Can line service be automated?

groundguy

New Member
I was reading about the new Taxibot technology that would allow a pilot to control the tug during pushback and I thought about this question.. With your experience working on the ramp (airline or GA), how much of the job do you think would and could be automated/done by 'intelligent' technology only?
 
Man, if only our hangars would stack and unstack themselves and I could control it remotely. Will it happen? Given the fact that my shop won't even get a damn lektro tug and we're stuck using towbars/ old school tractor tugs... not in my lifetime. I think automation would be more of a given in an airline environment, where things are much more standardized and routine. In the GA line service world, there's many variables which complicate things for automation.

Infra-red de-icing. I guess you could call this automation. Still need to manually apply type IV though...
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...ared-de-icing-speeds-process-and-reduces-cost
 
Man, if only our hangars would stack and unstack themselves and I could control it remotely. Will it happen? Given the fact that my shop won't even get a damn lektro tug and we're stuck using towbars/ old school tractor tugs... not in my lifetime. I think automation would be more of a given in an airline environment, where things are much more standardized and routine. In the GA line service world, there's many variables which complicate things for automation.

Infra-red de-icing. I guess you could call this automation. Still need to manually apply type IV though...
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-n...ared-de-icing-speeds-process-and-reduces-cost

Great point. I was thinking the only predictable "autonomous" job could be towing, I.e by remote control. I know there's GA tugs that are already remote controlled at some FBOs but I doubt anything will ever truly replace the line guy. I guess they might remove the need for wingwalkers since the controller is free to move about. As for other things like fueling, I could really only imagine "self service" fuel stations removing the line guy's role. But, even self service stuff will never be 100% accepted since some pilots won't want to do the fueling or are too busy with other things.
 
Great point. I was thinking the only predictable "autonomous" job could be towing, I.e by remote control. I know there's GA tugs that are already remote controlled at some FBOs but I doubt anything will ever truly replace the line guy. I guess they might remove the need for wingwalkers since the controller is free to move about. As for other things like fueling, I could really only imagine "self service" fuel stations removing the line guy's role. But, even self service stuff will never be 100% accepted since some pilots won't want to do the fueling or are too busy with other things.
Our business kinda dictates personalized service like that. When the plane rolls up, after I marshal them in, i'll be standing outside at the cabin door, greeting the customer and saying "you can I help you today?". I may not even need to ask that because they may be regulars and I already know what's up with them and I already have a GPU and fuel truck running and waiting there (gotta love beechjet quickturns) I can't really think of anything that can replace that... maybe a robot :eek:
 
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