The FUTURE of PUSHBACK is ELECTRIC! Without a pushback truck! Explained by CAPTAIN JOE

[@murdelabop]

I came up with this idea 35 years ago. Everyone I talked to about it gave me the same response: "It would be too heavy, too expensive, a maintenance headache, take up too much room in the landing gear, and it would be unsafe because the pilots couldn't see where they would be going." It's nice to see someone finally making it work.

[@Sweetstevenson]

Oh I hope they do this I hate pushing the plane

[@beyondinsanitybr]

I also thought of an electric motor for all wheels to spin them right before touchdown, hence reducing tire whear and increasing it's lifespan

[@nathanielyao3525]

So those FSX pushbacks without a truck were really just happening in the future

[@TheRealEnglishTeacher]

Hahaha, underrated comment!

[@rojaunjames747]

i have to apologize to them oof

[@henriklmao]

I can now uninstall gsx, pushback got realistic again.

[@MalaysianAviator737-8]

I was just about to comment that..

[@TheRealEnglishTeacher]

@@henriklmao HAHAHA... YOU JUST MADE IT EVEN FUNNIER!

[@josephjohn666]

i think you were lucky in moving to cargo operations before covid arrived.

[@saims.2402]

Yeah ikr.

[@BlackAttraction]

Definitely! This dude spreads so much knowledge and motivation! Maybe there is something like Karma?

[@DeltaFoxtrotWhiskey3]

Before government response to Covid Arrived.

[@TheNixie1972]

It turned out well, but he did have a rough and uncertain time when AirBerlin went bust.

[@donaldstanfield8862]

He sure is!

[@kenneth.pascual]

As an aircraft maintainer, this will provide me with work for many hours to come

[@yoyoyoyoshua]

More like provide you with another headache lol.

[@j.mc.8773]

As a groundworker ,this will provide me losing my job ...

[@yoyoyoyoshua]

@@j.mc.8773 if it makes you feel better it will take a long time to replace you in loading the bags and all other things you do.

[@emmetts1899]

I completely agree as an aircraft mechanic myself. Winglets and elevators being ripped off is a lot of OT for us.

[@CHOXON2CHOXOFF]

@@emmetts1899 true

[@vwegert]

5:55 Well, technically, pogo sticks could classify as air travel - just very short-haul...

[@doolittlegeorge]

"it ain't the fall but the sudden stop" no doubt.

[@n-plane]

Hi captain Joe. I'm 12 and I'm an aviation inthusiast. I've been learning about planes on KZbin since I was 6. I've been flying alot on xplane 11(my flight sim) and I've learnt alot in the past six years from you and youtube. I'm a big fan and thanks so much for all the hard effort you put into your videos.

[@Rose.nancy_]

Same here At first I didn't know anything I saw how to defrence an Airbus and Boeing I watched it and baam I knew I wanted more I subscribed and watched a ton of videos

[@Rose.nancy_]

I have alot of simulators about plane even I have apps to tell me about such as avionics history of planes and mor

[@ulysseslee9541]

@@Rose.nancy_ borrow books about the civil aircraft from public Library & u will get the answer

[@Rose.nancy_]

Thanks and don't worry old age comes with knowledge

[@Rose.nancy_]

I'll ask my mom to buy me some cause am a child I can't travel much covid-19

[@Zych.Grzegorz]

Wow, I've had no idea the Spitfire was so big.

[@t_sixtyfivex_wing8787]

Spitfire 1:48 right?

[@BETTER.ART.]

lol at the fools who dont get the joke

[@fieryjustin]

The toy spitfire in the background contrasting size to the 777

[@polarjet1833]

@@t_sixtyfivex_wing8787 no he’s talking about the big dark colored pane on the wall behind Joe, the one at the top of the three model planes, that’s thenspitfire, it’s a WW2 British fighter plane

[@shaneraymond3729]

Lmao

[@syedazzam7740]

2 minutes of silence for those who haven't discovered Captain Joe's youtube Channel. I really do feel for them. 😔😔

[@kmmediafactory]

Amen

[@flywithcaptainjoe]

Hilarious 😂

[@NikodAnimations]

Lol. Just let them discover captain joe

[@Rose.nancy_]

Yap like years ago were was I in the internet I'll tell you were lost

You can always share it, so more people are aware ;)

[@spewmuffin]

When I worked in avionics a decade ago, I remember the hot buzz around this concept in systems development and research and how exciting many engineers were in wanting to participate in this program. I am glad to see that this is coming to fruition!

[@spvillano]

Well, a baggage tug has enough power to push an aircraft back, the mass of the aircraft being ridiculously higher, stopping is the challenge. The biggest obstruction has been getting powerful and small electric motors, although a hydraulic motor could have fit the bill, hot brakes and hydraulics, yeah, not a good idea. My only concern is what protection is there to guard against a seized clutch?

[@JerryBiehler]

@@spvillano No clutch, the wheels are the motors. Direct drive permanent magnet motors.

