Aircraft recovery today – new developments and recommendations from the recovery specialist at Fraport AG
Due to its function as an air traffic hub, Frankfurt’s international airport bears a major day-to-day responsibility. Even the smallest incidents affect flight operations; in the worst case, they can also affect other national and international airports. For this reason, immediate and efficient action is required in case of an incident.
Every hour of interrupted operations means millions in costs
According to German air traffic licensing regulations ( 45 LuftVZO), every airport is obligated to uphold conditions for safe operation and to ensure orderly operation. In case of an incident, such as an immobile airplane on the runway, those conditions must be restored as quickly as possible. Otherwise enormous costs can result, because every hour of interrupted operations costs an airport millions.
In accordance with ICAO annex 14, an emergency plan with appropriate operating procedures for aircraft recovery is additionally recommended. This applies for aircraft both on and in the vicinity of the movement area. Mr. Hofer also emphasises that the typical characteristics of the airplanes that frequent a particular airport should be taken into account. For this reason, it is essential to name a coordinator responsible for continual monitoring of the plan’s currentness and functionality and its ultimate implementation. Especially important aspects of preparedness for aircraft recovery include the availability and readiness of special aircraft recovery equipment, 24/365 availability of trained personnel, and regular training.
What makes Fraport AG the leader in aircraft recovery?
At Frankfurt’s civil airport, special aircraft recovery equipment such as aircraft air lifting bags and other recovery equipment is constantly available and ready for service. The available tools are capable of gently lifting and, if necessary, removing immobile aircraft, including the A380.
“Basically, airplanes are built to fly and have no towing eyes like those on cars”, says Mr. Hofer in describing the challenges of most aircraft recoveries.
What makes aircraft recovery difficult nowadays?
“Basically, airplanes are built to fly and have no towing eyes like those on cars”, says Mr. Hofer in describing the challenges of most aircraft recoveries. In addition, in the interest of aerodynamics, modern airplanes are increasingly sensitive in design and construction, with the difficulty that one needs special equipment and know-how to avoid further damage and the resulting additional financial losses when recovering an aircraft.
Aircraft lifting bags: gentle and effective recovery
Aircraft lifting bags, such as those offered by the German manufacturer Vetter, are gentle and effective recovery tools and can be used on all types of aircraft; one need only observe the aircraft manufacturer’s requirements, e.g. regarding placement and maximum permissible contact pressure. An internal weave fabric ensures the tremendous stability of the bags throughout the lifting process. Compared with conventional 0.5-bar lifting bags, Vetter’s innovative 1-bar system also provides an increase of up to 40% in load stability and lateral stability as well as double the nominal lifting power. In addition, the 1-bar system is completely equipped with quick-action couplings for fast and time-saving attachment of all components such as inflation hoses and controllers, making safe and fast recovery possible.
Contour matching protects the airplane like a vacuum mattress protects a patient.
In their basic form, aircraft lifting bags resemble blocks; their support area is parallel to the deployment surface. However, no airplane has flat surfaces on its underside where possible contact points are situated, such as on the fuselage or wings or near the landing gear. The first efforts to safely compensate the gap between lifting bags and aircraft contours using seaweed mats were undertaken in the 1970s, but the demands on contour matching have increased with modern aircraft.
“Straight and round don’t match.”
Recognising that “Straight and round don’t match” led the engineers at Vetter GmbH to the development of modern contour matching in cooperation with Mr. Klein (Klein-Industrie-Training) and Fraport AG. In addition, serious accidents resulted when lifting bags without contour matching slipped out sideways during lifting, dropping the airplane roughly back to the ground and underscoring the need for new approaches to recovery to improve safety.
Vetter’s contour matching system is based on the principle of the vacuum mattresses commonly used by rescue services. The vacuum chambers form an airtight envelope, which can be uniformly filled with small plastic balls using a filling lance. In this state, the chamber is still mouldable and fills in every cavity or fits to every bump on the support area. Then the air is pumped from the chamber. In the resulting vacuum, the balls are pressed together and the modelled form hardens. This optimal fit to the airplane’s contours prevents point loads and the risk of further damage. The result is nearly complete contact between lifting bag and aircraft, so the highest permissible pressure can be built up in the lifting bag to ensure maximum load stability. The Vetter vacuum chambers are a perfect adaptation of the “straight” lifting bags to the “round” airplane.
According to Mr. Hofer, contour matching results in a clear improvement in safety, especially as regards load stability. The lifting power of the lifting bags can be used to its full extent and the danger of damage to both airplane and lifting bags is minimised. Fraport AG has examined and tested various options and alternatives for aircraft recovery. For the record, the result is that there is no better solution than Vetter’s contour matching with vacuum chambers.
Hans Hofer, aircraft recovery coordinator for Fraport AG at the Frankfurt airport, says “One should never forget that one is using air to lift heavy loads. Just like water, air has no beams or girders, so it must be used with the utmost care, the correct tools and the necessary know-how.”
According to specialist Hans Hofer, in most cases it is irresponsible to lift an aircraft without contour matching as the compensation can only be controlled via individual chambers in these cases. Good load stability is not achieved, lifting power is very limited, and the lifting process is very uncertain or nearly impossible. Damage cannot be ruled out and relevant work safety regulations are violated.
Among other services, the aircraft recovery professionals at Fraport AG’s airport fire brigade offer training courses in aircraft recovery, and on request they work with other airports to develop emergency plans that correspond to local circumstances and requirements. They also offer worldwide training on aircraft recovery with various equipment.
Hans Hofer, aircraft recovery coordinator for Fraport AG at the Frankfurt airport, is considered a specialist in the field of aircraft recovery. He reports about recovery standards at international airports and his opinion regarding various recovery tools. Helpful advice of airport preparation and the selection and use of recovery equipment will provide valuable support for your operations.
The manufacturer can advise you regarding which lifting bags or contour matching are appropriate for which aircraft type on +49 (0) 2252/3008-60 or at vetter.info@idexcorp.com.
If you are interested in training at Fraport AG’s Fire Training Center, contact +49 (0) 69/69078284 or ftc@fraport.de.