicles with modern telematics systems.

An accompanying strategy, often used in conjunction with telematics, is implementing a GSE pooling program. Alone and in combination, telematics and pooling are yielding risk reduction and performance results at airports all around the world. Some advantages include more efficient fuel use, less vehicle running time, lower risk of damage to aircraft, less vehicle congestion on the apron, and more accurate maintenance schedules. When implemented correctly, these strategies can help reduce costs and the risk of accidents.

Updated GSE Technology Lowers Risk

Organization is one facet of safety and risk management, but the technology in the tools and vehicles themselves also needs to be updated. For instance, there are safety systems that, when installed on an aircraft pushback or tug fleet, can improve operational safety considerably.

For example, the SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System from AERO Specialties is a safety system that monitors and records force applied while towing and warns operators of overstress damage before it occurs. Additionally, the TLD Aircraft Safe Docking system prevents GSE from approaching aircraft too quickly, automatically preventing collision damage. Along with the considerable savings resulting from avoiding expensive collisions, installing these safety systems improves the working environment for ground crews.

Safe Crew Should Always Be a Priority

There’s an additional, far more serious risk accompanying collisions and other GSE accidents and incidents—that ground crew, airline personnel, or passengers are injured. The risk of injury alone is sufficient to implement all possible safety measures, and it’s usually the reason for mandatory upgrades. Further exacerbating that worse-case scenario is the considerable cost accompanying any injury. Possible expenses include lost labor, workers’ compensation, insurance premiums, and potential litigation. It’s a combination that’s more than sufficient to justify emphasizing ground crew safety measures.

Those measures include basic steps that can be overlooked or allowed to lapse, like neglecting to insist on appropriate training or allowing crew to operate GSE they’re not licensed or certified to operate. Training should also include familiarizing ground crew with any new safety systems, emergency protocols, and lines of communication.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is an industry-leading aviation ground support equipment (GSE) provider offering GSE that’s well-known for optimized performance, safety, and reliability. Their customers, both civilian and military, at corporate airports, FBOs, or private airports, rely on AERO Specialties for the highest quality GSE, new, used, and refurbished. As an additional assurance of excellence, AERO Specialties trains each one of the members of their team, familiarizing them thoroughly with every piece of GSE they offer. That means whatever GSE you need, from a powerful, safe aircraft ground power unit, to a set of multicolored LED marshalling wands, you can trust AERO Specialties.

Take your aviation business to greater heights with GSE from AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/32J954D

Any airport’s apron is necessarily a busy place. In addition to the massive aircraft arriving and departing, there are entire fleets of ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles zipping around to service them. Refueling vehicles, aircraft tugs, tractors pulling a string of baggage carts, deicers in winter, all of the lav and food service carts, plus ground crew on foot, are all active on the apron. Not to mention that on any given day there are many millions of dollars represented on the apron, not just in aircraft on the ground, but in money lost to delays.

Ground crews face high expectations in a busy workspace to work quickly, safely, and to high standards. When there’s that much going on, with strict schedules to keep and so many moving parts, a lapse in oversight, management, or preparation can result in costly delays. It can also have more dire consequences by increasing the risk of accidents significantly. As such, avoiding GSE congestion should always be a priority.

Implement Fleet Tracking Software

The implementation of fleet management programs and software has proven to be a major benefit throughout the aviation community. Monitoring a fleet with technology such as a telematics program allows the tracking of every aircraft tug and cargo loader. That allows crew managers to more effectively manage and optimize the use of all the GSE in their fleet. Some of those telematics programs can even measure and record impact and collision data for a quick response.

Use Maintenance Tracking Technology

An additional benefit provided by many fleet management systems is that they greatly assist with the accuracy of GSE maintenance schedules. If that’s not a feature of telematics or another management system already in place, any GSE fleet manager should set up a dedicated strategy for maintenance scheduling and alerts. Software that tracks maintenance scheduling and alerts teams to potential faults or needed replacements can save a whole lot of money by mitigating GSE mechanical issues before they become problems. Functioning GSE is also far less likely to contribute to congestion!

