Apron Planning and Design Guidebook (2013) / Chapter Skim
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From page 11... ...
11 Understanding the apron environment is critical to responsive and effective planning and design. This chapter summarizes the different types of aprons, activities (aircraft, passengers, vehicles)
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12 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook to airfield elements, availability of push-back area, proximity to vehicle service roads, accommodation of ground vehicle storage and staging, and apron/gate equipment. With the use of remote hardstands, passengers are enplaned or deplaned at a location sufficiently far from the terminal that a bus or other vehicle is used for the safe transport of passengers to and from the terminal.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 13 • Baggage handling: Baggage is typically transferred to and from the aircraft during the servicing of aircraft after arrival and prior to departure. Outbound (departing)
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14 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook that same gate, generally subject to gate availability based on the primary airline's schedule. There can be reduced flexibility associated with preferential use gates/apron based on the expectation that users may have different operating profiles, procedures, physical constraints, and other factors.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 15 overnight (RON) parking aprons.
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16 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook liquid (separated water) is typically processed at a wastewater treatment facility or metered into a receiving waterway consistent with applicable permits and regulations.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 17 or dedicating deicing positions to specific airlines can result in unused deicing capacity if the dedicated positions are not available to other airlines when not in use by the primary airline. Cargo Aprons The transportation of goods throughout the United States and worldwide provides a necessary link that enables trade between companies, organizations, and people and is an economic engine for the world.
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18 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook secure airside and landside ground transportation connections. Areas adjacent to the aircraft apron are used for storage of GSE.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 19 Cargo aircraft are equipped with large doors on the left and right sides and upper and lower decks. Some cargo aircraft are loaded through an opening at the front of the aircraft, which is revealed when the nose is lifted.
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20 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook ground power units or engine air start carts. Maintenance aprons are often used more intensely than terminal or cargo aprons as there is less need for GSE to maneuver among parked aircraft and less need for independent aircraft parking on maintenance aprons.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 21 from facilities at airports that accommodate only small piston aircraft to facilities at larger airports that accommodate widebody jets. At general aviation airports (those without scheduled commercial service)
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22 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Many general aviation aprons are leased and operated by a fixed-base operator (FBO) , which is a business that provides services such as aircraft fueling, maintenance, lavatory service, pilot support and training, and parking.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 23 Figure 3-8. Helipads.
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24 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook taxiway. Helicopter operations are controlled by ATC when available at the airport.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 25 Figure 3-9. Power-in, power-out aircraft maneuvers.
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26 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook labor intensive, it requires the least amount of apron area compared with aircraft taxiing in and out under their own power because the ground crew has better visibility of the apron environment and can more precisely direct aircraft maneuvers in dimensionally tight areas. Tug-In, Push-Back Maneuvers At terminal or other aprons with constrained space and limited dimensional clearance, aircraft are tugged into the gate to reduce the potential for collisions or the negative effects of jet blast.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 27 environment. A PLB accommodates differences in elevation between the terminal and aircraft door sill.
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28 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook and rotunda dynamically elevated by a vertical support under the tunnel section and a set of wheels that can be rotated to move the bridge to meet the door sill of an aircraft. Each bridge has maximum and minimum operational ranges for all three movements (vertical, rotation, and extension)
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Understanding the Apron Environment 29 a rear aircraft door. A fail-safe stopping or braking mechanism is used to prevent damage to an aircraft wing in the event of bridge failure.
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30 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook the aircraft. These adapters are either portable or integrated into the bridge under the rotunda.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 31 Figure 3-16. Ground passenger loading apron layouts.
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32 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Many of these ramps or stairways are towable and use brakes to prevent slippage. Aircraft stair vehicles are also used to enplane and deplane passengers.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 33 is a plane mate which consists of a passenger compartment that can be raised or lowered using a screw assembly to meet the height of an aircraft loading door and terminal dock. An example of a plane mate mobile lounge is shown on Figure 3-18.
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34 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Vehicle Roadways Vehicle roadways are of vital importance to the efficiency of daily airport operation. A welldesigned and properly maintained roadway system enhances safety; reduces delays for airlines, cargo operators, and other aircraft users; and facilitates the controlled and channelized movement of vehicles throughout the airport.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 35 must span head-of-stand service roads and must provide adequate clearance to allow the tallest vehicles to pass beneath them, which can affect the planned floor elevation of the terminal building. Head-of-stand roads require aprons with greater depth, especially to accommodate aircraft tugs without interfering with vehicle movements on these roads.
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36 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook pass-through is planned with aircraft parked on both sides of the vehicle routing, aircraft wingtip separation increases. These roads can also provide access to the building for emergency and delivery vehicles.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 37 facilities and terminal or other airport buildings, often using apron roadways to access these facilities. Buses may also be used to transport passengers between terminal buildings or concourses on a recurring schedule, particularly when a hubbing airline operates from multiple terminals or concourses.
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38 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Apron Equipment and Systems Various types of apron equipment and systems, such as aircraft towing equipment, preconditioned air units, GPUs, potable water system, aircraft fueling systems, other aircraft servicing vehicles, and baggage vehicles, are used to service aircraft parked on the apron. Aircraft Towing Equipment Gating, parking, or other limitations can preclude aircraft from vacating their parking positions under their own power.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 39 assist tug operators in positioning heavy towbars. Shear pins are designed to prevent damage to aircraft by breaking if the tug operator places too much stress on the aircraft nosewheel during tugging operations.
