An Aircraft Ladder Is A Vital Piece Of Equipment

By Mia Kent


A modern airport is a constant hive of activity as anyone who has spent any time at one will tell you. There is a continual stream of craft landing and taking off. Yet there are not that many people who spare a thought about what is required to keep an airport functioning. Some might say good access from the surrounding area, others might opt for radar, but possibly the last thing on anyone's mind would be an aircraft ladder.

No matter how big or small the airport this item of ground equipment can be found at them all. They can be called upon to satisfy a multitude of tasks, and consequently they are highly adaptable. Due to the limited number of people who work on or around the flight line there are several considerations which need addressing with regards to the ground equipment. The prime one being portability, ideally a single person should be able to move it by themselves.

One often repeated procedure on the flight line is that of refueling. With the variety of different makes and models which can fly into an airport, no two planes appear to be the same. Some will have their fueling points in different places to others, and quite often these will be at a variety of height levels. The flight line crews need to gain access to all of these various points.

As is often the case the manufacturers always look to make their product as safe as possible. Consider the material that this piece has been made from, aluminium. It is a lightweight material, so the risk of injury due to weight when moving this item has been greatly reduced. Even though it is deemed as being lightweight it still has to be robust enough to cope with the use and abuse it will get over its lifetime.

So considering this same refueling operation, a fuel hose is a heavy bulky item, and it would not be ideal were the equipment that the maintainer used to gain access to the fueling point were to fall to pieces. Manufacturers estimate that the load is rated at approximately 300 lbs. There are also reinforcing straps and gussets associated with each step, these help to provide even greater stability and strength.

The width of the treads has also been gauged so that they comfortably provide a safe footing. Were you to look at one of these treads you would notice a perforated pattern, this serves a dual purpose. Initially it assists with keeping the overall weight as low as possible. During bad weather conditions it also ensures that the safe footing is still maintained.

To make movement even easier there are a couple of robust wheels also fitted. So all an individual has to do is tilt the item and move it. There are a variety of heights available, and each will afford a stable working platform. Even if a baggage truck were to reverse into one and knock it over, there will be no possibility of a spark because it is made from aluminium.

When you consider just how much thought is behind an aircraft ladder it does make you wonder how the rest of the equipment has fared. Just consider that the vast majority of ground equipment used on the flight line is used everyday. This also includes other forms of aeroplane servicing platforms and access steps.




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