Update Operator Training and Access Programs

The appropriate and consistently updated training of operators is one of those features of airside crew operation that’s often emphasized but can’t be overstated. There’s arguably nothing more crucial to the smooth operation of a ground crew than thorough and up-to-date training. In addition, institute an access program—only allowing those with the appropriate training and certification access to their specific GSE. That reduces the risk of crew taking out GSE they’re not trained on for convenience or because it’s similar to what they operate.

Prioritize Communication and Collaboration, Such as GSE Pooling

In addition to telematics, fleet management, and training and access protocols, GSE pooling has become incredibly popular throughout the aviation industry. It improves efficiency, reduces the presence of unnecessary GSE on the apron, saves fuel, and saves money. A less often cited but nevertheless beneficial element is that it improves communication between ground crews. That centralization of GSE and improved communication between the crews also contributes to improved communication with airport management. All of which means smoother airside operation and less risk of congestion on the apron.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is an industry-leading aviation ground support equipment (GSE) provider offering GSE that’s well-known for optimized performance, safety, and reliability. Their customers, both civilian and military, at corporate airports, FBOs, or private airports, rely on AERO Specialties for the highest quality GSE, new, used, and refurbished. As an additional assurance of excellence, AERO Specialties trains each one of the members of their team, familiarizing them thoroughly with every piece of GSE they offer. That means whatever GSE you need, from a powerful, safe aircraft tow tractor, to a set of multicolored LED marshalling wands, you can trust AERO Specialties.

Take your aviation business to greater heights with GSE from AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/32uvdQe

Airside ground crew coordination and managing every aircraft tug in a ground support equipment (GSE) fleet is a momentous daily responsibility. Preparing for future, and future conditions, is an easy task to overlook during the daily routine. With the approach of winter weather, however, taking extra time to plan can significantly improve operations when poor conditions arrive. Preparing for those conditions is going to work out far more successfully than scrambling to react when they arrive. In short, the best time to prepare for winter is before it hits.

Communication Networks for Emergencies

There’s no question that establishing, reinforcing, and checking up on intra-airport communication networks is crucial in case of emergencies. When well-planned and maintained, these networks also serve to improve daily operation. The lack of dedicated communication protocols and infrastructure is unfortunately common in a surprising number of aerodromes.

There is often insufficient communication between general airport management and ground crews, flight crews and ground crews, and between the individual ground crews at larger airports. Lacking communication can cause delays and exacerbate dangerous situations. Setting up communications protocols which allow ground crews to communicate conditions and issues to appropriate parties is essential for hectic winter months.

Deicing on Standby

As potentially frustrating and counterproductive as a communication breakdown is when the aircraft pushback used as a plow breaks down, discovering too late that there’s no more deicing fluid is no better. Being sure to stock up everything you need to keep your deicing equipment ready to go, because it’s easy to not think about deicing fluid when there’s no need for it. Pre-season and end-of-season inventory checks can do wonders for efficiency once the snow hits.

Any deicing vehicles, sprayers, tanks, platforms, and the like that haven’t been used since last winter should be examined by mechanics to ensure they’re all in good working order. Check to be sure that all the types of deicing fluid you need are available and consider the less obvious deicing equipment. For instance, consider dual-ear deicing headsets for the crew.

Ground Crew Prepared

Just as important as making sure winter equipment is available and in working order is ensuring that the operators and ground crew are prepared for winter. Ground crews need the training and experience to use the specialized winter equipment, as well as the communications systems that they’ll be relying on in poor weather. Training crew for winter conditions on GSE they are certified to use shouldn’t be overlooked. Pulling a string of baggage carts or a jetliner in the winter is an entirely different animal than it is in the summer.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties offers GSE designed to optimize performance for their customers, whether civilian or military, at an FBO, corporate airport, or consumer airport. To additionally ensure excellence, they train each and every member of the AERO Specialties team to be entirely familiar with all of their GSE offerings. So whether you need a safe, powerful aircraft ground power unit or LED marshalling wands, AERO Specialties has you covered.

Help your aviation business reach new heights with AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/32kABWS

The responsibilities performed by airside ground crews cover a lot of territory. That means the ground support equipment (GSE) they require to do their jobs is comprised of a diverse collection of vehicles, tools, safety equipment, and stock. It’s not all baggage carts and aircraft tugs (though those are important too). Paying attention to this variety of equipment, and keeping it updated, can improve the working conditions of airside ground crews. The equipment can make their jobs efficient and less difficult, while increasing their comfort level and safety. If you manage or are otherwise responsible for equipping an airside ground crew, consider the following GSE upgrades, updates, and additions that will improve their time on the apron.

