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There are plenty of issues we face everyday in the airline industry, this weekend gave of a perfect example of constraints put on our jobs that are completely out of our control. The East Coast (particularly the Mid-Atlantic region) was pounded with an outrageous storm that dropped anywhere from six up to more than twenty four inches of snow in certain locations. Areas around Washington DC, Philadelphia and the entire State of Delaware where punished particularly hard, making conditions completely impossible to fly in – thousands and thousands of flights in the Mid-Atlantic region were cancelled, leaving travelers stranded and unable to get to their intended destinations.
Mother Nature is responsible for many of the things that make this line of work particularly difficult; snow, rain, ice and clouds can make both the actual flying and all of the prep work to get the planes up into the air dangerous or impossible tasks. This is, unfortunately something that is out of our control, but it doesn’t mean that every facet of our jobs has to be difficult.
Using the proper equipment to get your planes in position on the runway or properly placed in tight hangers once the flight is done makes that part of the job much easier. Using ergonomically correct and reliable airplane tugs reduces both the stress on the body and the mind and makes your crew much happier and more efficient. Once runways have been cleaned and the skies have been cleared for flight you want to ensure that the rest of the process, that part that you and your crew control goes as smoothly and easily as possible and the best possible way to do so is to use the best equipment for the job. We at Lindbergh offer the most versatile, reliable and easy to use equipment for moving aircraft of up to 35,000 lbs. You may not be able to control Mother Nature, but if you’ve got a tug from Lindbergh you’ll have no trouble controlling your plane when it’s time to fly.
As a bush pilot servicing hunters, fishermen and explorers in wildernesses, ranging from Alaska to the Amazon you have a pretty tough job. Not only do you have to deal with flying in adverse weather conditions, you need to land on really rough terrains, from icy plateaus to swampy lagoons and everything else in between. Also, you need to be an expert mechanics as you often will need to repair your aircraft far from a service center.
Additionally, you need to learn first-aid and wilderness survival for emergency situations. Of course, living the life of a pilot is not without its reward. Being close to nature and taking in some of the most beautiful views is something most folks only dream about. But it’s totally understandable that you want to find ways to make things easier and better. Why work hard when you can “work smart”!
When you are back home and your aircraft needs servicing or transporting, the Lindbergh Aircraft Company provides great solutions for moving your plane in and out of the hangar. Even if your FBO is unpaved, LINDY’S AIRCRAFTCADDY 4K will make moving your plane on gravel, ice or snow as easy as gliding thru clear blue skies. This battery-powered tug can pull or push aircrafts weighing up to 4,000 lbs and works quietly without all the noise of a typical combustion-engine airplane mover.
You can connect Lindy’s airplane tug to your aircraft effortlessly as you slide the easy-on roller cradle under the nose wheel. You can then easily maneuver your plane with the ability to make 180 degree turns without adjusting the aircraft wheels or steering mechanism. Acceleration and braking is all perfectly controlled, allowing for smooth handling. Unloading the aircraft after you move it is just as easy as you release the locking lever on the handle of the tug.
Take off today knowing that with Lindy’s Aircraft Caddy your job just got easier!
Although they may be happy to have a job in the midst of a recession, American workers are increasingly unhappy with their jobs. A survey by the Conference Board research group found job satisfaction is at its lowest in 22 years. Only 45% of U.S. workers said they were satisfied with their jobs. This is not recession fallout; U.S. worker satisfaction has been decreasing steadily for the past two decades.
“It says something troubling about work in America,” admitted Linda Barrington, a Conference Board managing director. “It is not about the business cycle or one grumpy generation.”
Analysts are concerned that worker dissatisfaction is negatively impacting productivity and innovation, hindering America’s ability to compete (see our January 25 post). With the struggling airline industry unable to offer the salary increases, improved benefits or promotions traditionally used to reward workers, airlines and FBOs must pursue alternate motivational strategies.
Worker job satisfaction improves, experts say, when employers demonstrate that they care about and respect their employees.
