[Aditya]

Airport Ground Support Vehicles

For most of us, particularly in tier 1 cities, air travel means getting into a cab or private car, get to an airport and walk straight into a waiting aeroplane. However, there are many vehicles at the airports that are essential for the smooth functioning of services which mostly go unnoticed. These are called ground support vehicles.

Here’s a look at some ground support vehicles that we get to see at most airports.

Refuelers:
Refuelers are tankers that carry aviation fuel to the aircraft. The fuel is pumped into the aircraft using a pump and a system of hoses and filters. Alternately, a refueler can be a hydrant truck which will connect to a pipeline network and pump fuel into the aircraft.







Images: Globe Hi-Fabs, Airport Suppliers, Titan Aviation

Airport Buses:
Airport buses (also known as apron buses) are used to move people from the terminals to the aircraft and the other way around. These look like regular city buses but have pneumatic doors, a low floor with easy access for wheelchair bound passengers and fewer seats. Some advanced buses have a pneumatic “kneeling” system which tilts the vehicle to the passenger side so that passengers can get in and out more easily.







These days, most tier 1 cities and many tier 2 cities have airports equipped with jet bridges (aerobridges), which has reduced the use of airport buses to a great extent.

Images: Aviation Pros, The Hindu, Cobus

Stair trucks:
A stair truck consists of a flight of steps mounted on the back of a truck. Most of these are adjustable for height to cater to various aircrafts. Some are open, while others come with canopies, supplementary lighting, and carpets.







Like buses, jet bridges have reduced the use of stair trucks at larger airports.

Images: Rosenbauer, Aviation Pros

Catering trucks:
Catering trucks bring packaged food to the aircraft for the passengers and crew to consume during a flight. These are fitted with a temperature-controlled, high-lift platform that can be raised to the level of the aircraft cabin using electro-hydraulic jacks. Trolleys containing food and beverages are then rolled into the cabin. Trolleys from the earlier flight are rolled out from the aircraft into the trucks.





Images: Mallaghan, Aero Expo

Baggage tractor-trailers:
Passengers’ baggage that has been checked in is moved between the terminal and the aircraft using a baggage tractor-trailer system. You will often come across a tractor pulling a train of compartments with baggage in them.





Images: Dreams Time, Abeeway

Belt loaders:
These are trucks with conveyor belts mounted on them. They are designed to load or unload baggage onto an aircraft. These are used for stowing baggage without containers. The ramp is positioned underneath the aircraft and then raised to the level of the aircraft’s cargo hold.







Images: Aviation Pros, Medium

Container transporters and loaders:
Luggage and cargo placed in containers and pallets is moved between the terminal and the aircraft using container transporters. A container loader has two independently moving platforms which help it raise standard-sized pallets to the level of the cabin. After this, the cargo is rolled into the aircraft with the help of built-in sets of wheels.







Images: Airport Suppliers, Sinfonia, Munich Airport

Pushback tractors / tugs:
These are low–slung vehicles with large engines and wheels. They operate right under the nose of an aeroplane. A tow bar is attached between the tug and the front wheel of the aircraft, which enables the tug to push the aircraft back from the boarding gate. Some tugs even lift the nose of the aircraft. Such vehicles are also used to pull the aircraft from one place of the aerodrome to another.





Images: Aero Expo

Water trucks:
These trucks are responsible for carrying a supply of potable water to the aircraft before a flight. The water is moved from the truck to the aircraft using a pump.





Images: Aero Expo, Scandasia

Lavatory-service vehicles:
Most aeroplanes have lavatories. They are fitted with waste tanks that store wastewater from the lavatories. A lavatory service vehicle empties these tanks, and refills the lavatory tanks with a mix of water and disinfecting chemicals.







Fire Tender:
These vehicles are designed for use at aerodromes and airports during aircraft accidents. They can accelerate fast compared to other fire tenders and are able to negotiate rough terrain outside the runway and airport area. They can carry large capacities of water and foam and are fitted with powerful high-capacity pumps and water / foam cannons.



In order to avoid wasting time, the dash to the crash spot must not only be as fast, but also as short as possible during which obstacles like fences and hedges are driven over. A Crash Fire Tender should also be able to cross difficult grounds at a very high speed.



Images: Brijbasi, UMC

Information: The Points Guy and others

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line!

[libranof1987]

Then there's the De-Icing Trucks. Anyone who's flown through countries that experience snow in the winter will attest to the agonizing wait for departure while these trucks perform the very crucial task of getting the ice off aircrafts.



https://www.aeroexpo.online/prod/jbt...757-38186.html

On the ground, when there are freezing conditions and precipitation, de-icing an aircraft is commonly practiced. Frozen contaminants interfere with the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle. Furthermore, dislodged ice can damage the engines.