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40 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Mobile PCA Units As shown in Figure 3-26, mobile PCA units are mounted on trailers allowing for movement/ repositioning around the apron and are not limited to serving a single gate. The advantages of mobile PCA units are that they can be moved out of the way when not in operation and can be used at multiple locations as needed.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 41 Figure 3-28 shows a stationary PCA unit mounted on the apron. Apron-mounted units can be installed when there is not sufficient space available on a PLB.
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42 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook heated liquid to the individual point-of-use air handling units. The individual PCA units are smaller and lighter because their function is limited to blowing outside air past the heating or cooling coils.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 43 in various parking positions, making them popular for both cargo and terminal aprons, as well as RON aprons. Engine generator mobile GPUs are technically usable in any location throughout the airport, but may be prohibited in certain locations because of noise restrictions.
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44 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Centralized Ground Power Centralized ground power systems differ from mobile or stationary/bridge-mounted GPUs in that the power distribution to multiple gates is provided at 400 Hz rather than the traditional 60/50 Hz. Some centralized GPU systems use pop-up hatch pits or other underground distribution systems that reduce the amount of equipment on the apron compared with mobile or apron-mounted GPUs.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 45 Transfer Vehicles Several types of vehicles are used by airlines and ground support providers to transfer potable water from an approved watering point to an aircraft. The type and size of each transfer vehicle is based on the aircraft being serviced, as well as provider preferences.
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46 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Fuel tanks are generally located in the wings of an aircraft. Aircraft refueling is through gravity feed ports on the top of each wing or through a pressure connection port generally located at or under the wing edge.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 47 aircraft, the hose is disconnected and reeled back onto the truck. Fuel trucks are refilled at stations that are connected to an airport's fuel tanks or fuel farm.
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From page 48... ...
48 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Other Aircraft Servicing Vehicles In addition to the apron equipment discussed above, FBOs, airlines, airline contractors and service providers, and the military may use additional equipment to assist with the servicing and operation of aircraft. These additional aircraft servicing vehicles include lavatory servicing vehicles and carts, cabin/galley/catering vehicles, air start vehicles and carts, mobile stairs, and aircraft maintenance vehicles.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 49 These vehicles or carts are equipped with waste tanks for storing the waste removed from aircraft lavatories and separate tanks to refill the flush/fill tanks onboard the aircraft with "blue water." These tanks, depending on the size of vehicle or cart and the type of aircraft being serviced, can range in size from a few gallons to hundreds of gallons. Hoses are used to connect the waste and fill tanks to the aircraft's lavatory servicing ports, which are located along the bottom or sides of the aircraft fuselage.
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50 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook The servicing crew can then use the additional doors on aircraft (generally opposite the enplaning door or in the rear of the aircraft) to enter and exit directly into the galley/cabin without interfering with passenger enplaning or deplaning processes.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 51 Figure 3-40. Conveyor belt baggage loader.
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52 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook and bag containers are removed from the aircraft and transported to the terminal baggage claim devices or for sorting to a connecting flight. At airline hubs, bags are often "ramp transferred" from aircraft to aircraft without being taken to the terminal/baggage sortation facilities in order to meet minimum connection times, which increases apron vehicle activity as a result.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 53 to the pre-positioned cart, which is ultimately rolled to the aircraft for loading once all passenger bags have been deposited. These carts are used to transmit the traditional carry-on bags to the aircraft prior to departure and to transmit the bags to passengers on the arriving aircraft upon deplaning.
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54 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook that allow cargo containers to easily slide onto the dolly and then be locked into placed. Figure 3-43 illustrates different examples of cargo transportation equipment.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 55 onto the platform via integral rollers or belts. The platform is then raised or lowered to the desired height and the cargo is loaded or removed using the same roller system.
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56 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook congested and constrained gate areas. The most advanced systems in use today have three three-dimensional scanning lasers to monitor aircraft position and provide visual feedback to the pilot via an electronic display mounted at the head of the stand.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 57 to remove snow and ice from aircraft. Type IV deicing fluid (typically dyed green)
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58 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook refueling during deicing operations. In close proximity to many deicing pads, small buildings are available for coordinating and managing deicing operations and providing restrooms and break rooms for personnel.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 59 hub airports is generally higher than at non-hub airports because of the peaking characteristics and the need to simultaneously serve many gates. At non-hub airports, aircraft activity typically occurs more evenly throughout the day.
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60 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook of arriving aircraft and cargo. At airports with less activity, a portion of an apron may be identified for CBP use only.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 61 software can be used to reduce queues and delays at deicing pads by predicting demand and informing ramp controllers as to the optimal time to push back and taxi aircraft to the deicing pads. Interface with Nonapron Areas The FAA requires the accurate and clear definition of the interface between the nonmovement areas and the movement areas of an airport.
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62 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook Source: Google Earth Pro. Figure 3-51.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 63 Security of apron is largely controlled by ensuring that only authorized individuals or vehicles are provided access through security gates at the edges of the air operations area (AOA) or in terminal or cargo buildings.
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64 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook snow removal operations greatly increases when snow removal vehicles can be kept away from the tails of aircraft and avoid aircraft pulling in or departing from a gate or the effects of jet blast from taxiing aircraft. Apron size and location must be considered for snow stockpiling.
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Understanding the Apron Environment 65 Stationary melters are permanent units installed in the apron. These units are limited because they cannot be moved and snow must be pushed to the location of the melter.
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66 Apron Planning and Design Guidebook layers of pavement. As current passes through the conductive layer, heat is generated to a cycled temperature of approximately 34°F, melting the surface snow.
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