Weather-Appropriate Equipment

Ground support crews are often required to work outdoors regardless of the weather. For many crews, that means dealing with sweltering heat in the summer and glacial frigidity in the winter. Providing information on how best to dress for the weather, as well as necessities for weather protection, are simple ways to improve working conditions. For the summer, light, long-sleeved clothing, hats, and sunscreen are always a good idea. Be sure to provide access to air-conditioned shelter and water. In the winter, clothing should be layered, and the heaters in every GSE vehicle should be operational. Additionally, something as simple as a dual-ear headset to cover both ears can make a big difference in freezing weather.

Aircraft Tug and Pushback Tractor Safety Features

There’s no question that the most important reason to equip an aircraft tug or pushback tractor with safety features is to keep the operator safe. Those safety features often serve the dual purpose of greatly reducing the risk of expensive damage to both the GSE and the aircraft that it’s servicing. The best GSE providers include safety features that come with, or can be installed on, tugs, pushbacks, and tow tractors. Consider the SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System from GSE provider AERO Specialties, which reduces or eliminates overstress damage to an aircraft’s nose gear. It does so by recording and measuring the stress during a tow and alerts the operator to any situations where there is a risk of overstress. Similarly, TLD’s Aircraft Safe Docking (ASD) system prevents collision damage during docking.

Other GSE Safety Features

There area number of ways for costly (and even dangerous) incidents to occur airside, and a number of safeguards that can be employed to prevent them. Another GSE safety innovation offered by AERO Specialties is the “Safe-Lav” system, which prevents lavatory cart overfill incidents. While lavatory filling isn’t the first thing that comes to mind as a hazardous operation, an overfill accident can cost thousands of dollars and put an aircraft temporarily out of commission. Finding ways in which any GSE can be made safer to use, and reducing the potential for human error, will result in happier ground support crew.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties offers GSE designed to optimize performance for their customers, whether civilian or military, at an FBO, corporate airport, or consumer airport. To additionally ensure excellence, they train each and every member of the AERO Specialties team to be entirely familiar with all of their GSE offerings. So whether you need a safe, powerful aircraft tow tractor or LED marshalling wands, AERO Specialties has you covered.

Help your aviation business reach new heights with AERO Specialties, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/33vi2zb

While the basic needs of airports big and small, rural and urban, are similar, the equipment that works best to meet those needs isn’t one-size-fits-all. There’s no better example of that dynamic than the ground support equipment (GSE) best suited for seasonal safety maintenance and support. The chances are that a modest rural airport or fixed base operator (FBO) using one vehicle for multiple roles, such as aircraft pushback, deicer, and FOD-collector would find a dedicated deicing truck impractical. At the same time, an urban or busy suburban airport may find itself in trouble without such dedicated equipment.

Urban Airports

Deicing Equipment

In the winter months, deicing needs to happen quickly, thoroughly, and efficiently to keep the planes in the air. Even relatively short delays can cost an airline significant sums of money and the goodwill of passengers. Plus, insufficient icing can have consequences far more harrowing than lost revenue. Every urban airport should have at least one deicing vehicle that can accommodate type 1 and type 4 deicing fluid. Of course, a robust stock of type 1 and 4 deicing fluid should also be maintained.

FOD Detection Equipment

Foreign object debris (FOD) is an issue that costs the aerospace industry an estimated $4 billion in damage a year. Heavier aircraft traffic at urban airports means more FOD and more risk of FOD damage to aircraft. To mitigate that risk, urban airports should invest in a robust response such as the Trex FOD Finder Detection System from GSE provider AERO Specialties. The Trex system is the only mobile FOD detection solution approved by the FAA. It implements a millimeter wave radar system capable of detecting, cataloging, and collecting FOD anywhere within the airfield surveilled, day or night, in any weather condition.