De-icing fluids typically consist of a glycol-water solution containing a dye and agents to protect the metal surface. A range of glycols are employed. Thickeners are also used to help the deicing agent adhere to the airplane body.[2]:43 Ethylene glycol (EG) fluids are still in use for aircraft de-icing in some parts of the world because it has a lower operational use temperature (LOUT) than propylene glycol (PG).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-icing

[vigsom]

I'll add the countless Dzires, Etios, Scorpios, Eecos and other ground support vehicles of airlines too to this list.

Now, here's one rather different looking tarmac bus built by Veera. I've ridden in this during transits in Bengaluru. This bus is spectrawide like Cobus, has multiple doors, and can take half the passengers of an A320.



https://www.aviationpros.com/gse/pas...ltd-tarmac-bus

[V.Narayan]

Thank you for this unique thread. :-) Those humble utility work horses that keep ém big birds flying.

I'll add two more to this comprehensive list.

Follow me cars.

The “follow me” car’s role could be compared to that of maritime pilot at ports: showing the way around the airport to newly-arrived aircraft. Most are painted in bright, colourful designs to make it easier for pilots to see them, yet, none is as eye-catching as the Lamborghini Huracan on duty at Bologna airport, Italy (BLQ), courtesy of the car manufacturer, based nearby. Driver vacancies open.


Snow Clearing machines and snow blowers

Not so common in India outside maybe two civil airports but quite common in Northern latitudes. Snow ploughs to first clear lanes on the tarmac & runway. Followed by snow blowers that scoop up the snow moved aside and blows it away 15 to 25 metres. If the ploughed out snow was allowed to sit on the side of the runway it can become a hazard for aircraft landing and taking-off .

The Finns show us how to....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yas5NdrmixU

[Jeroen]

Very nice thread, thanks for sharing.

In addition to what you already wrote about the towbar less tugs;
See this little video for how it works. You can see it gripping the nose wheel and lifting it of the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR97Vj4iBJg

The advantage of these tugs are various. When working with towbars, you actually need to have multiple towbars as not all planes use the same. Towbars always require a crew of two, whereas this towbar less tug only needs one. (Although you will find on many airports a second guy)

Manoeuvring a plane without the towbar is quicker and more precise too.

But in general these tugs are considered safer and more efficient. Airports might actually have restrictions on when and where aircrafts can be moved by towbar. The preference these days, especially at bigger, busier airports is to go towbar less.

Jeroen

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Very nice thread, thanks for sharing.

In addition to what you already wrote about the towbar less tugs;
See this little video for how it works. You can see it gripping the nose wheel and lifting it of the ground.

Thank you for that video. These towbarless tugs are such marvels of mechanical engineering. That little machine is really like a crane with several tonnes of hydraulic lifting power and 575 tonnes of pulling power for the bigger ones. A B747-400 weighs in at 400 tonnes. Of course all of that is not on the nose wheel but still it gives an idea of scale. And of course the design has to ensure the tug doesn't tip backwards under the weight or pull!!! I love that smell of the airport tarmac a mix of aviation fuel and grease and grime and fresh windy air.

[Raghu M]

The tugs are used to help a plan move backwards as I believe airplanes do not have a reverse gear. Also, I have seen huge no. of tractors in the Indian airports. Never thought a tractor could be of much use outside a farmland but Indian jugaad takes the humble tractor to a new level.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

The tugs are used to help a plan move backwards as I believe airplanes do not have a reverse gear.

Planes don't have forward/reverse gears; they move forward because of the thrust that the engines generate. The can use reverse thrust but it brings with it challenges/risks of its own.

More than lack of an explicit capability to move backward, the reason tugs are used, not just to get out of the parking bay / taxi but in trial projects to shepherd the plane all the way to lining up on the runway, is to save on ATF.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and its partners are set to start a trial of sustainable aircraft taxiing.

Under this trial, a special tow vehicle called ‘taxibot’ will be used to bring the aircraft to the runway. With this, the aircraft engine will be turned off.
---
The vehicle features a hybrid combination of electric and diesel engines, enabling it to use 95% less fuel compared to the fuel used by aircraft engines in the taxiing phase.

With this trial, Schiphol aims to achieve total fuel consumption savings of 50% to 85% during taxiing as the engines have to warm-up before take-off.

https://www.airport-technology.com/n...nable-taxiing/

[arijitkanrar]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

The tugs are used to help a plan move backwards as I believe airplanes do not have a reverse gear.

Airplanes dont have any powered wheels. The wheels rotate freely. They only have brakes to slow down.
The only power to move comes from the engines. Normally that is for forward propulsion only but some aircraft can use their thrust-reversers to move backwards. But usually this is not standard practice.

Two entities (WheelTug and EGTS) were working on electric systems to enable taxiing without engines. These power the wheels directly to enable an aircraft to pushback and taxi without using its engines. But not sure whether they have moved beyond working prototypes stage.

