Ground Support Equipment - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ground support equipment (GSE) is the support equipment found at an airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

, usually on the ramp

Airport ramp

The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...

, the servicing area by the terminal

Airport terminal

An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....

. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As its name implies, GSE is there to support the operations of aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

on the ground. The functions that this equipment plays generally involve ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and loading operations (for both cargo and passengers).

Overview

Many airline

Airline

An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...

s subcontract ground handling

Aircraft ground handling

In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and parked at a terminal gate of an airport.-Overview:...

to an airport or a handling agent, or even to another airline. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of a passenger aircraft between the time it arrives at a terminal gate

Gate (airport)

A gate in aviation is a long, movable, "bridge" that allows passengers to embark and disembark their aircraft.* Jetway bridges* Air stairs, either built into the aircraft or from a mobile vehicle* Mobile lounges...

and the time it departs on its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time (the time during which the aircraft remains parked at the gate).

Small airlines sometimes subcontract maintenance to a much larger and reputable carrier, as it is a short-term cheaper alternative to setting up an independent maintenance base. Some airlines may enter into a Maintenance and Ground Support Agreement (MAGSA) with each other, which is used by airlines to assess costs for maintenance and support to aircraft.

Most ground services are not directly related to the actual flying of the aircraft, and instead involve other service tasks. Cabin services ensure passenger comfort and safety. They include such tasks as cleaning the passenger cabin and replenishment of on-board consumables or washable items such as soap, pillows, tissues, blankets, and magazines. Security checks are also made to make sure no threats have been left on the aircraft.
Airport ground support equipment (GSE) comprise a diverse range of vehicles
and equipment necessary to service aircraft during passenger and cargo loading and unloading,
maintenance, and other ground-based operations. The wide range of activities associated with
aircraft ground operations lead to an equally wide ranging fleet of GSE. For example, activities
undertaken during a typical aircraft gate period include: cargo loading and unloading, passenger
loading and unloading, potable water storage, lavatory waste tank drainage, aircraft refueling,
engine and fuselage examination and maintenance, and food and beverage catering. Airlines
employ specially designed GSE to support all these operations. Moreover, electrical power and
conditioned air are generally required throughout gate operational periods for both passenger and
crew comfort and safety, and many times these services are also provided by GSE.

Used or second hand Ground support equipment (GSE) suppliers, such as AskUngerFirst offer:
Airport passenger buses

Airport bus

An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus or coach used to transport people to/from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding....

, Airsstarters (APU), ambulifts, baggage conveyor belts

Baggage Handling System

A baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes...

, catering trucks, deicers, dollys, electric baggage tractors

Baggage Handling System

A baggage handling system is a type of conveyor system installed in airports that transports checked luggage from ticket counters to areas where the bags can be loaded onto airplanes...

, fecal- and water trucks, fuel trucks (tankers), GPU (electrical supply by ground power unit), container transporters, push/pull tractors, hydraulic platforms, passenger stairs

Passenger service unit

PSU is an abbreviation in aviation for Passenger Service Unit. This aircraft component is situated above each seat row in the overhead panel above the passenger seats in the cabin of airliners. Amongst other things a PSU contains reading lights, loudspeakers, illuminated signs and automatically...

etc.

Chocks

Chocks are used to prevent an aircraft from moving while parked at the gate or in a hangar. Chocks are placed in the front ('fore') and back ('aft') of the wheel

Wheel

A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...

s of landing gear

Landing Gear

Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...

. They are made out of hard wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

or hard rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

. Corporate safety guidelines in the USA almost always specify that chocks must be used in a pair on the same wheel and they must be placed in physical contact with the wheel. Therefore, "Chocks" refers to a pair of chocks connected by a segment of rope or cable.

Chock is also a verb, as in, "You need to chock that belt loader if you're going to leave it parked there," or, "As I was chocking the nose gear, the aircraft's engines were still spinning down."

Non-powered equipment

Bag carts

Baggage carts are used for the transportation of luggage

Luggage

Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...

, mail

Mail

Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...

