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Outdated machines are cumbersome much more difficult to operate and use up gallon after gallon of costly fuel during operation.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.

There are plenty of issues we face everyday in the airline industry, this weekend gave of a perfect example of constraints put on our jobs that are completely out of our control. The East Coast (particularly the Mid-Atlantic region) was pounded with an outrageous storm that dropped anywhere from six up to more than twenty four inches of snow in certain locations. Areas around Washington DC, Philadelphia and the entire State of Delaware where punished particularly hard, making conditions completely impossible to fly in – thousands and thousands of flights in the Mid-Atlantic region were cancelled, leaving travelers stranded and unable to get to their intended destinations.

Mother Nature is responsible for many of the things that make this line of work particularly difficult; snow, rain, ice and clouds can make both the actual flying and all of the prep work to get the planes up into the air dangerous or impossible tasks. This is, unfortunately something that is out of our control, but it doesn’t mean that every facet of our jobs has to be difficult.

Using the proper equipment to get your planes in position on the runway or properly placed in tight hangers once the flight is done makes that part of the job much easier. Using ergonomically correct and reliable airplane tugs reduces both the stress on the body and the mind and makes your crew much happier and more efficient. Once runways have been cleaned and the skies have been cleared for flight you want to ensure that the rest of the process, that part that you and your crew control goes as smoothly and easily as possible and the best possible way to do so is to use the best equipment for the job. We at Lindbergh offer the most versatile, reliable and easy to use equipment for moving aircraft of up to 35,000 lbs. You may not be able to control Mother Nature, but if you’ve got a tug from Lindbergh you’ll have no trouble controlling your plane when it’s time to fly.

Television reality shows have chronicled the lives of 20-somethings trying to carve a dream out of the big city. They’ve provided a window into the daily, if sometimes bizare lives of everyone from mega-stars like Ozzy Osbourne to star wanna-bes like Kim Kardashian. Reality shows have made stars of tough bounty hunters, custom bike builders, people with scads of kids, bachelors looking for love and Atlanta housewives. Particularly when the series revolves around people who do a unique job like Ice Road  Truckers or Ax Men, the shows can be as informative as they are entertaining. But let’s face it; we really watch to see these folks implode under the spotlight of created fame. It’s one of life’s guilty pleasures.

Well, buckle up! It’s finally our turn.  The aviation industry is about to get its own “tell all” reality show. Fly Girls is scheduled to debut soon on CW. The reality series will follow the lives of five flight attendants working for Virgin America airlines. Virgin exec Richard Branson may even cadge a recurring guest star role.

Expect considerable melodrama as the Fly Girls — naturally, all young, beautiful 20-year-olds full of hopes and ambitions — hop in and out of their Los Angeles “crash pad” in between flights. The network promises plenty of jet-set dating and partying to keep viewers tuned in. Expect the usual gossip, infighting and cattiness that seem to be a reality show staple. Let’s hope there’s also at least a nod to the realities of life in the aviation industry.

Might be fun to create a scenario where the gals get a taste of the other arms of the industry: reservations, baggage handling and maintenance. With our Lindy motorized aircraft tugs, the Fly Girls could still wear their heels while maneuvering planes!

The future is now and you can see it in Lindy’s aircraft tugs. To remain competitive going into the future, experts predict that the aviation industry and its attendant ground support operations will have to work harder, smarter and leaner. Marketed for FBO, corporate or individual ground operations, Lindy’s versatile aircraft tugs and tow tractors are designed to be the only aircraft tug you’ll ever need.

The ergonomic design of Lindy’s powered aircraft tugs allows a single operator to easily and safely maneuver airplanes up to 4K, 15K, even 35K. Ergonomics is the science of engineering equipment to fit the physical attributes and abilities of the worker. Ergonomics reduces worker discomfort and fatigue and prevents repetitive strain injuries that can lead to long-term disability. Lindy’s ergonomically-designed, battery-operated aircraft tugs allow workers of any size, age or sex to easily maneuver aircraft in and out of crowded hangers and around service areas. Because Lindy’s versatile aircraft tugs are safe and easy enough to be operated by any worker, FBO and ground service/support managers can exercise maximum flexibility in assigning staff. More effective staff utilization helps managers cut costs.

Lindy’s aircraft tugs feature an easy-on cradle that accommodates both tricycle drive and tail dragger aircraft with ease. A lever handle and cable system designed into our airport tows locks and releases the easy-on cradle for safe loading and unloading of the aircraft. When loaded, the cradle functions as a 5th wheel, allowing tugs to pivot a full 180 degrees underneath the wheel of the aircraft without engaging the plane’s wheel or steering mechanism. All of Lindy’s aircraft tow tractors are capable of handling airplanes with and without wheel pants. Versatile design makes Lindy’s aircraft tugs the only tug you’ll need to handle any airplane in your fleet.