[Abhineet Singh]

Surface Friction Tester pictures clicked at the Mumbai airport.

ASFT develops and provides IT systems for surveying surface and weather conditions. Products include computerised technology for monitoring factors such as friction, freezing points, early ice warning-systems, precipitation, ground frost, ice deposit growth and camera-surveillance systems.

A smaller third wheel is attached to the rear axle by a transmission arm attached via a belt. The vertical force is controlled by a gas spring and has a guaranteed constant vertical pressure of 140k, and can be raised and lowered by a linear actuator.

Friction against the runway surface, in combination with the vertical load on the measuring wheel, creates forces on the measuring wheel mechanism that are constantly measured by the electronic sensor system. Signals from the sensor system are then processed in the SFTTs computer system.

By processing these signals, the computer continuously calculates the friction coefficient, the friction number and the relation between the horizontal and vertical forces acting on the measuring wheel.

More details at
1. https://www.airport-technology.com/c...an/asft-swiss/ and
2. https://www.airport-suppliers.com/su...ems-ab-sarsys/

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Airport Ground Support Vehicles

Fire Tender:
These vehicles are designed for use at aerodromes and airports during aircraft accidents. They can accelerate fast compared to other fire tenders and are able to negotiate rough terrain outside the runway and airport area. They can carry large capacities of water and foam and are fitted with powerful high-capacity pumps and water / foam cannons.

In order to avoid wasting time, the dash to the crash spot must not only be as fast, but also as short as possible during which obstacles like fences and hedges are driven over. A Crash Fire Tender should also be able to cross difficult grounds at a very high speed.

DIAL (IGIA) suffered a total loss with one of their (then) brand new Rosenbauer Panther fire tenders in May 2009. 2 ARFF members died, 3 were injured.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ow/4598621.cms
https://indianexpress.com/article/ci...oes-off-track/

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by arijitkanrar

Airplanes dont have any powered wheels. The wheels rotate freely. They only have brakes to slow down.
The only power to move comes from the engines. Normally that is for forward propulsion only but some aircraft can use their thrust-reversers to move backwards. But usually this is not standard practice.

Correct. Jet Planes use reverse thrust upon landing to reduce brake wear (primarily). They will stow the reversers when slowing down passing 60-80 knots. The main reason being at lower speeds the reverse thrust go throw up a lot of dust and debris and there is a real danger of FOD (foreign object Damage) to plane and engines. So you can imagine how much of a storm you create trying to reverse a plane from standstill!

Prop jet can do reverse thrust too but adjusting the pitch of the propellors. Less a violent affair and there are quite a few airports around the wold where you can see the typical commuter prop jets reversing out of the gate under own power.

I took this little video a few years back at Arlanda airport (Sweden)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pyWMv2pWiM

Originally Posted by arijitkanrar

Two entities (WheelTug and EGTS) were working on electric systems to enable taxiing without engines. These power the wheels directly to enable an aircraft to pushback and taxi without using its engines. But not sure whether they have moved beyond working prototypes stage.

I recall this being discussed before. Not sure if there was a dedicated thread for it. But I do recall that at the time it was being put to use in either Delhi or Mumbai airport?

Jeroen

[arijitkanrar]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Prop jet can do reverse thrust too but adjusting the pitch of the propellors. Less a violent affair and there are quite a few airports around the wold where you can see the typical commuter prop jets reversing out of the gate under own power.

I took this little video a few years back at Arlanda airport (Sweden)

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=8pyWMv2pWiM

This is very interesting to watch! Is this standard practice? The ATR-72 is very common in India but not sure if this is done here.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I recall this being discussed before. Not sure if there was a dedicated thread for it. But I do recall that at the time it was being put to use in either Delhi or Mumbai airport?

Jeroen

I think you mean TaxiBot. This was tried at Delhi Airport.
There was a discussion here on this thread.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/comme...rld-do-so.html (Air India uses 'TaxiBot' for A320 aircraft, becoming first airline in the world to do so!)

But this is different from WheelTug or EGTS.
TaxiBot is basically a remote controlled tug. In-fact I think it senses the pilot inputs on the nose wheels and maneuvers accordingly.

WheelTug (by Boeing) and EGTS (by Honeywell and Safran) use electric motors mounted on the main landing gear to power the wheels. This would allow the aircraft to reverse out/taxi out under its own power without using engines. Honeywell pulled out of the EGTS project. Not sure where it stands with Safran now. Dont know much about the current status of WheelTug as well.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by arijitkanrar

But this is different from WheelTug or EGTS.
TaxiBot is basically a remote controlled tug. In-fact I think it senses the pilot inputs on the nose wheels and maneuvers accordingly.
.

Yes, correct well spotted. We have discussed this somewhere as well I believe. I don’t think it ever became a succes. It is just seems to heavy to bring any advantages.

Jeroen