- Keep your employees in the loop. Keeping workers informed reduces workplace anxiety, allowing greater job focus.
- Show employees you care. Utilizing ergonomically-designed aircraft tugs demonstrates concern for your employees’ health and safety while making their jobs less strenuous. Ergonomic aircraft tow equipment takes the pain and strain out of maneuvering aircraft around hangers, FBOs and airfields. Using ergonomic aircraft tugs to create a healthier, safer work environment improves worker morale and productivity.
- Share the load. Lindy’s aircraft tugs are so easy to use FBOs can implement customer self-service programs to decrease the strain on overworked staff. Because the ergonomic design of Lindy’s aircraft tugs allows workers of any shape and size to maneuver airplanes with ease, management and other staff can easily lend a hand. Nothing shows workers you care more than rolling up your sleeves and working in the trenches with them!
Economic recovery is slowly gaining traction in the U.S. but conditions are improving so slowly that job losses are not expected to recover for some time. Employment figures typically lag other recovery indicators, yet economists say higher employment is the key to full recovery. A circuitous conundrum. The bottom line is that both employers and workers — particularly in the hard-hit aviation industry — can expect understaffing to continue through 2010.
Informing employees that they’ll have to keep working harder with less relief is sure to receive a less than enthusiastic response. The thing about a crisis is that the longer it goes on, the less supportive people are. A crisis goes through three stages:
- We’re all in this together. At the beginning of a crisis, people are energized by shared tragedy and driven to make sacrifices for the common good. People who weren’t laid off were so grateful to have a job, they didn’t complain about performing additional duties.
- When will it end? As time goes on, worker focus shifts from greater good to personal impact. Workers focus on the price they are paying as individuals. Workers become increasingly frustrated with heavier work loads. Physical exhaustion, the emotional toll and financial pressure begin to overwhelm workers who become disgruntled by the slow return to previous norms.
- I deserve better. Eventually, people lose sight of the “big picture” and focus on changes in their personal world. Many U.S. workers are beginning to reach stage 3. They’ve worked harder with less relief and often for less money for months; some for more than a year. They’ve seen their standard of living decline and their families suffer. Especially if they do not feel appreciated at work, they are beginning to wonder what the point is. Things can even turn ugly if workers perceive too great a difference between their level of suffering and that of management.
Next time: Solutions
“Will they work with my wheel pants?” That’s one of the most asked questions we get when talking to customers about innovative Lindy’s aircraft tugs. And the answer is, YES. All three Lindy’s airplane tug models will work on planes both with and without wheel pants. All of our aircraft tugs also work equally well on planes with tricycle or tail-dragger design. Lindy’s aircraft tugs are the most versatile airplane tug on the market.
In designing Lindy’s aircraft tugs, our goal was to create a versatile airplane tug capable of handling any plane in each tug’s weight class. We recognized the need for a useful product that could adapt instantly to the wide variety of airplane configurations on the market. We strove to design and manufacture a superior aircraft tug that by virtue of its versatility would eliminate the need for multiple types of tug equipment. By creating a one-tug-does-it-all product, we help FBOs, ground service facilities, small air fields and corporate and private plane owners save money on equipment investment, maintenance and operation.
While the considerable cost savings Lindy’s aircraft tugs provide draws customers, it’s the less obvious benefits of our innovative airplane tug design that keeps them coming back. A subsidiary of DJ Products, a world leader in the design and manufacture of ergonomically designed industrial and commercial carts and tugs, Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. was able to capitalize on the long history and experience of our parent company in creating ergonomic aircraft tug products.
We applied the same principles of ergonomic design that have made DJ Products a material handling world leader to the design of Lindy’s aircraft tugs. The result is an aircraft tug product line that protects worker health and safety, can be used with equal ease by workers of any physical size and strength, offers superior maneuverability and compact storage. Visit our website to find our more about innovative Lindy’s aircraft tugs.
