Ground_Support_September2020 - 24

GSE

PROTECTION FOR STORED GSE

24 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

By Josh Smith
Although primarily designed
to protect aircraft engines,
officials at AeroShield Covers
note their products are used
for other applications, such as
safeguarding stored ground
support equipment (GSE).
The concept behind protecting GSE or an aircraft engine is the same. The
goal is to protect an asset from various weather conditions and other harmful
elements.
However, all storage environments and equipment present their own
challenges, explains Blair McKay, president of AeroShield Covers, so covers
should be designed to address the specific needs of each application.
"An improperly chosen cover may result in more damage to the equipment
being covered than no cover at all," he says. "There is no 'one cover fits all'
solution, so make sure you have a supplier that will work with you closely to
ensure you select the proper cover for your application."
Even with indoor storage, birds, rodents and other pests can cause havoc in
both motorized GSE and aircraft engines.
"Enclosing the equipment in a protective cover can significantly reduce
damage to this expensive equipment," says McKay.
When selecting a cover for stored GSE, personnel should consider how often
the equipment will be stored, the climate conditions and the protection of the
equipment.
McKay also suggests selecting a cover that can be easily installed without
excessive training, provides a secure fit and is lightweight and durable for easy
removal and reinstallation. What's more a cover that offers accessibility for
periodic maintenance checks may further assist ground service providers.
"Access doors are developed with customer desires in mind, allowing GSE
personnel to access the equipment in key areas without necessitating the
removal of the cover," McKay says.
Also, a cover that is breathable can prevent moisture from being trapped and
possibly causing corrosion on GSE units.
"AeroShield offers 'Smart Cover' solutions that provide chemical drying agents
in conjunction with sensors that measure temperature and humidity levels,
providing automated notification to users when humidity levels reach a point
that drying agents need to be changed," notes McKay.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Photo courtesy of AeroShield Covers

will need to look for leaks, make sure the
brakes and emergency stops all work and
let's not forget about environmental gremlins like wasps that can sting, rodents that
can eat wires or birds building nests."
Textron GSE's DiMaria explains
ground service providers must calculate
what equipment is required based on
flight volume, duration between flights,
aircraft models, gate locations and turnaround needs.
Once that amount of equipment is
determined, most of the process is simply
reversing the measures taken at the time
of storage.
"Most of your initial steps are really
doing a good visual of everything, so you
can see if anything has happened while it's
in long-term storage," he says.
"You just want to make sure you go
through 100 percent of the functions, get
the equipment up to operating temperature
and then come back and do a good, thorough visual inspection on it to make sure
you don't have any leaks."
WestJet's Hoey says companies should
review and create their own plans based on
reversing the specific steps taken by their
operation to store the GSE.
"One key factor to consider as equipment
is reinstated is to review GSE maintenance
staffing levels to ensure enough resources
are in place to perform necessary safety
checks and repairs," he says.
Ideally maintenance schedules should
continue during storage periods to preserve
the assets, Hoey explains. But he notes that
in reality, schedules may have been halted
to save money.
"If a maintenance schedule was halted
on any equipment, the units must be
thoroughly inspected and serviced prior
to returning to operation," he says. "Each
organization will need to assess their own
situation and determine the best course
with priority being to ensure the safety of
each unit."
"If equipment was only parked and
didn't go through the prep for long-term
storage, then full preventative maintenance
should be conducted before putting the
unit back into service," advises DiMaria.
"Review the equipment manual and follow
the guidelines for your specific equipment.

Selecting the right cover can help increase the lifecycle of
equipment when its returned to service.
Ground_Support_September2020

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