, cargo and other materials between the aircraft and the terminal or sorting facility. Carts are fitted with a brake

Brake

A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....

system which blocks the wheels from moving when the connecting rod is not attached to a tug. Most carts are completely enclosed except for the sides which use plastic curtains to protect items from weather.

Trollies for containers and pallets

The trolley or dollie are for containers and palettes are used for the transport of loads placed in containers and on pallets. Both kinds of trolley have inbuilt rollers or balls in the space for the acceptance of containers or pallets for their easier moving. The containers or pallets on trolleys must obligatory be secured with built-in Stops. The mechanical brake, depending on construction blocks the wheels when the towbar of the trolley is raised to 90°. The trolleys for containers have revolving deck to make containers turn to the direction of loading on aircraft. On all trolleys the parts as brake for wheels blocking, the wheels, the towbar, the hook for connecting, stops on the revolving platform, and stops for locking the containers or pallets must be in order or with them is prohibited any transport.

Refuelers

Aircraft refuelers can be either a self contained fuel truck, or a hydrant truck or cart. Fuel trucks are self contained, typically containing up to 10,000 US gallons of fuel and have their own pumps, filters, hoses, and other equipment. A hydrant cart or truck hooks into a central pipeline network and provides fuel to the aircraft. There is a significant advantage with hydrant systems when compared to fuel trucks, as fuel trucks must be periodically replenished.

Tugs and tractors

The tugs tractors at an airport have several purposes and represent the essential part of ground support services. They are used to move any equipment that can not move itself. This includes bag carts, mobile air conditioning units, air starters, lavatory carts, and other equipment.

Ground power units

A ground power unit is a vehicle capable of supplying power to aircraft parked on the ground. Ground power units may also be built into the jetway

Jetway

A jet bridge is an enclosed, movable connector which extends from an airport terminal gate to an airplane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside...

, making it even easier to supply electrical power to aircraft. Many aircraft require 28V

Volt

The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...

of direct current

Direct current

Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

and 110V

Volt

400 Hz

Hertz

The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....

of alternating current

Alternating current

In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

. The electric energy is carried from a generator

Electrical generator

In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...

to a connection on the aircraft via 3 phase 4-wire insulated cable capable of handling 200 amps. These connectors are standard for all aircraft, as defined in ISO 6858.

Buses

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es at airports are used to move people from the terminal

Airport terminal

An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....

to either an aircraft or another terminal. Some airports use buses that are raised to the level of a passenger terminal and can only be accessed from a door on the 2nd level of the terminal. These odd looking buses are usually referred to as "people movers" or "mobile lounge

Mobile lounge

The mobile lounge is a system for boarding and disembarkation from aircraft. It consists of a 54-by-16-foot carriage mounted on a scissor truck, capable of carrying 102 passengers. These vehicles were designed by the Chrysler Corporation in association with the Budd Company, and are sometimes...

s".
Airport buses are usually normal city buses or specialised terminal busses. The biggest producers of airport busses are in China (Shenyang, Beijing, Jinhua), Portugal and Slovenia.

Container loader

The loader for widebodied aircraft (cargo platform) is used for loading and unloading of cargo placed in containers or on pallet. The loader has two platforms which independently raise or come down. The containers or palettes on the loader are moved with the help of built-in rollers or wheels, and are carried in aircraft across the platforms.
The ground handling is different in the different areas. In Northern and South America the pallet is dominating and in Europe and Asia the container is stronger in use.
So there are different container and pallet loaders.
- 3.5 to
- 7 to, standard version, wide-body, universal (up to main body height)
- 14 to
- 30 to
For military transport planes special container and pallet loaders are in use.
Also for military use airborne (transportable within the transport plane) are in use.
Container and pallet loaders are produced mainly in France, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Canada, in the U.S.A., Brazil, Japan and China.

Transporters

The transporters are cargo platforms constructed so that beside loading and unloading can transport cargo. Depending on the type and load capacity the containers could be transported, and the same is valid for greater transporters and palettes.

