Airport Ground Operations - What goes on behind those NO ACCESS doors.

After working for more than 10 full years in aviation, new light is shed onto what efficiency, safety and regulation means for the industry. Being certified as an Air Traffic Controller Trainer is a huge responsibility and I have often thought about how decisions that might affect the lives of hundreds of other people are taken. Let's visit those highly trained individuals that work crazy hours and crazy responsibilities, in order to make sure that you get from point A to point B in the shortest time possible. This is maybe one of the greatest human machines on our planet and how it works intrigued me from a young age. In my beginning on Steemit I have visited this subject and got a staggering 0 votes, so I am prepared to give it a second go, this time in a more personal style and covering much more than just the Air Traffic Controllers.

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From the traffic stewards to the security checks

Having people guide you to assure the fastest flow of cars and to make sure all of the parking spots are equally occupied, these people are continually trained to observe unusual driving behavior and to make sure that there is no immediate threat to the airport. The last thing you would want is for traffic to be in a standstill on the airport access road while being late for your plane. They are in constant contact with airport security, which also observe everything through the many security cameras.

_{Airport Security Check that uses X-Ray scanning.Source}

After you disembark from your taxi and you head to the check-in offices and the security checks you will meet the real airport security. These guys are actually coming out of many backgrounds. Some are just airport employees, trained in hand to hand combat and also in managing crowds and crowded situations. They are the ones that move queues or redirect people in order to have a healthy flow of people to the check-in desks or to the security checks. Some come from even more specialized areas, like the Customs Office, Border Police, Transport Police or just regular Police. They are all trained to handle almost any threat and are usually more or less armed (usually more). They undergo the regular training of their respective offices and their jobs are usually assigned to the best officers. They are also trained in recognizing facial and body language as part of their training.

The National System for Terrorist Alert is an European extra measure for combating the terrorist risks. In case of high risk of terrorist threat, the systems allows for quick change in how security situations are being processed. Each country has its own implementation but the steps are basically the same.

The usual state of the system is CAUTIOUS, but as the level rise, the basic security forces will gradually be replaced or supplemented by special forces, like the ones under the command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and various Information Services, all of them having combat-ready anti terror squads, with fully automated rifles and protective equipment. These forces are always inside the airport, they are just not visible all the time :)

From the luggage drop to the plane

Have you ever wondered what happens to your luggage once it's on the conveyor belt? It's actually takes downstairs and sorted (most of the time it's automatically). The process of sorting can easily mandate its own article, but shortly said, the system can read the tag and send the luggage to a box which will be transferred either as a whole or just the contents, to the plane which you will board, even before you board it.

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The personnel doing this is under a great stress since the time they have to unload, sort the luggage and get it to the people, load the containers with the new luggage, tag everything and transport them is usually under half an hour and being late is a cost that can't possibly be taken out of a worker's pay. A plane that is grounded is losing money, this is why airlines are always trying to keep them airborne as much as possible. The people working here are usually very efficient people which can handle to multitask for extended periods of time.

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Sometimes, the luggage is being loaded and unloaded in Dollies, which I am sure you saw if you were ever paying attention at the airport operations while waiting for your plane.

_{Screenshot from: https://goo.gl/maps/8WSaxiuEgKE2}

While an aircraft is pulled at the gate or in the designated parking spot, there are a set of actions that are undertaken in order to get it flying again. The actions are coordinated by the Ground Operations, more on that later. The most important ones are the refueling, the water and waste reload/unloading, technical checks and visual inspection, unloading and loading passengers and luggage and catering reloading. The cleaning is usually done by the flight personnel.

De-icing crane

Apart from these actions, deicing is also performed in cold days to prevent icing to form on the wing, thus reducing the lift. This is done on a special platform, close to the runway so that after the deicing the aircraft can quickly take off before icing occurs again.

_{De-icing operation in Berlin. De-icing agent is being sprayed over the aircraft using a remote-controlled high-pressure nozzle. The most common substances used are ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. Source}

Fuel tanker

Refueling is usually done from the moment that the aircraft is empty of passengers and until it fills again. Since it is a riskier operation, it is preferred that the aircraft is empty but it is all dependent on each Airport Authority regulation or the international regulations. Different types of refueling tankers are used, from pickup trucks for small 2-seater aircraft up to big 18 wheelers for huge aircraft. The aviation fuel (jet-kerosene or JET A1, A or TS-1 or AV gas - aviation gas) are ones of the most expensive and refined types of fuel. Just talking about the different types of fuel and their differences would mandate another full article.

_{16 or 18 wheeler tanker performing a refuel operation on a military C-5. Source}

Crash tender

In some countries, the presence of a firefighting vehicle or even a crash tender is mandatory during the refueling opeations, again being dependent of each countries regulations. A Crash Tender vehicle is one of the most rugged vehicle in operation on each airport, as it is meant to assist in case of a forced landing or a crash (hence the name) and it must withstand the highest temperatures possible while being able to pump a lot of water or foam, depending on the nature of the fire. The crash tender has remote control nozzles so the firefighters can actually stay inside for the initial moments. Live exercises are done on a regular basis and the firefighters must be oriented towards speed and efficacy.

