AircraftOwner Online

It’s not only major companies like Air Canada and Air France (who both reported losses last quarter), that are suffering, pretty much every company in the aviation industry is feeling the pinch. Airlines are having to up the costs of many amenities like: checked bags, in-flight drinks and blankets to try and make up for the lack of people taking to the air.

Smaller operations are also experiencing difficulties because of a lack of funding for the necessary personnel to perform the jobs that are crucial to flight preparation. Without the proper equipment to align the planes on the runway for take off or to store planes in the hanger upon arrival, the job becomes both exceedingly difficult and quite a bit more expensive to perform.

Outdated machines are cumbersome much more difficult to operate and use up gallon after gallon of costly fuel during operation. Running aircraft tugs that aren’t easy to operate or economical has a very large effect on a company’s budget and can quickly turn a profitable part of your business into a financial liability.

Aircraft tugs from Lindbergh are energy efficient, easy to use and run quietly enough for the operator to remain mindful of his or her surroundings while using them. Lindbergh tugs are also ergonomically correct, making them some of the safest tugs for your employees to use.

One of the best ways to bring down costs in the aviation industry is to useequipment that is efficient, reliable and safe for anyone on your staff to use. You’ll know longer waste man hours by having several members of your staff occupied by the work that could be handled by one with the proper tool for the job. Lindbergh tugs can handle aircraft up to 35,000 lbs quickly and easily at a cost of much less to operate than older gas powered tugs.

“Will they work with my wheel pants?” That’s one of the most asked questions we get when talking to customers about innovative Lindy’s aircraft tugs. And the answer is, YES. All three Lindy’s airplane tug models will work on planes both with and without wheel pants. All of our aircraft tugs also work equally well on planes with tricycle or tail-dragger design. Lindy’s aircraft tugs are the most versatile airplane tug on the market.

In designing Lindy’s aircraft tugs, our goal was to create a versatile airplane tug capable of handling any plane in each tug’s weight class. We recognized the need for a useful product that could adapt instantly to the wide variety of airplane configurations on the market. We strove to design and manufacture a superioraircraft tug that by virtue of its versatility would eliminate the need for multiple types of tug equipment. By creating a one-tug-does-it-all product, we help FBOs, ground service facilities, small air fields and corporate and private plane owners save money on equipment investment, maintenance and operation.

While the considerable cost savings Lindy’s aircraft tugs provide draws customers, it’s the less obvious benefits of our innovative airplane tug design that keeps them coming back. A subsidiary of DJ Products, a world leader in the design and manufacture of ergonomically designed industrial and commercial carts and tugs,Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. was able to capitalize on the long history and experience of our parent company in creating ergonomic aircraft tug products. 

We applied the same principles of ergonomic design that have made DJ Products a material handling world leader to the design of Lindy’s aircraft tugs. The result is an aircraft tug product line that protects worker health and safety, can be used with equal ease by workers of any physical size and strength, offers superior maneuverability and compact storage. Visit our website to find our more about innovative Lindy’s aircraft tugs.

I’m too young to remember 10 cent Cokes, but I can remember when the guy at the filling station used to pump your gas and clean your windshield, no extra charge. Today, it’s self-service pumps and debit card swipes. I remember when stock boys bagged your groceries and carried them to the car for you. Now, you not only carry your own bags, you scan and bag the groceries yourself. I even remember when dinner out meant linen table cloths and table service. Well, you can still get that today, but it’ll cost you! You’re more likely to order at the window and eat in the car. Not that I’m complaining. Self-service is fast, efficient and cuts the cost of doing business.

For FOB operators, a certain amount of self-service is essential. Particularly now with the recession forcing operators to cut staff to keep things running, you have to rely on your customers to do more for themselves. The problem comes when over-confident customers try to do a little too much instead of calling for help. Like the harried, overweight businessman who flies in and tries to cart his plane out of the way. He’s a pulled back or heart attack waiting to happen. Smart FOB operators solve the problem by keeping a couple of Lindy’s AircraftCaddys on hand.

