The Importance of Proper Aircraft Ground Support Equipment

Take a moment to think about all of the advances that have come down the pipeline when it comes to keeping planes safe. Special technologies like digital beacons and sophisticated radarscopes have their place, but air travel has also gotten much safer due to high-quality ground support gear. Without these vital pieces of equipment, flight crews would never be able to meet the demands of the modern traveling public.

Vibration Analysis and Balancing Equipment

Performing a vibration analysis is vital, especially when dealing with rotary wing equipment. The fans or turbines need to be perfectly balanced before taking off, which is why flight crews tend to dedicate so much time to this chore. Dynamic propeller balancing equipment can automate the process to a large extent, though skilled technicians are still needed to work the test kits and derive valuable insights from the measurements that they provide. Fixed-wing aircraft may not be as vulnerable to vibration problems, but they can still happen, especially on piston-powered vehicles.

Ground crews, therefore, need access to working aircraft track & balance equipment during regular maintenance checks. Certain airframes require a greater level of maintenance in this respect than others, but all powered flying vehicles need to be tested on a regular basis.

Having proper GSE kits in the hangar can distinguish between a good day flying and getting sent back to the repair shed. Training crews to work with balanced equipment is as important as acquiring it, which is why some small private charter carriers have elected to bring on additional staff who have experience working with it.

Fuel Handling Equipment Kits

Since passengers don’t normally see many of the ground crew members, they’re usually unaware of them. This alone speaks volumes about just how important high-quality GSE kits really are. The reason few outsiders see planes getting serviced is, after all, because crews have been able to keep incidents to an absolute bare minimum. The biggest area where this is true is fuel handling, which is one of the most potentially dangerous aspects of maintaining an aircraft. Fortunately, the deployment of modern GSE tools has cut down on the number of problems related to it.

Better seals and hoses have translated into fewer leaks and, therefore, reduced risk of fire. Increased levels of access to firefighting equipment have helped to reduce further the chance of anything serious ever happening. Should any situation occur, ground crews now have plenty of equipment ready to tackle it. Along with increasing safety levels, this has also helped reduce the overall environmental impact associated with air travel since extraneous emissions caused by fuel mismatches have become much rare due to these changes.

Managing Freight Loading Operations

Commercial flights are only one part of the equation. Any number of GSE tools are designed to help secure and spread out cargo loads while bringing them onboard faster than was ever thought possible. Damage to higher-value pieces of freight costs millions annually, and losses could be even greater if it weren’t for all of the specialized equipment used by ground crews to make sure that everything was safely laid out.

Information collected by GSE operators has given cargo handlers a better picture of how freight shifts in a plane’s hold, thus ensuring a better arrangement that will hold up in flight.

In some cases, this has given carriers the freedom to move more cargo on a single flight, thus saving time and fuel. This simultaneously reduces the amount of air traffic cluttering up the sky. Baggage operations have also benefited from advancements in this field, which means fewer claims against airlines from individual travelers. Insurance payments are among the biggest non-flight expenses most airlines face; thus, investing in solid GSE gear is something that even the most cost-conscious aviation account can sign off on.

Wrapping it up

Reliable GSE equipment sets are vital to the air transportation experience. As airlines continue to upgrade their equipment, it’s likely that many challenges travelers encounter today will finally be overcome.

Header Photo Credit:- https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-airliner-912050/

About the Author

Rebecca D. Walker is a passionate writer & guest blogger. Writing helps her to improve her knowledge, skills & understanding of the specific industry. She has been writing content for almost 5 years now, prior to guest blogging she worked as a proofreader and copywriter. She loves writing & sharing her knowledge mostly in the health Industry. She believes a healthy lifestyle is the key to a peaceful life & wants to spread her belief across the world apart from writing. She loves Travelling and Reading. Writing and Traveling fulfill her heart with the most happiness and make her feel complete. She is also indulged in NGO and welfare societies.