FEBRUARY 2016 AviationPros.com 19
INTERNATIONAL
dures and documentation with acceptable
standards, the training and qualifcation
of personnel, de-icing/anti-icing facilities
and equipment and the integrity of sprayed
de-icing/anti-icing f luids, according to
information on IATA.org.
4. Real time data tracking
The winter season carries the potential of
paralyzing large batches of the air transport
system as the media report almost invariably
every year; yet the improvements in safety
and effectiveness that winter operations
on the ramp have witnessed over the years
have historically contributed to operation-
al discontinuities in winter. Without these
improvements the air transport system
would be more heavily paralyzed in winter.
The search for continuous improvement is
never ending. Future incremental improve-
ments of winter operations may be obtained
by placing a stronger focus on the oversight
of the actual operations concerned with the
application anti-icing/de-icing chemicals on
aircraft; and this result can be achieved by
using systems that provide for real time data
reports, thereby simplifying the operations
and reducing traffc and congestion on the
apron/taxiway system.
"What we have found is that by using
systems that provide us real time infor-
mation on where assets are, what they are
doing, what chemical at what rate at what
speed, etc., we are able to reduce the number
of people we have trying to follow vehicles
around and report on what they see rather
than on real data that we are getting from
the real time data tracking systems. We
have put chemical tracking systems in all
of our chemical application vehicles both on
airside and landside. Our inspectors, espe-
cially landside, now report more on surface
conditions that they see. We use the chemical
tracking systems to see what is being applied
and at what rates and we are able to tweak
those in real time based on the results that
we are seeing," says Schenk.
540 East 56 Highway • Olathe, KS 66062
globalgroundsupport.com • 913.780.0300
MIDAS is a telemetry system that allows anyone with approved access to view live data on
any of their deicing trucks with any Internet-connected device. This advanced telemetry
system can be purchased on new vehicles or retroftted on any manufacturers' equipment.
MIDAS monitors performance, location, surface areas, aircraft ID's, operators and more.
Simple Complexity
AviationPros.com/10017340
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mario Pierobon is a safety management consultant and content producer. He currently
is working on a research project investigating aircraft ground handling safety. You may
reach him at marioprbn@gmail.com.