Blog Archives
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Fuel Contamination Concerns Grow
- Tuesday September 27, 2011Adding to worries over food and drug contamination, now there are reports of an emerging concern over aviation fuel contamination. Public information is still scant but in just the last few months, there have been a disconcerting number of uncommanded engine shutdowns of aircraft in flight. So far the only connection between these incidents appears to be clogged fuel filters – a sure indication of contaminants in the fuel. Because these engine shutdowns occurred on commercial flights – some reportedly major airlines carrying passengers – the incidents have gotten the attention of manufacturers of aircraft, engines, and fuel system components, as well as the airlines. And, of course, the Federal Aviation Administration. While no... -
Ramp Worker Safety
- Tuesday September 13, 2011It's not often I fly through three airports by noon. But I did just that this past Sunday, starting on the East Coast and ending up in the Southwest. Air traffic was very light – probably because it was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and the "credible but unconfirmed" threats against the United States had scared many people into staying home. I admit it is a tough day to fly, when your thoughts are with all those who lost their lives. In thinking about all the terrible events of that day 10 years ago, I thought about how helpless we are as individuals in the face of terrorist attacks, but how much control we have – that we often don't choose to exercise – in other areas of our lives. That got me thinking about... -
End Of Summer – Time To Winterize GSE
- Tuesday August 30, 2011The chill in the air this past week was a refreshing change from the sweltering heat this summer brought to the Northeast. As the temperatures dipped into the 40s overnight in Boston, my thoughts turned to the importance of preparing for winter. For those of us who live in northern climates, it's important to plan ahead. By the end of August, preliminary steps for winterizing GSE should be under way. While most GSE operators will have formal winterization programs, I have seen far too many put off their winterizing due to the pressure of routine, daily operations. This is certainly understandable, but problems happen when winter comes earlier than we might have hoped. Then there's the inconvenient – and sometimes haphazard – rush to... -
Cameras On The Ramp — Not Just For Security
- Tuesday August 16, 2011Most 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... -
Your Tax Dollars at Work (Not)
- Tuesday August 2, 2011Airports in all 50 states have seen construction on infrastructure projects, large and small, grind to a complete halt. Why? Because Congress failed to pass an extension of the FAA’s authority to collect the taxes deposited into the Aviation Trust Fund that pays for a substantial part of most major airport projects. Many of these airport projects have important safety or delay-reduction benefits. Of course, everyone knows the benefits of runway extension projects or new taxiways – but even resurfacing a runway or taxiway can have important safety and capacity impacts. And these projects affect everyone working at the airport, including ramp workers. While press reports have focused on 4,000 laid-off FAA employees, the bigger impact... -
Biofuels As Game-Changers
- Tuesday July 19, 2011It may be too early to call biofuels game-changers for GSE but they do offer some exciting prospects. For one, their use – in certain mixtures – will not require changes to existing equipment. Wouldn’t that be nice? Imagine getting the benefits of reducing our dependence on oil – especially foreign oil – without incurring the expense of conversion. And the economic and environmental benefits, which should follow biofuels, without expensive investments would be very nice as well. Driven by the airlines’ needs to lower fuel emissions and fuel costs, biofuels could soon end up at an airport where you do business. Now is the time to start studying up. Sure – things will change and different mixtures will be tried. But... -
ELECTRIC GSE ON HOLD?
- Tuesday July 5, 2011Is it just my impression, or has the move to electric GSE slowed down ever since Congress announced that it was not going to take up climate change? From my travels around the country, it seems to me that ground support companies that were planning to buy new equipment or were considering retrofits are now holding off. No one has actually said that Congress's inaction was behind their change of heart; certainly not in those words. But it has just seemed that by taking climate change off the front pages, the impetus for change has drifted. Of course, my perception of a slow down could just be another sign that the downturn in the economy - yes, this latest downturn- is affecting investment in equipment. it's too early... -
Trickle Down Baggage Fees?
- Monday June 20, 2011Just as the airlines have done a good job of hiding those pesky baggage fees from the passengers who pay them, they have also managed to hide the amount of money they were raking in from those fees from all of us. Until now, of course. Media reports just in put the amounts at billions of dollars. And add ticket change fees to the gross and there’s a few billion more that airlines are stockpiling. That’s an awful lot of money for an industry used to crying poverty and forcing employees, suppliers and all manner of contractors –including GSE providers – to do more with less. And I’m not minimizing the financial hit airlines took after 9/11 and most recently with the economic downturn. But now that they’ve... -
Ramp's Eye View at DIA
- Tuesday May 31, 2011Rarely a week goes by that I’m not flying into or out of an airport somewhere in the country. As I hopscotch around, large airports and small, I never tire of looking at how different airports operate. Just a couple of days ago, I flew in and out of Denver International Airport. I hadn’t been in there in some time and happened to have more time than I had planned for, due to a missed connection. With time on my hands, I wandered around observing the ramp from Terminals B and C. Granted that’s not the same as actually being on the ramp, but I did get a good overview. And I have to say, I was quite impressed with what I observed. What struck me was how organized the ramp area was. A place for everything and... -
GSE's Participation in Airport Emergency Drills
- Tuesday May 17, 2011I participated in an emergency response drill yesterday at Logan Airport here in Boston. Around a hundred people participated from all levels of airline and airport management, in addition to police, fire, and Red Cross representatives. Also present were officials from state and local agencies responsible for emergency response, as well as representatives from area hospitals. Basically a who’s who of organizations and individuals who would respond in the event of an incident, accident or natural disaster were present. Even officials from the ASPCA were there to ensure procedures were in place to aid animals in distress. The purpose of the drill is to practice emergency response in the event of an incident or accident or natural...
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