Rural

Deicing Equipment

Deicing is no less essential at rural airports and FBOs. The GSE employed for the job is more likely to be an aircraft tug or pickup truck hauling a deicer tank and platform on a hitch than an actual deicing truck. As an airport gets busier, it may require more specialized deicing equipment.

FOD Detection Equipment

Equipment for dealing with the threat of FOD damage is no less a necessity in smaller aerodromes. FOD-detection GSE as comprehensive and brawny as the Trex system might be overkill for a rural airport. An excellent, task-appropriate alternative to a radar-based FOD detection system is a towable FOD magnet. A high-quality towable FOD magnet, as the name suggests, can be towed behind a vehicle to collect any hazardous debris from the apron, runway and ramps, hangars, and anywhere else it can do damage.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties earned their reputation in the aviation industry by consistently performing as one of the most trustworthy, reliable, and respected ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturers, distributors, and innovators. Combining advanced, leading-edge technology with industry-defining manufacturing standards, AERO Specialties produces GSE engineered to optimize any airport or FBO’s operations. Additionally, they ensure that every one of their team members, from the customer service and sales team to their GSE mechanics, are wholly familiar with every piece of equipment, its function, and its operation. Whether your airport or FBO needs a new aircraft ground power unit or a set of LED marshalling wands, AERO Specialties has you covered.

Watch your aviation business take off with AERO Specialties supporting you on the ground or in the air, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2I5hqYW

Updating equipment is a difficult decision in any industry. Within the aviation airside support industry, updating, upgrading, or replacing ground support equipment (GSE) to meet environmental and safety standards is a similar conundrum. It’s considered a costly and unfortunately necessary evil, often delayed due to fear of service interruptions. However, advances in GSE technology mean that upgrading or replacing that aircraft tug or lavatory service cart can make it safer and more energy-efficient. These updates are also a great financial opportunity, rather than a burden. Safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective GSE is a win-win-win scenario.

A Smart Oxygen and Nitrogen Service System

Often, it’s the cumulative cost of the small, persistent wastes of time, labor, stock, and other resources that can sabotage a business, rather than big, catastrophic losses. Any way to reduce the time or number of people it takes to perform a task is a sure expense saver. An example is aircraft oxygen and nitrogen service. An outdated or bulky oxygen service cart could take two or more people to handle and load. Updating to a smaller, more efficient model could reduce that workload to one person. Find a cart that’s heavy-duty enough to hitch to your aircraft tugs but portable enough to move by hand. Be sure that any new service cart comes equipped with a booster system. It saves money, improves efficiency, reduces canister fills, and saves time and labor.

A Smart Lavatory Fill System

“Costly GSE-related accidents” is likely to conjure images of aircraft damaged in mishaps involving tow tugs and pushback tractors. That is, until the first lavatory system overfill accident, resulting in thousands of dollars of damage to an aircraft. A high-quality lavatory system should have smart features, like a direct-reading delivery system and tank, which negates the risk of bad or broken flow meters. Retrofitting your lavatory service cart is a modest investment that improves efficiency and prevents expensive, messy accidents.

Aircraft Tug and Pushback Tractor Monitoring Technology

While a lavatory system overfill accident is no joke, damage caused to aircraft during towing can be much more costly, and potentially hazardous. An increasingly popular and successful solution is equipping aircraft tugs with a linear force monitoring system. A good example is the SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System from GSE provider AERO Specialties. The SiPsHitch™ system alerts the operator to the risk of overstress during a tow before any damage is done. As it’s a solution for preventing expensive accidents and recording tow stress, it can improve the disposition of insurance companies and customers toward your operations. Another win-win.

A Comprehensive, Sure-Fire FOD Detection Solution

Metal foreign object debris (FOD) costs the aviation industry billions of dollars every year. A comprehensive FOD identification and removal system is key to reducing that damage and the costs associated with it. The key is finding one that employs a millimeter wave radar system allowing it to operate day or night, in any weather. To respond effectively when FOD is identified, opt for a mobile detection system, and ensure that it’s FAA approved.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties earned their reputation in the aviation industry by consistently performing as one of the most trustworthy, reliable, and respected ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturers, distributors, and innovators. Combining advanced, leading-edge technology with industry-defining manufacturing standards, AERO Specialties produces GSE engineered to optimize any airport or FBO operations. Additionally, they ensure that every one of their team members, from the customer service and sales team to their GSE mechanics, are wholly familiar with every piece of equipment, its function, and its operation. Whether your airport or FBO needs a sturdy, powerful aircraft tow tractor, or a set of LED marshalling wands, AERO Specialties has you covered.