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Pushback tug

Another important airport operation is the pushback tug. Because aircraft move only by the power of their engines makes it impossible for them to back up from the parking stand. The noise and the thrust would make everything in the parking stand be transformed into a projectile which will then be shoved at the glass(usually) terminal. So for pushing back and turning of the aircraft, the use of a pushback is mandatory. The new models, like the one in the picture, can "grab" the front wheel and raise it using a pneumatic lift, just enough for the aircraft to follow the direction set by the tug. The tug is always in contact with the tower, since it also has a transponder on board. It can't move without express approval from the airport controllers.

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Little trivia: The towbarless pushback tug (like the one in the image) has no "default" driving position, as the wheel and the seat can turn 180 degrees :D and transform into something that I can describe as close to the Batmobile as it can get. Notice the fact that the steering wheel turns in the OPPOSITE direction when driving backward:

_{A Creative Commons video showing the pushback operation in detail. Enjoy! Don't miss out the closing of the tug's door by inertia or the ostensibly waving of the "remove before flight" pinright before the video end :D}

Follow-me car

This car is used to signal a pilot not accustomed with the specific airport about the route he needs to take to the gate. Additionally used in case of an emergency on the usual route or in the last minute change of the traffic pattern in the airport. Part of the marshaller's branch, the car is usually painted in a yellow and black checkerboard and features a flashing sign which says "Follow-me". The pilot is told via radio to follow the car to the gate. The last part of the maneuver is either done by the marshal disembarking or by use of Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS).

_{Wikimedia Commons gives us a picture of a regular follow-me car, if a rather small one.}

_{Not all follow-me cars are as small and powerless, though.}

Snow removal

This operation is by far the most ample operation. If the airport is in an area that experiences high snowfall or snowstorms, the airport needs to be able to either work around the clock to keep the areas of operations free of snow and ice, while not allowing the airport to be closed. Indeed, in some cases, the activity is reduced or even halted, and in order for operations to be restarted, the snow removing fleet needs to get out of the hangars and quickly restore all surfaces to their operational state. Usually there are a lot of types of trucks that must operate simultaneously. Because the operational width of the runway is usually more than 45-60 meters (150-200 feet), the plows are used on the sides to push the snow sideways. Next, closer to the middle or if the snow is very high, you have the snow blowers, which eat the snow on one end just like a combine would and shoot it up from the top to one of the sides or in the Transport trucks. Then, for the areas that are not able to be serviced otherwise, the Snow-pushers (modified Bulldozers) push it to other areas. In the end, the snow brush can come and terminate even the finest layer of snow or ice. It is a consistent effort and having watched it a couple of times, I can say that the workers do seem to work like they are a machine. No piece of snow is missed and all of the tarmac is being treated with anti icing materials to prevent skids. Again, keep in mind that these vehicles all have to make a quick pass of the whole runway in those 3-4 minutes between aircraft taking off and landing. All of them have transponders so the controllers know every move.

_{A lineup of the most common snow removal equipment. From left to right: pushback tug, aircraft de-icing truck, snow brush, high speed snow plough with anti-icing dispatch system, snow pusher with anti-icing dispatch system, snow blower and Quality Assurance car. Source}

Other ground operations

Caterings trucks, conveyor belts to transfer luggage to and from the plane, Aircraft inspection teams, which inspect each aircraft following a checklist, to ensure that everything is in working order, Runway inspection to make sure that nothing fell on the runway that could pierce a tire from a coming or departing aircraft, bird discouragement teams that drive around the airport actively scaring birds away, since a bird can be sucked into an engine and cause it to fail and so on.

Conclusion

These are all jobs that are undersold, very important jobs that should be sought. But, every time we think about Airport Ground Operations, we are thinking about the controllers. I am going to tell you more about Air Traffic Controllers in the next article, but in order to do so, we need to understand how everything is tied together. People, jobs,areas of operations, responsibilities and training. An Airport is am amazing machinery, and a place which we have to analyze in order to build our communities that we want to succeed.

Before ending I just want to share with you another piece of aviation humor. Hard to pinpoint the source and credit it but this is where I took it now. "P" is the pilot log and "I" is the Inspection solution:

P: No. 2 propeller seeping prop fluid.
I: No. 2 propeller seepage normal. Nos. 1, 3 and 4 propellers lack normal seepage.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
I: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
I: Evidence removed.

Where would you like to work in an airport? What do you like the most about airports? What do you hate the most? What question about aviation did you always want answered?

Sources

My common knowledge and experience in the field.
ICAO and IATA regulations that cover most of the world require the equipment I have described in order to certify any airport as an International Airport. Where I got too technical, I have offered a way to check the statements.