Important Ground Equipment to Consider for Your Private Airport
Did you recently get approved to open your own private airport? Whether you will use the space just for your own planes or operate it as a business that other pilots can fly out of, one of the first things any new private airport is going to need is the proper ground support equipment to ensure you can operate your runways efficiently and safely. While there's a wide variety of different equipment you might want to look at before you open, here are some of the more important pieces that you should be going for when first looking at ground support equipment for sale.
Tugging and Towing Equipment
Your private airport will have any number of large things that need to be moved carefully and safely. The most important one may be the aircrafts themselves. A pushback tug is typically used to push the airplanes back away from the gate with support from the ground crew below, allowing the plane to get lined up with absolute precision on the runway for the next takeoff. A tugging or towing device can also be used to move everything from other pieces of heavy equipment to your catering, baggage, or lavatory carts or containers.
De-Icing Equipment
Safety is of course paramount for any airport. If you live in a part of the country where it can get chilly in the morning or at any other time during the winter, you will want to invest in top quality de-icing equipment for your aircraft. A plane that tries to take off still covered in ice is creating an unnecessary risk. Your private airport's ground support crew should be doing a safety checklist on every plane as soon as it comes in, and de-icing should always be a top priority.
Equipment for Passenger Support
Will you have commercial planes leasing space at your private airport? Will there be private planes with room for more than just the pilot taking off or landing on your runways? You may also want to invest in some equipment to assist with typical passenger needs. Baggage carts, catering carts and vehicles, lavatory services, and so on. You may also consider a belt loader to help you get things up into the plane or unload to the ground after a plane lands and so on.
Whether your private airport is for your own personal fleet of planes or you will be opening for business to serve the local area, you'll need the right ground equipment to get the airport up and running properly. Contact a local supplier today for more information.