Airport Business - 41

PHOTO COURTESY OF WESTMOR INDUSTRIES

PRODUCT PROFILE

10,000-gallon refueler, specifically, was designed for large
upfits off the hydrant, generally for commercial aviation -
including large cargo aircraft.
" Larger refuelers tend to be [for] larger operations or more
of a commercial aviation customer that would be refueling
large jets, " said Carlberg, adding lower capacity refuelers are
generally used for smaller operations or an FBO.
Westmor's smallest refuelers tend to carry Avgas whereas
their larger refuelers are used for jet fuel.
When customizing a refueler for a specific operation,
Buff kin said ground service providers should start by
considering what they are going to use the unit for.
For example, if the unit is going to be used for commercial
aircraft off a hydrant system, customers will need to consider
how much fuel they need to provide without refilling the
tank, what their flow rate needs to be, where the fueling panel
is on the aircraft and if defueling will need to be performed.
" Probably the biggest consideration is how the operation
needs to get data from the fueling operation, " Buffkin said.
" There are a multitude of electronic meters available today
that can eliminate some of the human error of transferring
data to the operation. "
Even if the operation does not currently use any type of
data acquisition, the refueling equipment can be specified
with systems that can adapt to them later.
" By selecting the proper equipment, fuel service providers
can provide the best service to their customers, " Buffkin said.
" With equipment that is tailored to your operation, whether
it's an into-plane operation, an FBO or a corporate f light
department, fueling can be smooth and efficient so your
customer can be taken care of with the highest level of service. "
Other factors - climate and traffic volume, for example
- will influence a ground handler's purchase decision as well.
" Particularly cold climates will want cold weather hoses and
to reduce the amount of air controls on a refueler, " Buffkin
said. " Salt air climates such as in the Caribbean will require
extra corrosion protection. Traffic volume and size of aircraft
will dictate the size and flow rate of the refueling equipment
needed. "
Being located in Minnesota, Carlberg said Westmor is
known for its ability to build cold-weather equipment.

" But our years in the business have taught us how to design
and build equipment for every environment, " Carlberg added.
Because of the lifespan of fueling equipment, Buffkin said
it is important to select the right piece of equipment to make
their operation run efficiently and have a piece of equipment
that is simple to maintain.
" Documents such as ATA-103 and JIG 1 provide the best
guidelines for keeping the fueling systems in good operating
condition, and the chassis maintenance manuals are a great
resource for that part of the equipment, " Buff kin said in
regards to the 10,000-gallon refueler's regular maintenance
needs.
However, Buff kin noted, the most important aspect
of maintenance is training operators to pay attention to the
equipment every time it is used. He explained it is imperative
to identify small issues before they turn into big problems. 

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Airport Business

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Airport Business