In America we tend to think that bigger is better. It’s a national philosophy that has worked for us for decades. Bigger cars, bigger houses, bigger banks, supersized fast food — we’ve built our society around the concept that anything worth doing is worth doing BIG!
Well look where that’s gotten us. Fuel-conscious consumers are buying smaller cars. Homeowners are dumping big, high-mortgage homes and looking for smaller, more reasonably priced homes. With obesity becoming the country’s No. 1 health issue, Americans are finally saying no to big portion sizes. And bigger banks? They’re on everyone’s hit list these days. Taking charge of the public lynch mob, President Obama yesterday proposed huge taxes on big banks telling them, “We want our money back!” Bigger is no longer better.
Detroit has caught on to the new American appreciation for small, practical, fuel efficient and affordable. Compacts stole the spotlight at this week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Detroit’s new motto seems to be “Small Is Better.” It’s a philosophy that seems to be gaining ground as it spreads through American society. Airports, corporate air operations, commercial airlines and FBOs are certainly taking notice.
Behemoth gas-powered aircraft tugs that gulp down fuel, spew out air-fouling exhaust, jack up maintenance bills, require huge amounts of room to maneuver, and take up outsized amounts of space for storage are becoming the dinosaurs of the aviation industry. Smart, energy-conscious ground operations managers are turning to versatile, compact, fuel-efficient, low-maintenance Lindy aircraft tugs and tow tractors to maneuver aircraft safely and efficiently in less space with less hassle.
For more information on how Lindy’s ergonomically-designed aircraft tugs can benefit your ground operation, contact us today.
Television reality shows have chronicled the lives of 20-somethings trying to carve a dream out of the big city. They’ve provided a window into the daily, if sometimes bizare lives of everyone from mega-stars like Ozzy Osbourne to star wanna-bes like Kim Kardashian. Reality shows have made stars of tough bounty hunters, custom bike builders, people with scads of kids, bachelors looking for love and Atlanta housewives. Particularly when the series revolves around people who do a unique job like Ice Road Truckers or Ax Men, the shows can be as informative as they are entertaining. But let’s face it; we really watch to see these folks implode under the spotlight of created fame. It’s one of life’s guilty pleasures.
Well, buckle up! It’s finally our turn. The aviation industry is about to get its own “tell all” reality show. Fly Girls is scheduled to debut soon on CW. The reality series will follow the lives of five flight attendants working for Virgin America airlines. Virgin exec Richard Branson may even cadge a recurring guest star role.
Expect considerable melodrama as the Fly Girls — naturally, all young, beautiful 20-year-olds full of hopes and ambitions — hop in and out of their Los Angeles “crash pad” in between flights. The network promises plenty of jet-set dating and partying to keep viewers tuned in. Expect the usual gossip, infighting and cattiness that seem to be a reality show staple. Let’s hope there’s also at least a nod to the realities of life in the aviation industry.
Might be fun to create a scenario where the gals get a taste of the other arms of the industry: reservations, baggage handling and maintenance. With our Lindy motorized aircraft tugs, the Fly Girls could still wear their heels while maneuvering planes!
The future is now and you can see it in Lindy’s aircraft tugs. To remain competitive going into the future, experts predict that the aviation industry and its attendant ground support operations will have to work harder, smarter and leaner. Marketed for FBO, corporate or individual ground operations, Lindy’s versatile aircraft tugs and tow tractors are designed to be the only aircraft tug you’ll ever need.
The ergonomic design of Lindy’s powered aircraft tugs allows a single operator to easily and safely maneuver airplanes up to 4K, 15K, even 35K. Ergonomics is the science of engineering equipment to fit the physical attributes and abilities of the worker. Ergonomics reduces worker discomfort and fatigue and prevents repetitive strain injuries that can lead to long-term disability. Lindy’s ergonomically-designed, battery-operated aircraft tugs allow workers of any size, age or sex to easily maneuver aircraft in and out of crowded hangers and around service areas. Because Lindy’s versatile aircraft tugs are safe and easy enough to be operated by any worker, FBO and ground service/support managers can exercise maximum flexibility in assigning staff. More effective staff utilization helps managers cut costs.
