Aviation Groundcare

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CHOOSE A TRACTOR FOR AIRPORT MAINTENANCE

With an ever-increasing versatility of Valtra machines, we are determined to go forward also in the airport segment to serve the international, regional, local airports with our solutions. Whether they are maintenance tasks during the summer time or runway clearing operations in the winter time, Valtra has proven solutions for airport operators.

The special features of airport maintenance call for a specific vehicle; safety issues, large working areas, long transits, need for big fuel capacity, utilisation of several implements and the comfort for the workers can all be handled with a Valtra Unlimited tractor.

AIRPORT LIGHTS MAINTENANCE

An airport runway has several hundred different lights for different purposes. Lights need maintenance, and especially in wintertime they need to be carefully cleaned from snow. That’s why snow ploughing is not enough, special tools are needed with plough & sweeper / brush combinations.

Runway edge lights are on average 43cm high, so a special tool is needed to properly clean the snow around the lights. This task can be taken care of with a light bar sweeper on a tractor.

Light bar sweepers are designed specifically for cleaning snow from light bars along airport runways. The equipment can be used as a normal plough for removing snow between the light bars, and the middle parts of the main wings are then moved aside to brush the light bars with two sweepers on both sides. The snow is then removed by the rear wings for further ploughing. Light bar sweepers can be used with medium-sized tractors. Combined with the Valtra auto-guidance system and reverse driving system, the work can be done very accurately, quickly, and easily.

GRASS MOWING MADE EASY

At an airport, grassland areas need to be kept short and tidy. The sides of the runway are especially vital due to the fact that animals – such as birds and rabbits – tend to make nests in higher vegetation, which may cause a safety risk for the safe take-off and landing of airplanes.

It can be difficult to imagine, but smaller airports can easily have around 50 ha of grass areas and bigger airports have hundreds of hectares that need to be maintained – many times per year.

A Valtra tractor with Valtra Guide and a towed rotary mower is the perfect combination for this task. Driving back and forth using long straight A-B lines with no unnecessary overlap between the passes makes the work easy and effective. By using Valtra Guide, you save time because overlap is kept to a minimum and the quality of work is excellent: The driver can focus more on the implement and their surroundings, keeping an eye out for obstacles from the cabin, which as a matter of fact boasts market leading visibility and comfort.

Runway de-icing

To ensure the safe departure and landing of the days’ flights, runway de-icing is a vital operation. The attached technology together with the high speeds they’re capable of make tractors an excellent option for de-icing. By utilising Section Control and Variable Rate technology, de-icing fluids and granulates can be applied accurately without overlap – reducing costs while protecting the environment.

Valtra tractors’ ease of use means that they are the perfect fit for airport work. Simple and clear user interfaces means that any operator can get the best out of the machine. On top of that, when the runway doesn’t need de-icing, the tractor can be used for other tasks.

Cargo handling

Valtra tractors have a long wheelbase that gives good stability and a steady ride for cargo handling. Tractors also reach a new level of agility with a small turning radius, thanks to the narrow engine construction, integrated front linkage, and front PTO.

With tractors, you have the power to pull any cargo with ease and still maintain the agility to move around the airport.

Runway snow removal

Day or night, snow or rain, the runway must be safe for airplanes to land. Combine tractors’ pulling power, agility, and technology solutions with a snowplow and a blower/brush unit, and what do you get? The perfect solution for runway and taxiway snow removal. With excellent front and rear facing visibility, the implements are in full view of the driver, all of the time.

By using Valtra Guide, overlap can be kept to a minimum and straight lines ensured even in the worst of conditions, reducing operator stress and wear on the machines. Designed with the operator in mind, Valtra tractors are easier to use than your smartphone, making them the ideal solution for multi-driver operations.