Watch your aviation business take off with AERO Specialties supporting you on the ground, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/32BEiaq

It can be difficult running any small business in a field shared by far bigger ones. Big businesses have a number of advantages (like an aircraft tug fleet, in this case) over their smaller competitors. They have more resources and they offer more amenities. They have a far more robust advertising budget, and perhaps most importantly, they have name recognition. They’re an established presence and a well-known among potential customers and clients.  

That dynamic can prove disheartening for smaller businesses. Small airports and forward operating bases (FOBs) face these struggles too. However, being small has advantages that no big airport can match. Here are some key distinctions that every airdrome owner or manager should focus on in order to attract personal planes as well as private, corporate, and executive aircraft.

Less Stressful Approaching, Landing, and Taxiing

The bigger an airport gets, the busier it gets. That doesn’t just apply to aircraft and passengers. Another jetliner means another aircraft pushback, another baggage cart, and all the other ground support equipment (GSE) and personnel required to service it. Small airports and FOBs aren’t crawling with as many crew, craft, or GSE. The tower isn’t rushing the private and executive jets on and off of the runway. There’s no nerve-wracking runway-sharing or stressful navigation on the ground. The pilots and passengers of smaller aircraft will appreciate the pace of a smaller operation.

No Holding

In addition to the hurrying smaller craft face when using large airports, there’s the holding. Big airports get very busy. Organizing the dozens or hundreds of flights that are arriving at and departing from an airport every day often requires aircraft to be put into holding patterns. Waiting for runway space to open up can be extremely frustrating. It means more fuel burned and more time lost for airline and private pilots. It’s far less likely at a smaller airdrome.

More Personal Service

Personal service is something people enjoy and appreciate, and it provides a number of practical benefits. Private or executive pilots using a smaller airfield get to know the staff and crew running it, and the staff and crew get to know them. The staff can learn the pilots’ and passengers’ preferences, such as how much storage space they’ll need and what GSE their craft might require. That kind of personal help and attention can save those pilots a lot of time and hassle.

Fewer Security Delays

A large airport’s security protocols can cause delays, mix-ups, and other headaches. No doubt anyone reading this is very familiar with them. Every extra minute private and executive pilots and passengers can save, and every hassle they can avoid by using your airdrome is a solid point in your favor. With fewer requirements—especially if an airfield doesn’t handle international flights—landing at a smaller operation can save significant time in security procedure.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is one of the aviation industry’s most reliable manufacturers and distributors of ground support equipment (GSE). By combining cutting-edge innovations in recent technology with the most exacting manufacturing standards, they produce GSE designed to optimize any FBO or airport’s operations. AERO Specialties also ensures that each member of their team, from the GSE mechanics to sales and customer service, is thoroughly familiar with all the equipment, their functions, and operation. Basically, if your aviation business needs it, from their standard-setting aircraft ground power unit line to an LED marshalling wand, AERO Specialties will have it.

Make AERO Specialties your copilot to launch your aviation business to unreached heights, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/301vmdt

Many industries, aviation included, are pushing for cleaner, lower-emission, more environmentally friendly solutions. Many of the green initiatives related to the aviation industry have been dedicated to lowering the emissions of aircraft. While reducing the emissions of aircraft is often the biggest focus, there are other areas for improvement. The efficiency of aircraft tugs and other airside equipment is also a concern for any environmentally conscious airport.
            
Every major airport has a number of aircraft tugs and other ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles in operation. These include baggage and staircase vehicles, aircraft tow tractors, hauling carts, refuelers, ground power units, and others. Any effective strategies for cleaner, greener aviation must incorporate steps to lighten the carbon footprint of both the aircraft and the airside.

Switching to Electric GSE

Among the biggest of the global aviation environmental initiatives is the push for moving to electric hybrid and, eventually, fully electric vehicles. Due to the massive fuel consumption of jetliners, they’ve gotten much of the public attention when the subject of aviation emission-reduction is brought up.