Lindy’s aircraft tugs feature an easy-on cradle that accommodates both tricycle drive and tail dragger aircraft with ease. A lever handle and cable system designed into our airport tows locks and releases the easy-on cradle for safe loading and unloading of the aircraft. When loaded, the cradle functions as a 5th wheel, allowing tugs to pivot a full 180 degrees underneath the wheel of the aircraft without engaging the plane’s wheel or steering mechanism. All of Lindy’s aircraft tow tractors are capable of handling airplanes with and without wheel pants. Versatile design makes Lindy’s aircraft tugs the only tug you’ll need to handle any airplane in your fleet.
For more information about Lindy’s aircraft tugs, visit our website.
Those of us at Lindbergh Aircraft Tug Co. wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. In America, the first weeks of a new year always seem to bring unrivaled optimism and 2010 is no different. Despite the difficult struggles of 2009, a recent AP poll found that 82% of Americans believe that 2010 will bring good fortune to them and their families, even though fewer than half believe their finances will improve during the coming year. Americans are only slightly less optimistic about the country’s future. Some 72% of Americans expressed optimism that 2010 would be a better year for the U.S. This despite the fact that 75% of those polled considered 2009 an unmitigated disaster both personally and for the nation. As they say, hope springs eternal.
Even the grim picture economic analysts painted for the airline industry just months ago seems to be showing positive glimmers of change. Aviation industry experts may not be quite as optimistic as the average American, but 2010, despite recent security issues, is expected to see travelers returning to America’s friendly skies. Some of the optimism in the aviation industry is generated not by a return to business as usual — generally defined as before economic freefall — but by positive, constructive changes in the industry brought about by economic necessity.
Some of those positive changes include:
- Greater cooperation between airports, airlines and ground services to the benefit of all.
- Small airports and FBOs holding on to service remote areas of the country despite financial difficulties.
- The federal government’s move toward protecting worker health and safety by requiring ergonomic equipment and processes.
Last but not least, recognition for unbridled optimism must go to Richard Branson for his launch of Virgin Galactic and plans to construct the planet’s first spaceport — Spaceport America — in New Mexico. To infinity and beyond!
Versatile Lindy’s Aircraft Tugs maneuver tail dragger aircraft with the same precision and ease that they move tricycle landing gear aircraft. With Lindy’s aircraft tugs and aircraft tractors, maneuvering tail dragger aircraft in and out of crowded hangers or around busy FBO facilities is a one-person job. The same aircraft tug can be used to manipulate aircraft with different landing gear configurations, minimizing the amount of equipment you need to run an efficient operation.
Instead of sliding Lindy’s aircraft tug’s easy-on roller cradle under the forward nose wheel as you would for a tricycle landing gear plane, with tail dragger aircraft the aircraft tug cradle slides under the tail wheel. Click here to watch a video of our aircraft tug being used to move a tail dragger airplane out of a hanger. As you can see in the video, Lindy’s unique aircraft tug cradle allows fifth-wheel turning capability. This permits our aircraft tug to pivot a full 180 degrees under the aircraft wheel without turning the wheel or steering mechanism of the aircraft. The lever handle and cable system designed into our aircraft tug allow the operator to safely lock, hold and release the aircraft safely during loading and unloading into the cradle and while transporting the aircraft, guaranteeing the safety of valuable aircraft.
Lindy’s ergonomically designed aircraft tugs are uniquely designed to be the only aircraft tugs you’ll ever need. The universal choice for FBOs, small air fields, pilot-owners and corporate fleets, Lindy’s aircraft tugs and tractors are designed for use with both tail dragger aircraft and tricycle land gear airplanes. Our 4K Aircraft Tractor is capable of moving aircraft both with and without pants without making any modifications to the aircraft tug. Visit our website to find out more about Lindy’s universal use aircraft tugs.
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