Cameras On The Ramp — Not Just For Security

Most major airports have security cameras almost everywhere on the ramp. But I’m finding that may not be true at many GA airports – even those with a high traffic of expensive private jets and Part 135 operators. And security cameras are, of course, important not just for security. They serve a valuable safety and accountability purpose, and safety and accountability often go hand-in-hand. FBOs at GA airports will likely be responsible for damage to aircraft that occurs on their ramps. Without cameras, managers will never know exactly how the damage occurred – particularly when it happens at night or other sparsely populated times. Cameras, however, would help determine who is negligently operating equipment and allow managers to take appropriate disciplinary or remedial action. Just recently, an operator I consult with had wingtip damage to its aircraft at a tony airport up here in New England – most likely caused by GSE. My review shows that the operator properly marked the aircraft with bright orange cones at the wingtips, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the wingtips from being clipped. And damage to the wingtip, even slight damage, is very expensive to fix and necessitates substituting an aircraft during repairs and so on. Just two well-positioned cameras would have helped tell the story. But more importantly cameras could have helped prevent the damage. My experience is that employees who know they are being “watched” (especially if managers routinely and randomly review the videos) behave differently than those who know they are not. What’s your experience?