Sunday, September 22, 2013

The Humble Aircraft Ladder Is So Important

The Humble Aircraft Ladder Is So Important

By Mia Kent


Anyone who has been to an airport will know just how busy it can be. There seems to be a constant stream of aeroplanes coming and going. Not many people give much thought to what is needed to help keep a successful airport running. If they were to do so many would say things like a good runway, or radar, but probably no one would even think to mention an aircraft ladder.

No matter how big or small the airport this item of ground equipment can be found at them all. They can be called upon to satisfy a multitude of tasks, and consequently they are highly adaptable. Due to the limited number of people who work on or around the flight line there are several considerations which need addressing with regards to the ground equipment. The prime one being portability, ideally a single person should be able to move it by themselves.

Take refueling operations for an example. As has already been pointed out there are always aeroplanes coming and going, and they can be of different makes and models. This means that their refueling point can be in a variety of places, and also at a range of heights. To cope with this the ground crews have to be able to reach these different access points.

Another thing which is always high on a manufacturer's specifications is that of safety. Consider the material which this piece has been constructed from, it is aluminium. The flight line crews can move this item around quite easily, without risk of injury as it is lightweight. Even though it is lightweight in nature the whole item needs to be able to withstand the rigors of daily usage.

A charged refueling hose can be a heavy item, so the last thing that a member of the ground crew needs is for a piece of equipment to collapse as they are using it. Most of these pieces of equipment have a safe working limit of 300 pounds. The steps often have reinforcing gussets or straps fitted to provide additional strength and stability, again these are made from the same lightweight aluminium.

The width of the treads has also been gauged so that they comfortably provide a safe footing. Were you to look at one of these treads you would notice a perforated pattern, this serves a dual purpose. Initially it assists with keeping the overall weight as low as possible. During bad weather conditions it also ensures that the safe footing is still maintained.

Robust wheels are also provided which makes moving this item a simple operation for just one person. These items can come in a variety of heights, and no matter which height is used they all provide a stable platform from which to work from. Should they accidentally be knocked over by a baggage truck for example, due to the construction material there is no possibility of a spark.

When you consider just how much thought is behind an aircraft ladder it does make you wonder how the rest of the equipment has fared. Just consider that the vast majority of ground equipment used on the flight line is used everyday. This also includes other forms of aeroplane servicing platforms and access steps.




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