“Think safety” during flightline driving

  • Published
  • By Noel Fagan
  • 60th AMW Safety
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The flightline is an inherently hazardous place. Noise, foreign object damage potential, exposure to the elements and less than desirable lighting are but a few of the hazards.
More often than not, flightline workers anticipate and prepare well for these hazards. However, it’s the routine operation of driving on the flightline that can present one of the greater hazards. 

Now that you have completed your training and passed your flightline driving test, are you ready for your first trip out there alone? 

There are many scenarios for what can go wrong with each trip onto the flightline; each moment of peril can happen in the blink of an eye. How many hazards can you identify?
What type of vehicle are you operating? K-loader, forklift, bobtail, aircraft tow tractor or refueling truck? 

The list is extensive and each presents different hazards for the vehicle operator, personnel who work on the flightline and all other vehicle operators as well as the aircraft. 

Vehicle flow plans, speed limits and parking rules were developed to mitigate the hazards and control the risk of vehicle operations on the aircraft parking area. 

Many folks don’t seem to understand ... or suddenly forget under the pressure to accomplish a task ... that the speed limit for vehicles on the access road and parking ramp is 15 mph. The speed limit if you are towing equipment is reduced even more, in many cases to 5 mph. 

Vehicle parking rules are intended to provide clear areas for aircraft operations.
Parking with the driver’s door toward the aircraft establishes a traffic pattern for vehicle flow. 

Flashing lights when parked are intended to ensure that vehicles are clearly visible for other operators. 

Setting the parking brake or using chocks when vehicles are not occupied ensures that vehicles will not roll into an aircraft or other vehicles. 

Equipment towing presents unique hazards for the equipment, vehicle operators and the aircraft on the ramp. 

Reduced speed limits, pintle hook pins, and flashing lights to warn others are designed to reduce the risk during towing operations. 

Slower towing speeds also greatly reduce the damage caused to stands because many of them have solid wheels that cannot absorb the vibration of towing; this vibration results in increase maintenance cost for parts and labor. 

What if you are operating the “Tunner” loader that is fully loaded with six pallets; your visibility is very limited; your turning radius is huge. As you arrive at the aircraft parking area you discover that this is another 20 vehicle launch. 
There are pickups, maintenance vans, bobtails moving stands; and a staircase truck waiting to load passengers. This balancing act goes on routinely on the Travis ramp. 

Many vehicles of all types operate on the ramp, if all operators obey the speed limits, follow established vehicle flow plans, observe parking rules, wear seat belts, turn on flashing lights when towing equipment or at night when parking, the probability of vehicle mishaps is greatly reduced. 

Vehicle operations are no different than the other safety rules. 

How can you, the supervisor, expect your workers to follow the standards if you are not setting the example? 

Lead safety ... know and enforce the rules.