Ground Support Equipment

1. Ground Support Equipment

2. Ground support equipment is found at an airport, usually on the apron by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aeroplane between flights to support the operations of aeroplane on the ground.

4. Ground Power Unit (GPU) A ground power unit (GPU) is either a stand-alone generator or vehicle capable of supplying electrical power to aeroplane on the apron. Generaly a aeroplane require 28V of direct current and 110V 400 Hz of alternating current. The electric energy is carried from a generator to a connection on the aircraft via 3 phase 4-wire insulated cable capable of handling 200 amps. These connectors are standard in the aviation industry.

6. Tugs The tugs (or tractors) at an airport are used to move equipment such as: bagage carts, mobile air conditioning units, air starters, lavatory carts etc. Pushback tugs are mostly used to push an aeroplane away from the gate when it is ready to leave. They can be used to pull aircraft in various situations, such as to a hangar. Various size tugs are aviailble for different size aeroplane. They use a tow-bar as a connection between the tug and the aircraft to tow or push the aeroplane in the desired area.

8. Chocks Chocks are used to prevent an aircraft from moving while parked at the gate or in a hangar. Chocks are placed in the front and back of the wheels of landing gear. They are made out of hard wood or hard rubber.

10. Aeroplane Refueler Aeroplane refuelers can be either a self contained fuel truck or a hydrant truck. Self contained fuel trucks typically contain up to 10,000 US gallons of fuel and have their own pumps, filters, hoses, and other equipment. A hydrant truck hooks into a central pipeline network and provides fuel to the aeroplane.