Globally, ramp damage to aircraft costs airlines $10 billion every year, and the average cost of repairs for a single incidence of ramp damage is $250,000. Needless to say, that is an astounding amount of money and represents a major loss of capital for the aviation industry. Unfortunately, the cost of repairs is just the beginning.
Additional costs include increased ground time and flight cancellation, additional maintenance and testing, disruptions of flight and airline schedules, and possible injury to personnel. It seems extraordinary that a loss of money, time, and very possibly, customer goodwill, can result from something as simple as an aircraft tug driver becoming momentarily distracted.
Thankfully, AERO Specialties offers a solution to towing-related damage that could save millions and relieve a whole lot of stress: the SiPsHitch Linear Force Monitoring System.
It’s Safer and More Cost-Effective
Advancements in ground support equipment (GSE) technology has increased the towing power of modern aircraft tugs and tow tractors immensely. For the most part, that’s a good thing, particularly for machinery required to tow something weighing in excess of a million pounds. However, that added power means that a tug or tractor can easily surpass the force limitations of an aircraft’s nose gear. Fortunately, SiPsHitch alerts the operator before overstress and the resultant damage has taken place. And that can save a lot of money in a lot of different ways.
An Undeniable Record
In addition to providing an early warning mechanism for the operators of tugs and tow tractors, the patented SiPsHitch system precisely records the stress force being applied to an aircraft’s nose gear. If the shear pin breaks during a tow, the operator can prove that overstress from that tow was not the cause and the nose gear was not damaged as a result. Any overstress of nose gear can be ruled out (or confirmed) during a tow with a SiPsHitch-equipped towbar type tractor.
Covers All Your Bases
That monitoring and recording of tows saves money not only by preventing (incredibly expensive) aircraft damage, it limits liability for the ground crew and stakeholders. GSE with the “SiPsHitch Equipped” placard are a mobile guarantee to customers and insurance companies. It’s a sign that demonstrates an airside ground crew is willing to make safety, transparency, and accountability a priority. That’s a competitive advantage that’s hard to beat.
It’s Easy to Update to SiPsHitch
One of the best features of the SiPsHitch system is its modularity. It can be added to any new or used aircraft tug or aircraft tow tractor. Add the proprietary monitoring system between the tug and hitch, and the onboard screen warns the operator of overstress while allowing them to control the system and view the data it’s recording in real time. That sort of convenience and user-friendliness makes it both a tremendous training tool and a must-have for any ground crew.
Take your ground crew operation to new heights with AERO Specialties, at https://www.aerospecialties.com/