what is towing of an aircraft

Aircraft Towing

• Description. The forward movement of an aircraft, usually with engines off, using the power of a specialised ground vehicle attached to or supporting the nose landing gear.
• The Procedure. ...
• The key threat to aircraft flight safety. ...
• Risk Management. ...
• Accidents and Incidents
• Related Articles. ...

Full Answer

How do you tow an aircraft?

An alternative method which is becoming more common for towing is the use of a specialised vehicle called a ‘towbarless tug’. This positions two low level ‘arms’ either side of the aircraft nose landing gear and these are used to engage with the aircraft gear leg and raise it slightly off the ground.

What is the difference between towing and driving an aircraft?

When an aircraft is driven, the tug clamps directly onto the connecting landing gear. This is different from towing because there is no towbar involved — the tug and plane are in direct contact.

What is an aircraft under tow accident?

a collision with a moving aircraft taking off or landing on an active runway whether or not the aircraft under tow has a valid ATC runway occupancy clearance.

What are the risks associated with towing?

The key threat to aircraft flight safety consequent upon towing operations is collision between the aircraft under tow and another aircraft. Two 'types' of collision with potentially high risk outcomes exist:

How is an airplane towed?

Movement of most aircraft around the airport and hangars is usually accomplished by towing with a towing vehicle or 'tug'. The aircraft is attached it to the tow vehicle by the use of a towbar or other specialized methods that connect to or raise the nose or landing gear off the ground.

Why aircraft are towed?

Airplanes get towed when the thrust of their engines creates a significant hazard to the immediate area surrounding them. Planes also get towed for maintenance purposes so pilots are not required to move the aircraft as airplane mechanics are trained in the use of the aircraft brakes while towing.

What is the difference between towing and taxiing in aviation?

Taxiing, though, specifically involves the use of an airplane's own propulsion system to move while on the runway. Towing, on the other hand, refers to the use of a ground vehicle. Known as a tug, these ground vehicles connect to airplanes so that they can move and turn airplanes.

What is the difference between aircraft pushback and towing?

In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs. A tow is when the aircraft is pulled forward.

How many people are required to tow an aircraft?

For safety, a minimum of two persons is necessary for all towing operations. If the aircraft is towed in a confined area, a minimum of five persons is necessary for safety.

What are the preparations before towing the aircraft?

Before towing the aircraft, it's critical that you verify the engine is completely turned off. And to avoid damage to the aircraft or personal injury during your aircraft towing procedures, make sure that all entrance doors are closed, ladders are fully retracted and gear-down locks are installed.

What is it called when a plane is waiting to take off?

Taxiing (rarely spelled taxying) is the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or pushback where the aircraft is moved by a tug.

Why is the last part of towing an aircraft done in a straight line for a short distance?

Correct Answer is. To maintain the aircraft and tanker at the same electrical potential.

Can a non pilot taxi an aircraft?

Anyone can taxi an aircraft, if you know how. The only limitations would be those stipulated by the aircraft owner and/or insurance company who would want to set some minimum experience or training so that nothing gets damaged.

Can planes be towed?

The most common aircraft towing equipment types are conventional tugs and aircraft towbars. Towbars are connected to the axle of an aircraft's nose landing gear and the front or rear of the aircraft tug. Once connected, the driver can easily maneuver and tow planes from the tow-in gate out to the taxiway.

Can a plane push back on its own?

Although many aircraft are capable of moving themselves backwards on the ground using reverse thrust (a procedure referred to as a powerback), the resulting jet blast or prop wash would cause increased noise, damage to the terminal building or equipment, and hurt airport staff due to high-speed debris.

Which equipment is used in aircraft pushback and towing?

A conventional pushback tractor attaches itself to the aircraft's nose landing gear through a simple piece of equipment called a tow bar.

Can a plane be towed in air?

Cars are expected to break down and are designed to be towed. Aircraft are maintained so that they don't need this and the airframes are not designed to be towed in the air, there is no towing point with enough strength other than that designed into the landing-gear for gentle low-speed towing on the ground.

What is aircraft towbar?

An aircraft towbar is a valuable piece of equipment that allows a tug operator to maneuver a grounded aircraft independently to any designated location. However, without a proper understanding of how to use a towbar, towing aircraft can quickly become a dangerous operation.