[@spvillano]

@@JerryBiehler which can offer their own potential failure modes that can cause problems. Sounds like a challenging project, of the more fun kind! As an example, were implementation to be done on a pushback, rotational velocities wouldn't really matter, due to the legendary lack of speed of said behemoth vehicle. In an aircraft wheel, while pushback speed is still slow, one would be asking the rotor magnet to be able to withstand both impact and 200 knot speeds on a rapid spinup in an emergency landing. That's one hell of an ask for a ceramic, hence why I mentioned a clutch to pull the rotor out of the wheel system when taking off and landing. Brake heat would also be an issue to resolve. That sounds like a fun project to be on!

[@filanfyretracker]

I am wondering if electric cars are what helped this along, A decade ago EVs were far less common. But now there is a lot of engineering R&D knowledge in the wild for compact light weight and very powerful electric motors.

[@bamisona]

Great Idea. I can see this evolving into: 1. Having enough power to do all the taxiing between the gate and take-off point for departure as well as arrival. This will save lot of fuel, as well as increase the life of the engines. 2. Having a computer at the ground-control take over all the taxiing from the pilot, making the ground operations more efficient and error free, also eliminating the need for the follow-me car.

[@mildlemon7866]

I had this idea more than 25 years ago, and I'm 100% sure I wasn't the first one to think of this. But developing such idea into a viable and certified product is a great accomplishment!

[@paulroling1781]

It isn't actually certified yet. And viability is another issue, especially if the in flight weight penalty outweighs the benefits.

[@firstnamesecondname5341]

We did it as a project at university too and we weren’t the only ones…. Patents screwed us up though 🙄 and also we weren’t the ‘elite’ engineering students of the department so weren’t taken seriously or given a chance at all…. Protean based in Farnham Surrey had a prototype version for use in a car over a decade ago but I guess they’re not the sort of company to spot opportunities (they got caught up in the in hub wheel for electric cars and wouldn’t have even thought about planes, or commercial moving equipment 🤷🏻‍♂️)

[@donaldstanfield8862]

Yes, it would not be easy to sort out all the energy and weight-saving components for retrofitting thousands of aircraft.

[@ReluctantLuddite]

@@paulroling1781 I’m in California, our crazy leaders here don’t care about things like costs vs benefit ratios. If is saves fuel and reduces emissions, you can be sure they will mandate its use, regardless if it make economic sense. They’ve mandated zero emission Semi truck use, even though we don’t have them available yet, and when they do become available, they won’t be very affordable...

[@Rose.nancy_]

That's the spirit

[@abnormaalz]

I can see another advantage in this system. You noted that most damage is done to engines by pilots having to spool up for "breakaway thrust". If instead the airplane is "broken away" with just the electric wheel drive, no breakaway thrust is required.

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

My dad's a pilot, but Captain Joe teaches me more than my dad! 😂

[@saims.2402]

Lol

[@adriansrealm]

Use what Captain Joe says to impress your dad.

[@ekurve]

@@adriansrealm big brain

[@Docstantinople]

Your father failed you.

[@gurukn]

@BHAVIN PANJWANI ICSE are you even allowed to watch captain joe with your school account, bud? lol

[@will53e]

As a USA based regional jet airline pilot, I can say unequivocally that this system would absolutely increase overall efficiency. Personally I love the concept and wish I had it on the jet tomorrow. That being said here in the US at least, it will be a long time before this system is widely adopted. The FAA moves so slowly, and then there are real concerns about the thousands of ground handler and ground equipment maintenance jobs that would be lost upon the widespread use of this system. Also I can't wait to see what the FAA and airlines come up with for training requirements not to mention certification....anyhow I love it, and I hope to push myself back, taxi out of the ramp, and park myself someday using a system like this. I wish the inventors much success! Thanks Joe for sharing.

[@haynlaskan9668]

Im literally about to start at an airport gig as a Tech and i stumble upon this clip/Comment...No pressure Right! Lol.. However, i don't believe it would wipe out TOO much jobs. Us Me-CanFix still have the Belt loaders, De-icer trucks, and regular cars and trucks used to transport personnel to 🔧 wrench on so we'll make do

[@zhaofengyang6472]

Did you realize that pushback driving is just one of the hundreds of jobs done by groung handlers? Mins saved by pushback won't buy you too much time, other jobs still need to be done including unload/load before you can finally "fly". Pilot is just about fly, but the aircraft and the whole system is not!

[@johnathanasiou9284]

My biggest 2 worries with this system was a) Reversing camera views which the ground crew usually manage & b) The system accidentally engaging on the takeoff & landing rolls. It seems they have thought of both. BRAVO!. Last time I saw such an innovation was when they moved away from the INS navigation systems on early 747s. I believe they are on a winner here. Well done!

[@bananenrepublikdeutschland9043]

alright, you've convinced me - I'm buying one. 😁

[@syedhamdan1622]

*buying

[@vincentvoncarnap]

@@syedhamdan1622 was just about to do the same

[@iamgroot4080]

I've got one already in my Honda, great stuff

[@spvillano]

I'm gonna need two. Damned weight gain during COVID shutdowns...

[@OhRums]

As a ramp agent pushing out planes is literally the best job ever and the funnest thing to do!

