AircraftOwner Online

Although they may be happy to have a job in the midst of a recession, American workers are increasingly unhappy with their jobs. A survey by the Conference Board research group found job satisfaction is at its lowest in 22 years. Only 45% of U.S. workers said they were satisfied with their jobs. This is not recession fallout; U.S. worker satisfaction has been decreasing steadily for the past two decades.

“It says something troubling about work in America,” admitted Linda Barrington, a Conference Board managing director. “It is not about the business cycle or one grumpy generation.”

Analysts are concerned that worker dissatisfaction is negatively impacting productivity and innovation, hindering America’s ability to compete (see our January 25 post). With the struggling airline industry unable to offer the salary increases, improved benefits or promotions traditionally used to reward workers, airlines and FBOs must pursue alternate motivational strategies.

Worker job satisfaction improves, experts say, when employers demonstrate that they care about and respect their employees.

• Keep your employees in the loop. Keeping workers informed reduces workplace anxiety, allowing greater job focus.
• Show employees you care. Utilizing ergonomically-designed aircraft tugs demonstrates concern for your employees’ health and safety while making their jobs less strenuous. Ergonomic aircraft tow equipment takes the pain and strain out of maneuvering aircraft around hangers, FBOs and airfields. Using ergonomic aircraft tugs to create a healthier, safer work environment improves worker morale and productivity.
• Share the load. Lindy’s aircraft tugs are so easy to use FBOs can implement customer self-service programs to decrease the strain on overworked staff. Because the ergonomic design of Lindy’s aircraft tugsallows workers of any shape and size to maneuver airplanes with ease, management and other staff can easily lend a hand. Nothing shows workers you care more than rolling up your sleeves and working in the trenches with them!

“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.

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.

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.

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.

Ergonomic design, like that used to craft Lindy's Aircraft tugs, takes into account the many shapes and sizes of the human form. In designing material handling products, trucks, airplanes, industrial equipment, office chairs, desk heights and nearly everything else, manufacturers used to position seats, steps, controls, platforms, steering wheels, etc. to&suit the "average man."

The problem is there is no such thing as "average." Men come in all shapes and sizes: tall or short, skinny or round, heavy-weights or bantams, muscled or not. Then, of course, designing for the "average man" completely ignores the physical needs of women, now 50% of the U.S. workforce. Researchers found that when workers had to stretch, strain and stoop to use equipment, injuries shot up and productivity plummeted. The need to correct these problems led to the development of ergonomics.

In an ideal world, equipment would be infinitely adjustable to accommodate any worker. However, as anyone with engineering or manufacturing experience knows, the ideal is rarely practical or cost effective. Ergonomics comes as close as possible by designing equipment that can be adjusted within reasonable ranges to accommodate a wide variety of workers.

How is this done? By takings hundreds, even thousands of measurements. There are firms that specialize in statistical measurement. Say a manufacturer wants to know how far from the seat to position a truck steering wheel. Technicians will measure the bodies of hundreds of working truckers. They break the body down into muscle groups and appendages and take dozens of measurements. Ergonomic engineers like those at Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. use these measurements to guide their designs. That's how Lindy's Aircraft Tugs can be used with equal ease by a skinny college kid, the grandma who mans your phones or your beefy operations manager.

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.

In our last post we talked about some of the new fees airlines are charging to stopgap losses. While we understand that imposing fees for extra or unusual services can be a good way to recoup losses without raising ticket prices, we wonder if a consumer backlash isn't developing that will hurt the airline industry. Perhaps instead of "nickel and diming passengers to death" (a sentiment expressed by the guy sitting next to me on a recent flight), airlines should consider a few less visible solutions.

Swapping out-dated ground handling equipment that is expensive to operate and maintain in favor of energy efficient, ergonomic aircraft tugs can offer airlines and FBOs significant savings and practical advantages without negatively impacting customer relations.

• Lindy's battery-powered aircraft tugs are more energy efficient and run greener and cleaner that old-fashioned energy-gobbling gas-powered tugs.
• Unlike noisy gas-powered tugs built on lawn mower engines, Lindy's battery- operated electric ;aircraft tractors run quietly, decreasing noise pollution.
• Streamlined Lindy's aircraft tows can be stored in any empty corner. They don't require the massive storage commitment of their behemoth-sized gas-powered counterparts.
• The ergonomic design of Lindy';s aircraft tows protects the health and safety of your workers, eliminating the risk of potentially debilitating musculoskeletal injuries from moving heavy aircraft.
• Ergonomics is proven to decrease workplace injury and its associated costs, significantly decreasing medical costs, insurance premiums, workers' compensation expenses, and expensive rehabilitation expenses.
• Ergonomic equipment like Lindy's ergonomic aircraft tractors decrease employee break times, absenteeism and eliminate lost work days due to muscle strain and injury. The bottom line is workers are happier and more productive.

Savvy airlines and FBOs are replacing old-fashioned, gas-powered aircraft tugs with Lindy's new, battery-powered, ergonomic aircraft tugs; shouldn't you be one of them? To find out more, visit the Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. website.

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.