Ground_Support_December1220_January0121 - 35

Photo courtesy of Westmor Industries

PRODUCT PROFILE

to keep maintenance minimal and simple,
just like the tank and refueling system, "
Buffkin says.
Because changes in the aviation industry are often driven by regulatory updates,
Carlberg says Westmor generally makes
alterations to its refuelers on a customer-by-customer basis in order to provide
as much customization as possible.
" We are able to build any mix of products required, " Carlberg says.
For example, the 10,000-gallon refueler
can feature bottom loading, a lift deck,
multiple primary and secondary pressure control configurations, air or electric
deadman controls without time delays,
tank top fall protection systems, stainless
steel piping, primary and secondary highlevel shutdown systems, Camlock dust
caps, back-up alarms, back-up cameras,
one- or two-man cabs and wing protection on the lift deck. Additionally, it can
feature multiple meter options, including
electronic meter registration and wireless
data transmission.
" The features and options are almost
endless, " Carlberg adds.
Because of the wide array of airport
refueling needs, Westmor also makes several sizes of refueler trucks, which can vary
from 1,000 to 10,000 gallons.
The size of the refueler depends on
the needs of the operation and the type
of aircraft being refueled. Westmor's
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 avia-

tion customer that would be refueling large
jets, " says 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, Buffkin
says ground service providers should consider 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 says. " 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 says.
" With equipment that is tailored to your
operation, whether it's an into-plane operation, an FBO or a corporate flight department, fueling can be smooth and efficient
so your customer can be taken care of with
the highest level of service. "
Other factors - geographic location,
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. "
Because Westmor is located in Minnesota, Carlberg says 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
adds.
Because of the lifespan of fueling equipment, Buffkin says it is important to select
the right unit to make an 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, " Buffkin says in regards to the
10,000-gallon refueler's regular maintenance needs.
However, Buffkin notes, the most
important aspect of maintenance is training operators to pay attention to the equipment every time it is used. He explains it is
imperative to identify small issues before
they turn into big problems.

DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021

AviationPros.com

http://www.AviationPros.com

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