On the other hand, updating every aircraft tug and stair-truck is a vital step on the way to a low-emissions operation. The transition has already begun, with several airports and airlines in Europe and Oceania moving toward 100% electric GSE and shuttle fleets. The transition doesn’t have to be instant. Replacing old vehicles with new electric GSE such as an Electric Baggage/Cargo Tow Tractor is a step in the right direction.

Optimizing Fleet Management

Whether the GSE in a fleet are internal combustion, hybrid, or fully electric, inefficient use of those GSE is an energy (and money) waster. One of the most common, important, and effective tools for optimizing the use of GSE is fleet management software. A sound fleet management software system, particularly when combined with solid telematics, can be a huge efficiency boon. The more efficient a fleet, the more money saved, even if it runs on combustion fuel.

Organization and Standardization in Airport Management

One of the more frustrating scenarios the manager of a GSE fleet can face is challenges to efficiency that they have no control over. It’s not uncommon for the airport, each airline, and a ground crew to have separate service level agreements. The specific details and procedures those agreements describe are also not always entirely clear, and communication is certainly not always ensured. If the details of specific territories, routes, and the other details of GSE use are not hammered out between the different parties involved, then bottlenecks, delays, and even the risk of accidents can ensue. Beginning an initiative to establish some standardization and communication protocols between different parties can save a lot of headaches and strife.

Implementing GSE Pooling

Going hand in hand with communication between groups sharing the same airside work environment, GSE pooling is another popular solution. GSE pooling is when all of an airport or terminal’s ground crews share a communal collection of GSE. GSE pooling reduces the number of GSE vehicles in use at any one time on the apron by ensuring they’re only being used when needed. It saves fuel, reduces congestion, and compels the sort of inter-crew and inter-agency communication that can serve an airport’s airside work environment, as well as reduce carbon emissions.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is one of the aviation industry’s most reliable manufacturers and distributors of ground support equipment (GSE). By combining cutting-edge innovations in recent technology with the most exacting manufacturing standards, they produce GSE designed to optimize any FBO or airport’s operations. AERO Specialties also ensures that each member of their team, from the GSE mechanics to sales and customer service, is thoroughly familiar with all the equipment, their functions, and operation. Basically, if your aviation business needs it, from a high-powered aircraft tow tractor to an LED marshalling wand, AERO Specialties will have it.

Make AERO Specialties your copilot to launch your aviation business to new heights, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2MTPH0o

Being a member of an airside ground crew is already stressful enough. On top of the high-dollar, high-stress, fast-moving, and physically demanding nature of the work, it’s a dangerous place to be. They’re working in and around aircraft pushback tugs, tow tractors, baggage carts, and the other ground support equipment (GSE) in operation, not to mention the massive airliners. The last thing someone in a such a sensitive workplace needs is the addition of extra pain points, or an avoidable failure.

Communication Within a Ground Crew

Communication is likely the most effective way for a work crew to improve the safety and efficiency of their operations. In addition to the general communication protocols between operators of GSE, the ground operations manager, and anyone else pertinent, specific training for communication during stressful events or emergencies is extremely important. Incorporating communication-enhancing technology can also make a big difference. That technology includes anything from noise-canceling headsets to fleet-linking telematics systems.

Communication with Other Crews and Flight Staff

Even among ground crews that feature excellent intra-squad communication, real problems can crop up if the same communication standards don’t apply outside the crew. Setting up open lines of communication with other airlines’ crews, if they haven’t been (well) established, should include clear protocols describing how to get in touch, and who with, for each crew. A miscommunication or oversight resulting in one crew’s aircraft tug blocking another’s path or access can result in delays, major inconveniences, and lots of money lost. The importance and effectiveness of inter-crew communication and cooperation certainly aren’t being overlooked in the industry. In fact, it’s practically illustrated by the increasingly popular trend of GSE pooling and similarly cooperative initiatives.