What is an aircraft tow?

Airline towing is a team effort and requires every member to be on the same page and ready for any situation. The aircraft tug operator is responsible for operating the vehicle safely, obeying all instructions given by a fellow team member. There will also be wing walkers stationed at each wingtip.

When towing an aircraft?

When actually towing an aircraft, the towing vehicle must maintain a reasonable speed that does not exceed that of the walking speed of team members. Make sure to never start and stop suddenly. While being towed into position, an aircraft's engines should never be in operation.

What is the first step in all thorough aircraft towing procedures?

The first step in all thorough aircraft towing procedures is ensuring you're using the proper ground support equipment (GSE). Whether you're using aircraft recovery dollies or towbarless tugs, it's important to use the right GSE (with the right towing capacity) for the job. If using towbars, always double-check that you're utilizing the correct towbar and towbar head. Be sure to also inspect the towbar and connection. If there are any cracks, bowing or other visible damage, the towbar should be removed from service immediately.

What to do if your towbar is cracking?

If there are any cracks, bowing or other visible damage, the towbar should be removed from service immediately. 2. Test the Aircraft Brake System. Before each airport towing operation, the aircraft's brake system must be charged and checked.

What is the importance of maintaining good communication between towing team members?

Maintain Good Communication. A lack of communication between team members can lead to accidents, injuries or damage to expensive aircraft or GSE. Throughout all aircraft towing procedures, including while the aircraft is being transported, it is critical to maintain clear communication between all runway towing team members.

What is the importance of the flight deck?

It's important that the person in the flight deck coordinate the use of the aircraft's brakes with those of the GSE. 3. Prepare the Aircraft to be Transported. Before towing the aircraft, it's critical that you verify the engine is completely turned off. And to avoid damage to the aircraft or personal injury during your aircraft towing procedures, ...

How to avoid damage to aircraft?

And to avoid damage to the aircraft or personal injury during your aircraft towing procedures, make sure that all entrance doors are closed, ladders are fully retracted and gear-down locks are installed. You should also check that all tires and landing gear struts are properly inflated. 4. Ensure Qualified Operators are in Place.

What are the towing instructions for each model of aircraft?

Detailed towing instructions for each different model of aircraft are located in the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions and each towing operator should have established procedures that are to be used for the towing process as a part of the overall safety program. The aircraft towing personnel must be familiar with all published towing procedures pertaining to the type of aircraft being towed and any specific airport regulations regarding the ground movement of aircraft. All towing personnel must be properly trained to perform the procedures and there needs to be mandatory requirements for the initial, recurrent, and remedial training for all personnel involved with the towing process.

Where do towed aircraft need to be?

The towed aircraft must remain within the appropriate designated areas or taxiway lines approved by ATC or as otherwise dictated by airport policy.

What communication should be established between all towing team members during the duration of the aircraft movement?

Communication should be established between all towing team members during the duration of the aircraft movement. Depending on where the aircraft movement is located, ATC clearance may be required before moving the aircraft, such as movement across runways or taxiways, so communications with ATC may also need to be established.

How do aircraft move around the airport?

Movement of moving most aircraft around the airport and hangars is usually accomplished by towing with a towing vehicle or ‘tug’. The aircraft is attached it to the tow vehicle by the use of a towbar or other specialized methods that connect to or raise the nose or landing gear off the ground.

What is the responsibility of a towing vehicle driver?

The towing vehicle driver is responsible for controlling the speed and direction of the aircraft during the towing operation and obeying emergency stop instructions given by the team members if an unsafe condition arises. The driver must always maintain visual contact with all team members. The towing operation must be stopped if visual contact is broken.

How can towing accidents be prevented?

Most towing accidents are preventable by the proper handling of the aircraft, maintaining situational awareness, and practicing patience. Towing accidents cannot only result in aircraft damage but can also delay or cancel flights or lead to other airport disruptions.

Why do towing accidents happen?

In most cases, towing accidents occur when the proper planning was not completed before the towing operation began, a lack of communication between team members or if distractions or lapse of concentration by any of the towing team members are allowed to happen while the towing is in process.

What information do you need to tow an aircraft?

