AircraftOwner Online

Ergonomic design is one of the features that sets Lindy's aircraft tugs above the competition. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the equipment to the person, not forcing the person to contort his body into uncomfortable positions to operate the equipment. Most equipment is built as one size fits all. But we all know that people come in all shapes and sizes: tall and short, fat and thin, muscle-bound and average Joe or Jill. Ergonomic design is the great equalizer. Ergonomics makes it possible for a 24-year-old, weightlifting stud and a feisty, 55-year-old grandmother to operate the same motor-powered aircraft tow with equal ease. Ergonomics takes physical size and ability out of the work equation.

Ergonomics was developed to minimize the overexertion and cumulative trauma that often occur during manual lifting, pushing, pulling and, stretching tasks, such as stacking heavy airplanes in a hangar or moving them onto the flight line. Particularly when such tasks must be performed repeatedly, damage to soft muscle tissues especially of the back and shoulders can occur. When the burden of maneuvering heavy airplanes is shifted from the operator to the material handling equipment, as it is in the ergonomic design of Lindy's aircraft tractor, inappropriate exertion is eliminated and the risk of musculoskeletal injury is significantly reduced.

With pilots getting older, that's something to consider. The average age of active pilots was 52 in 2000, and more than 63,000 pilots over the age of 60 hold current medical certificates, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association website. Some pilots are still going strong into their 90s! While age doesn't affect their ability to pilot a plane, it probably affects their ability to move one without injuring themselves. The ergonomic design of Lindy's aircraft tugs decreases the chance of that happening.