Technological Innovations Contributing to Safety and Efficiency

Technology can prove one of the most effective ways to promote safety and ensure efficiency. The earlier-mentioned telematics systems link up entire fleets, provide real-time data on their location, their use status, and even their maintenance status. Being familiar with the location and status of every piece of GSE in a fleet can prove invaluable. More specific innovations, a good example being the SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System from GSE manufacturer AERO Specialties, can make ground crew life far easier as well. The SiPsHitch™ system tracks and records the stress being applied to the nose gear of aircraft while being towed, warning operators of potential overstress in time to prevent damage. A mixture of solid technology and effective training can address a large number of pain points.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is among the most trusted, respected, reliable ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturers and distributors in the world. Employing leading-edge technological innovation and the most stringent manufacturing standards means their GSE can optimize the operations of any airport orFixed Base Operator (FBO). To better serve their customers, AERO Specialties ensures that every member of their staff, from the mechanics to the sales team and customer service, is entirely familiar with the GSE and its operation. In short, AERO Specialties has everything your aviation business needs, be it a high-performance aircraft ground power unit or their innovative SiPsHitch™ Linear Force Monitoring System.

Partner with AERO Specialties to take your aviation business to the stratosphere and beyond, at Aerospecialties.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2JSR5O3

Automation in any industry is bound to raise some controversy, particularly in one like aviation. The average airside is an environment in which baggage and lavatory-maintenance vehicles weaving around a multi-ton aircraft tug towing a nearly million-ton airliner is all par for the course. The prospect of those support vehicles carrying out the same functions with no one operating behind the wheel makes some people a bit nervous. To say nothing of the possibility that in the future the airliner being towed will then carry hundreds of passengers thousands of miles with (potentially) no one in the cockpit. So, how safe is the future of automated aviation, and what will it look like, on the ground and in the sky?

Automated Airliners

According to the consensus of most of the experts, fully automated airliners are a virtual inevitability. Few people outside of commercial aviation are aware of how close we are to it already. In many modern airliners, during the course of 14-hour flight, it’s not uncommon for the pilots to actually be flying the plane between three and six minutes—mostly takeoff and landing. And even those actions are becoming increasingly automated.

As much as autopilot has simplified so many pilots’ lives, that sort of automation can create issues. The more complex the computerized flight-augmentation technology becomes, the harder it can be for pilots to identify an issue if it pops up. There are also concerns that pilots becoming too reliant on automated technology means a decrease in the perishable skill of flying itself. That could prove catastrophic in the event of a situation in which sharp manual flying skill was required. It’s widely agreed that until automation technology that’s as fail-proof as it can possibly be has taken the wheel, trained humans skilled at flight are a must in the cockpit.

Automated GSE

Effectively automated ground support equipment (GSE) has both financial and safety implications. The airside work environments where ground crews operate are dangerous. Dozens of aircraft tugs, pushback tractors, and other GSE vehicles for towing, cleaning, and hauling baggage are sharing apron space with massive aircraft. And most all of it is fast-moving, high-stress, and involving high-dollar equipment. A tug or pushback operator who becomes distracted, misses something, or makes a mistake can both hurt themselves and other people, and very easily do hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to an airliner. Those stakes being high as they are has compelled the industry to invest in increasingly automated GSE.

It’s not just mitigating the risk of costly damage to aircraft and safety concerns that automation addresses. In addition to the equipment being expensive, time is precious for every airline. Delays can cost an airline thousands, even millions, while alienating passengers. An automated fleet of telematics-linked GSE doesn’t make communication mistakes, or become distracted, or end up accidentally blocking a lane. Automated GSE can be programmed for optimum efficiency, which burns the smallest amount of fuel necessary. It’s an advancement that would be worth billions, making it as inevitable as airline automation. Thankfully for the airside ground crews, even automated vehicles require maintenance, programming, scheduling, and reacting to unexpected situations. None of which computer systems can yet do on their own.

About AERO Specialties

AERO Specialties is among the most trusted, respected, reliable ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturers and distributors in the world. Employing leading-edge technological innovation and the most stringent manufacturing standards means their GSE can optimize the operations of any airport or Fixed Base Operator (FBO). Additionally, in order to better serve their customers, AERO Specialties ensures that every member of their staff, from the mechanics to the sales team and customer service, is entirely familiar with the GSE and its operation. In short, AERO Specialties has everything your aviation business needs, be it a high-performance aircraft tow tractor or aviation safety products from their huge selection.