Once the relationship between aircraft and tug has been established, the final piece of information you will need is the connection point. Every plane will have both nose (front) and main (rear) landing gear, and which is used for towing the aircraft depends on how it is being moved in the first place.

How does a tug work on an aircraft?

When an aircraft is driven, the tug clamps directly onto the connecting landing gear. This is different from towing because there is no towbar involved — the tug and plane are in direct contact. It is also different from carrying because the landing gear is not lifted off the ground. Generally speaking, driving aircraft in such a way is reserved for the largest of planes. Anything smaller can typically be either towed or carried without issue.

What is a towbarless tug?

On the other hand, towbarless tugs can either carry or drive aircraft, and their connection point can be either the nose or main landing gear depending on how the aircraft is being moved.

What is the connection point of a plane?

If the aircraft is being either towed or carried, then the nose landing gear is the connection point. When towed, the towbar will be connected to the axle. When carried, the entire nose gear assembly will be lifted from below with the tug securing the wheels in place.

What is the relationship between tug and aircraft?

The simplest of these relationships is when a towbar tug is in use. When this is the case, the aircraft is always being towed via the towbar, which means the tug is either pulling or pushing the plane (or other large object).

What are the two categories of tugs?

As we have covered before, the two main categories all aircraft tugs fall into are towbar and towbarless tugs . Regardless of which category a tug falls within, there are a variety of options available, such as both combustion and electric engines. And as we’ll see, tugs from both categories are viable in different situations.

Why are tugs used in airplanes?

Towbar tugs have a simple and flexible design which allows them to be used in many diverse situations — and may reduce repair and maintenance costs. Because the tugs themselves do not actually come in direct contact with the aircraft they are moving, they can be used for every type of plane. Additionally, these tugs can even be used for non-aircraft specific uses. They can be attached to any other heavy object which needs to be moved from one place to another around an airport or hangar.

What is towing a plane?

Towing is a method used by maintenance crews to move an aircraft from point A to point B based on needs of the airline (in my particular experience) without starting the engines but using a tow tractor of sufficient horsepower (very important) to move the airplane.

How to turn off an aircraft engine?

To turn off an aircraft engine you ground out both magnetos. To turn off a car you just stop supplying power to the ignition. The aircraft engine’s ignition system has no single point of failure. It will continue to run when the battery and generator are disconnected.

What is a pushback plane?

Pushback - plane moving back and away from terminal gate with towing assistance from a tractor.

How much does it cost to replace an engine?

Most automotive engines cost less than $10,000 to replace. This is partly due to the extremely high production rates typically in the hundreds of thousands. It is also due to the extremely high competitive pressures to keep prices down. Most aircraft engines cost more than $30,000 to replace.

How much horsepower does an engine produce?

Most automotive engines rev to a maximum of about 6000 RPM and produce maximum horsepower around 5000 RPM. Most operate between 1500 and 3000 rpm in normal cruise using gearing to stay within the range. Most aircraft engines rev to a maximum of 2700 RPM, where they also produce their maximum horsepower.

Why do aircraft engines have two spark plugs?

The goal is redundancy for reliability. RPM Range.

What is taxing in aviation?

Taxing is ground movement of aircraft with the help of engine power.

How to tow a 737?

The 737Series can be towed with a conventional tow tractor using a towbar that mates with the nose gear to w fitting. Tow tractor size, which is dependent upon specific towing conditions, can be determined using Figure 09-1 and Figure 09-2. The tow fitting on the nose gear is shown on Figure 09-3. Airplanes are delivered with a cross bolt installed in the tow fitting so a tow bar with a claw type coupling can be used. All 737 tow fittings are dimensionally similar, therefore, 737 claw type tow bars will mate properly with all models of the 737 family of airplanes which have the cross bolt installed. However, shear and torque values vary for the many 737 models. The tow bar should have fuse pins installed with a nominal shear protection not to exceed the maximum push-pull towing loads (see Figure 09-5) and 61,500 inch-pounds torsion. Tow bars intended for use on all 737 models should meet the allowable load data and interface information given in drawing C09002 - Data Sheet - 737 Tow bar Design. Consult the applicable Airplane Maintenance Manual for details. Also, a ground power cable and intercom cable would be desirable. A special eyebolt (F72719-500) can be installed at the bottom of each main gear for use in towing during abnormal conditions. Two eyebolts and associated cable assemblies are required for each airplane.