For more information about Lindy’s aircraft tugs, visit our website.

Hope is on the horizon. The airline industry is starting to climb out of the recession, but it could be years before business travel returns to its pre-recession level, if it ever does. Pre-recession, business travel was the most important growth segment for passenger airlines. Unfortunately, the recession forced frequent corporate travelers to adopt less expensive telecommunication strategies. While a mild increase in business travel is anticipated as the recession eases, few analysts expect a return to "the glory days."

The decline of business travel is just one of many pressures forcing change in the airline industry. FBO managers report a decline in customer loyalty directly related to the recession. Cash-strapped aircraft operators shop around for FBOs willing to offer a better price. As reported in our October 19 post, some airlines are taking their maintenance and repair business to foreign FBOs to take advantage of cheap labor.

To survive FBOs will need to provide more services at a better value - do more with less. It's the same problem most U.S. businesses are struggling with these days. Lindy's versatile, ergonomically-designed aircraft tugs allow FBOs to maximize their use of employees while minimizing the number of employees needed to keep operations running smoothly.

Some interesting and creative solutions to improving airline industry revenues are popping up. In Columbus, Ohio, Port Columbus officials recently entered into a five-year pact with 10 airlines guaranteeing them a share of airport revenues in exchange for maintaining and improving services for Columbus travelers and shippers. The Columbus Regional Airport Authority agreed to hold down costs on rent, landing fees and other airline charges. Cooperative partnerships like this could be the wave of the future.

When new federal aviation cargo screening rules go into effect next August, the resulting chaos could ground thousands of tons of cargo (see our Dec. 2 post). Both the feds and the aviation industry are worried that there won't be enough trained screeners or certified screening facilities to handle the job. An expansion of the current law that requires the individual screening of passenger suitcases, the new regulations will exact the same screening standards for each and every parcel shipped on cargo or passenger airplanes. With 500,000 boxes flying the friendly U.S. skies each and every day, the potential for chaos is obvious.

Unless some smart Congressman gets on the ball soon, the new regs will mean that goods now typically shipped in huge lots on shrink-wrapped pallets will have to be broken down into individual packages for screening, then reassembled. Fortunately, the law allows certified facilities to scan cargo packages offsite, as long as secure delivery can be provided to the airplane. But pallets will still have to be broken down for individual scanning and goods transported to and from the scanner. Sounds like a lot of tedious, back-breaking work - unless you employergonomically-designed tugs like DJ Products CartCaddys.

Made by Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co.'s parent company ;DJ Products, CartCaddys move cargo boxes the same way Lindy's Aircraft Tugs move airplanes - quickly and easily. Compact design and a unique 180-degree pivoting capability allow powered CartCaddys to maneuver in tight spaces. Ergonomic design means that like Lindy's aircraft tractors, DJ Products' electric carts and tugs take the burden off workers. With screeners handling thousands of packages a day, protecting their health and safety from potentially disabling musculoskeletal injury will be a major concern.

If you feel a logistical nightmare coming on, you've probably read about the new federal aviation cargo screening rules scheduled to go into effect in August 3, 2010. In just 8 short months all freight shipped aboard commercial airlines will have to be screened for bombs just like suitcases are screened now. Federal and aviation industry officials are becoming more than a little concerned that a lack of screeners will ground thousands of tons of cargo.

Sending an airplane into the sky is an expensive proposition. It's common practice to stuff airplane cargo holds as full as possible to maximize cost efficiency. There's no profit in flying empty space! As many as half a million boxes or 10 million pounds of cargo are shipped on U.S. passenger planes every day - almost none of it scrutinized by security. And therein lies the problem - and the risk.

Shipping cargo is an important revenue source for airlines, FOB operations and the entire network of companies that provide support services to the airline industry. Requiring that every item of cargo placed in an airplane be inspected by an as yet non-existent security force has the potential to be a huge problem. In cities across the country, shippers are currently meeting with federal transportation authorities to review certification requirements in the hopes of creating, training and implementing a security force, procedures and facilities before the August deadline.

The issue presenting the biggest problem is that federal law requires that each item be individually screened by a human, x-ray machine, explosive-detecting equipment or trained dogs. The law is an obvious mismatch for current shipping practices which prepackages freight on pallets. At least the law doesn't require cargo items to be screened at the airport as luggage is. The TSA is permitted to certify private firms to screen cargo at any point in the shipping process as long as secure delivery is provided to airlines.