Lindy’s aircraft tugs come in three sizes. Click the links to watch them in action:

• Lindy’s aircraft tow tractor handles planes up to 4K.
• Lindy’s aircraft tug can maneuver airplanes up to 15K.
• Lindy’s aircraft tow hauls aircraft up to 35K with or without wheel pants.

Ergonomically designed for safe use by anyone — big or small, male or female, in shape or out — Lindy’s aircraft tows maneuver airplanes through crowded hangers and busy air fields with ease — and without muscle strain.

It can be a real strain to get a heavy airplane up the incline that seems to lead into most hangers and over that annoying lip right where the hanger meets the apron or ground. The laws of physics tell us that it takes more force to push a heavy object uphill, but for some reason the amount of muscle effort required to maneuver a heavy aircraft over that tiny elevated bump at the edge of the hanger seems worthy of Hercules or the Hulk. In that 1/2 inch to an inch of pavement differential lies tremendous potential risk for injury.

Anyone who has used resistance training to build up his abs knows that muscles strain harder against resistance. When the airplane wheel bumps up against that lip at the edge of the hanger, it creates resistance. Generally, when pushing or pulling a heavy object, the greatest effort is required to overcome inertia and put that object in motion. However, the resistance created when a wheel impacts an obstacle requires similar excess effort to overcome the resistance to forward movement created by the obstacle. The body's muscles are forced to work harder which can result in painful muscle strain. The risk increases as FBO workers perform this operation again and again, day after day.

The same type of problem can occur at small grass and dirt airstrips where airplanes must be manually maneuvered across bumpy fields. Each step across the field can require unanticipated fluctuations in muscle exertion as you push and pull airplanes over small bumps caused by weather or frost upheaval.

Lindy's AircraftCaddys are ergonomically designed to eliminate muscle strain caused by pushing or pulling heavy aircraft over uneven surfaces, up inclines and over annoying bumps at hanger entrances. Lindy's aircraft tractors andaircraft tugs allow you to maneuver airplanes up to 35,000 pounds with ease. Visit the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. website for more info.

Lindy's ergonomically-designed, walk-behind ;aircraft tugs are a safe alternative to gas-powered lawn-mower drive aircraft movers. As noted in our August 14 post, on a recent trip to Alaska, tugs were much in evidence at Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport. The world's third busiest shipping hub (after Atlanta and Hong Kong), Anchorage buzzed with tugs in constant motion towing small and mid-sized planes around the tarmac, to and from hangers, and into position on runways. Tugs competed with other planes, ground crews and equipment, and waiting passengers for space. The volume of people and equipment sharing the same small space seemed a recipe for disaster. It was the perfect application for Lindy's aircraft tugs; here's why:

• Lindy's aircraft tugs are compactly designed for quick and easy maneuverability in tight spaces. Stacking is faster and easier with Lindy's tugs than with conventional, bulky rider tugs.
• Lindy's battery-operated aircraft tugs are designed for quiet operation, diminishing hanger/tarmac noise, ensuring that operators have full use of all senses, including hearing, for maximum safety.
• Lindy's aircraft tugs are ergonomically designed to be operated by a single individual without stress or strain, protecting the health and safety of employees and allowing maximum use of personnel. One-man design makes them a perfect solution for individual owners, corporations and small FBOs.
• Lindy's walk-behind tugs are less costly than rider tugs, making them affordable for use as hanger equipment or secondary tugs when rider tugs are in use. Affordability and one-person handling makes Lindy's tugs the perfect solution for individual owners, corporations, private airstrips and smaller FBOs.
• Lindy's aircraft tugs place the nose wheel of the aircraft over the center point of the tug's drive wheels, creating better traction in Alaska's difficult weather conditions.

For more information on Lindy's Aircraft Tugs, visit our website.