Air starter

An air starter is a vehicle with a built-in gas turbine

Gas turbine

A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....

engine which, during the start of aircraft engine, gives the necessary quantity of air to start the engine. While a compressor

Gas compressor

A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...

cannot deliver the necessary quantity of air for its own work, the air is provided by an air starter. An air starter blows air in by a hose attached to aircraft.

Potable water trucks

Potable water

Water

Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...

trucks are special vehicles that fill up drinking water

Water

tanks in aircraft. The water is filtered and protected from the elements while being stored on the vehicle. A pump in the vehicle assists in moving the water from the truck to the aircraft.

Lavatory service vehicles

Lavatory service vehicles empty and refill lavatories onboard aircraft. Waste is stored in tanks on the aircraft until these vehicles can empty them and get rid of the waste. After the tank is emptied, it is refilled with a mixture of water and a disinfecting concentrate, commonly called 'blue juice'. Instead of a self-powered vehicle, some airports have lavatory carts, which are smaller and must be pulled by tug.

Catering vehicle

Catering includes the unloading of unused food and drink from the aircraft, and the loading of fresh food and drinks for passengers and crew. The meals are typically delivered in standardized carts. Meals are prepared mostly on the ground in order to minimize the amount of preparation (apart from chilling or reheating) required in the air.

The catering vehicle consists of a rear body, lifting system, platform and an electro-hydraulic control mechanism. The vehicle can be lifted up, down and the platform can be moved to place in front of the aircraft.

In-flight food is prepared in the flight kitchen which is completely HACCP certified facility where food is made in sterile and controlled environments. The packed food is then placed in trollies and wheeled into the Catering truck at the flight kitchen, which can be located within a 5 km radius of the airport.

Thereon the vehicle drives to the airport and is parked in front of the plane. The stabilizers are deployed and the van body is lifted. The platform can be fine controlled to move left-right as well as in-out so that it is aligned with the door correctly.

The body is made of insulated panels and is capable of maintaining temperatures of 0 degrees by means of refrigeration unit.

A special Hi Lift for the A380 plane has been designed and is seen in cities with the A380 traffic.

Some of the manufacturers manufacturing Hi Lifts are Mallaghan Ltd, CTV DOLL, FFG, Byron GSE, Nandan GSE, TLD, Aeromobiles, TIMSAN GSE, etc.

Belt loaders

Belt loaders are vehicles with movable belts for unloading and loading of baggage and cargo of aircraft. A belt loader is positioned to the door sill of an aircraft hold (baggage compartment) for the operation. Belt loaders are used for narrow body aircraft (e.g. 737) and bulk hold of wide body aircraft (e.g. 767 and 747). Baggage stored without containers is known as bulk loading.

Passenger boarding stairs

Passenger boarding stairs, sometimes referred to as 'air-stairs', 'boarding ramps' or 'aircraft steps', provide a mobile means to traverse between aircraft doors and the ground. Because larger aircraft have door sills 5 to 20 feet high, stairs facilitate safe boarding and deboarding. While smaller units are generally moved by being towed or pushed, larger units are self-powered. Most models have adjustable height to accommodate various aircraft. Optional features may include canopy, heat, supplementary lighting and red carpet.

Pushback tugs and tractors

Pushback tugs are mostly used to push an aircraft away from the gate when it is ready to leave. These tugs are very powerful and because of the large engines, are sometimes referred to as an engine with wheels. Pushback tugs can also be used to pull aircraft in various situations, such as to a hangar. Different size tugs are required for different size aircraft. Some tugs use a tow-bar as a connection between the tug and the aircraft, while other tugs lift the nose gear off the ground to make it easier to tow or push.

De/anti-icing vehicles

The procedure of de/anti-icing

Deicing

For snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...

, protection from fluids freezing up on aircraft, is done from special vehicles. These vehicles have booms, like a cherry picker

Cherry picker

A cherry picker , is a type of aerial work platform that consists of a platform or bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting system.- Design :...

, to allow easy access to the entire aircraft. A hose sprays a special mixture that melts current ice on the aircraft and also prevents some ice from building up while waiting on the ground.