Next time: CartCaddys to the rescue!

Last week's frightening failure to the FAA's National Airspace Data Interchange Network pointed highlighted just one more glaring problem faced by the beleaguered airline industry. Cascading flight delays annoyed and already irritated public fed up with perpetual delays, equipment failures, burgeoning ticket surcharges and the newest brouhaha over expiring frequent flyer miles. Man, airlines just can’t seem to catch a break these days.

Initially, the FAA communication failure that prevented automatic flight plan filing provoked fears of terrorist cyber attack. The real problem - the FAA's aging information technology system - should be no less frightening. The problem may not have captured the blogosphere like consumer complaints over the cancellation of frequent flyer miles, but its potential to disrupt the lives of frequent or even casual travelers is far greater.

Transportation experts have been warning for years that America has failed to keep up with her now aging transportation systems, whether it's highway pavements and traffic patterns or airline communication technology. Infrastructure issues have taken a back seat for too long on Congress and the White House's list of priorities. That lack of attention is catching up to us now.

Unfortunately, realization of the severity of the problem comes at a time when the country is beset by so many even more catastrophic problems that degrading airline technology systems barely have the opportunity to register on the national conscience. The danger is that the next FAA computer glitch might not be so tame. Instead of merely annoying passengers and ground crews with schedule delays, the next FAA computer failure could affect planes in the air, putting passengers and flight crews at serious risk.

In the November 23 issue of Time magazine, there was an interesting article by writer Lori Ioannou about a new aircraft company that has found a unique path out of the recession. According to the article, pilot and former high-tech exec Paul Schaller had spent the last five years launching his dream, manufacturing turboprops. Located in Sandpoint, Idaho, Schaller's Quest Aircraft Co. was just starting to take hold when the recession knocked the props out from under the fledgling firm. Refusing to give up, Schaller has found redemption in exploiting an unusual niche market - turboprops for missionary and humanitarian organizations that routinely fly into remote and dangerous areas.

With annual revenues of $300 million, humanitarian flight is a growing market ripe for innovation. The last real innovative effort in the field was de Haviland Canada's introduction of the Turbo-Beaver bush plane in the early 1960s. Certified by the FAA, Quest's rugged 10-seat Kodiak hauler is catching the attention of customers. Revenue is steady and Quest now employs 300 people in Sandpoint.

Naturally, as with any new enterprise, Schaller encountered his share of downdrafts on the way to success. "It's taken more than a wing and a lot of prayer to get to this point," he told Time. But get there he did. It’s an uplifting story, a bright spot in the otherwise gloomy cloud that shadows U.S. manufacturing. It's a story that points to the value of creative thinking to find new avenues for the products you sell. With the exceptional ability of Lindy’s Aircraft Tugs to navigate a wide variety of terrains, our aircraft tugs and tractors would be naturals at the rugged airstrips Schaller's clients are forced to fly in and out of. A Lindy aircraft tug at the end of the line could certainly make moving the aircraft a simple task for overworked missionaries. Just a thought.

Under pressure to cut carbon emissions and beef up fuel economy, the FAA and airline industry are examining a number of interesting proposals geared at making the industry more eco-friendly. While airline transportation currently accounts for only 2% of worldwide carbon emissions, "we are a very visible 2%," Paul Steele, director of environmental initiatives for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told Time magazine (Oct. 19, 2009). Air transport associated carbon emissions are also expected to rise in the near future as air traffic increases in developing countries.

Here are some of the new ideas on the drawing boards:

• Jet biofuels made from algae and coconuts will cut carbon emissions. Test flights by Air New Zealand and Virgin Atlantic have been successful. Commercial availability is expected in 2010.
• Digitizing air traffic control will increase fuel efficiency. The FAA proposes to replace its current radar-based control system with a satellite/GPS system. Voice communication with control towers would be replaced by real time computer cockpit updates. Instead of relying on verbal control tower updates, pilots would be able to "see" and track air traffic around them.
• A satellite traffic control system could enable more direct flight paths, shaving minutes - and fuel and carbon emissions - from flight schedules.
• Using a continuous descent approach instead of the current stepped runway approach could cut fuel waste by allowing pilots to decrease thrust just once from as far as 40 miles out and "coast" in on a gentle descent path. UPS experiments have saved the freight carrier 250 to 465 pounds of fuel per flight.
• As a bonus to passengers, the FAA believes NextGen computerization could reduce flight delays by as much as 40%, saving another billion gallons of fuel.

On the ground, using Lindy ergonomically-designed, battery-operated aircraft tugs reduces carbon emissions while created a healthier, safer environmentfor airline workers and passengers.