Why are towbarless tow vehicles called TLTV?

These vehicles are generally referred to as towbarless tow vehicles (TLTV) because they move airplanes without the use of a tow bar. Instead, the airplane's nose wheel is picked up and held by the tow vehicle. The nose gear load effectively increases the traction of the tow vehicle.

What are the factors that determine the stopping distance of a tow tractor?

Some of the more important factors include the initial velocity of the tow tractor, surface grade, surface conditions, airplane weight, tractor weight, rolling resistance and load distribution. Basic engineering equations may be used to estimate reasonable stopping distances, however, because calculations require a good deal of specific tow tractor design data, it is recommended that tow tractor manufacturers be contacted and the required information requested.

How to tow a glider?

Normal tow operations start with you taxiing to a spot near the front of the glider so a ground handler can attach the rope to your airplane ( if it’s the first flight of the day, otherwise you generally keep the rope on the airplane all the time) and then walk the rope to the nose of the glider. The ground person will signal you to taxi forward about 180 feet and then stop as he or she attaches the rope to the glider and checks its release mechanism. Once that is done, you will be signaled to take the slack out of the rope by taxiing forward a few more feet. The ground handler will stand at the wingtip of the glider, holding its wing level. Depending on the operation, the glider pilot will either waggle the rudder to signal to you that it’s time to go, or will give a thumbs-up to the person on the wingtip, who then looks over the traffic pattern to try and make sure it’s clear, and swings one arm in a circle, calling on you to move the throttle from quiet to noisy. Check the rear-view mirror, or look back at the glider one more time to make sure its speed brakes are stowed, and bring the throttle up over about a three-second period to avoid jerking the glider.

What do you need to tow a glider?

Of course the regs are the first concern. There are some specialized FARs that relate to towing gliders, but they aren’t too difficult. A pilot has to have at least a private ticket, a hundred hours of flying time, receive a checkout and get an endorsement for glider towing. Most tow planes have tailwheels, requiring a tailwheel endorsement, and many have enough power to require a high-performance endorsement. There are also requirements for such things as towline strength, tow signals, emergency procedures and rope drop. If you look at 61.31, 61.69, 61.113 and 91.309 you should find everything you need.

How far do you taxi forward on a glider?

The ground person will signal you to taxi forward about 180 feet and then stop as he or she attaches the rope to the glider and checks its release mechanism. Once that is done, you will be signaled to take the slack out of the rope by taxiing forward a few more feet.

How high should a glider lift off?

The glider will lift off well before you do. Assuming all goes well, the glider levels off at about three feet of altitude until you break ground. If the glider pilot errs and continues to climb, it will pull your tail upward with vigor, so be ready to pull the release, abort the takeoff and move left to stay out of the way of the landing glider. It’s a very, very rare event, but it does happen.

What happens if you can't release a glider?

If you cannot release, you make a power reduction and head back for the airport. The glider will go into what is called the low tow position while you set up a long, fairly flat approach, allowing for the fact the glider is below and behind you. The glider will touch down first, and then you do so.

Can private pilots tow gliders?

Even private pilots can tow gliders, although a commercial certificate will let you do it for money. AVweb's Rick Durden lays out what it takes to help those engine-less soaring birds. Rick Durden. September 7, 2003. 0. D espite the ongoing silliness of a Transportation Security Administration that continues to treat general aviation pilots ...

Is it worth flying a tailwheel airplane?

For a private pilot train ed in contemporary spam cans, getting to fly an interesting tailwheel airplane with lots of power, even without getting paid for it, is a pretty good thing. If you can be counted on to be available a couple of weekends per month, it’s worth it for the glider club or school to check you out in that exotic airplane to tow for them. For you, it’s a chance to really refine your stick-and-rudder skills, get lots of takeoff and landing practice and learn to control an airplane precisely.

The Procedure

• Once the person in charge on the flight deck of the aircraft has given their confirmation of ‘brakes released’ to the person in charge of the ground crew vehicle who are to carry out the tow, the ground crew become responsible for the safe manoeuvring of the aircraft in accordance with any…

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