[@YANK951]

I’m a cargo aircraft K-loader operator and I have to say it’s the best job ever tbh I wanna get that pushback certification as well tho 💯💯

[@PsychoKat90]

It does sound fun tbh :)

[@Docstantinople]

Your days are numbered.

[@therealdjdijon3340]

Agreed

[@krozareq]

@@Docstantinople Yep. As for most of us unfortunately. The only ones who really benefit in the end will be executives and wealthy investors.

[@Flyby-1000]

They've been working on this project since 2012 if I'm not mistaken, glad to hear they've continued it. There wasn't much information getting out about wheel tug in the last 6 years...

[@aaronbianco2392]

I found they were from 2005!!

[@AaronShenghao]

To put it simply, regulations are a b**ch. It takes years to make FAA and similar regulatory bodies to approve small things like this...

[@christianbarnay2499]

@@AaronShenghao Safety requires time and proper thinking. You can't just put a motor in there and voila. You need to make sure there is enough rear vision capability added so the pilot can operate it safely. You need to study all cases of failure you can think of and the proper response. You need to take that new option into account in radio communications, pilots training, airport procedures. You need to check which weather conditions allow or forbid the use of that system. I as a passenger want them to do their job the right way and not repeat the deadly fiasco of the 737 Max.

[@kennethsrensen7706]

​@@AaronShenghao No . It is due to a lot of people are gonna loose their jobs . Same reason why they pushing so hard to get this system . They simply want to fire all those who drive the trucks and now they are close to sucess.

[@michealeckert499]

@@aaronbianco2392 hi

[@alanmorton1370]

Brilliant! World record distance for pogo stick 26.2 miles (42.16km) but not much room for luggage. Know which way I'd sooner travel!

[@rexwave4624]

When I was a kid, I was a tug operator for a big airline at a big airport. I pushed back everything up to 747’s. It was always a challenge to drive a straight line as the pilot started the engines sequentially while I pushed. I think the lead hand and possibly wing walkers would still be necessary because of the movement of other aircraft on the ramp, especially at night.

[@PakaBubi]

O’Leary: shut up and take my money! Ground crew union: we are going on strike 😂

[@killerdoxen]

Go on strike for having to do less?

[@ghostdog688]

@@killerdoxen no, because layoffs and redundancies will be the result... what will happen is that the airport will give less people the same amount of work to do. If you don’t need as many ground tugs, then you need less crew and less people maintaining them.

[@PiotrWalukiewicz]

@@ghostdog688 It will take years to install it on every plane, so it is time to reorganize ground crew work. It is normal nowadays that new systems are deployed everywhere in the world.

[@ghostdog688]

@@PiotrWalukiewicz i get that, but what matters here is ground crew’s perception of what will happen. We all know the difference between facts and perceptions, but in the Current climate I could see a few ground staff getting anxious or nervous for their future.

[@PiotrWalukiewicz]

@@ghostdog688 That reminds me workers reaction in 1920 when spinning mills were installed in factory in Poland. Their were breaking them in order to keep their manual job.

[@Dr.farazalam]

Co-incidentally I had this in my dream yesterday. Dreams are mostly irrational... So it was an A340 using this and I got a chance to talk to the pilots and started asking questions like is it electric, so it runs on APU... I woke up before their answer.

[@sierraromeomike]

And i was thinking about the feasibility of such a system just this afternoon!

[@joeycathcart]

Very cool. I used to operate a pushback tug. Had a lot of fun doing it, but always seemed strange to me that this operation needed to be done externally from the flight deck. Awesome innovation!

[@jayjay3013]

Why did you change career? What experience did you need prior? I’m very curious however don’t know anyone that has operated as a pushback tug and considering persuing a that role what would you suggest? How was the pay and working hours? would love to hear back thanks!

[@joeycathcart]

@@jayjay3013 Hi. I worked for Frontier Airlines for about a year working ramp service. I enjoyed the job overall, early hours with 6:30am flights (start at 5:30). The pay was low, but it was a good start to my career. The airlines probably pay around 14-15 per hour I would guess these days.

[@jayjay3013]

@@joeycathcart Do you mind if I ask if your still in the industry? Where did that project you in your career. Really appreciate the response man just got out of school and still considering possible careers

[@fdx990h3]

Im a KMEM local and got to see this plane fly over every day while they were developing it. Awesome vid!

[@kd5nrh]

Needs a Volkswagen gearshift instead of those silly buttons. Bonus points for a high-quality audio system to provide the gear grinding sound effect throughout the plane.

[@wewillrockyou1986]

Heh, I used to think about this kind of electrical taxi/pushback system when I was a kid, finally someone has been willing to implement it and try to get it on the market.

[@donaldstanfield8862]

Nice, what else do you have up your sleeve!? 😊

[@wewillrockyou1986]

@@donaldstanfield8862 Aircraft style business class lie flat seats for long distance overnight (high speed) trains (:

[@unclejoe8310]

@@wewillrockyou1986 They already got these in China

[@sqwk2559]

I can see airlines having a problem with the extra wear-and-tear on the main tires, but I suppose they’ll be happy with less stress on the engines. A good trade off.

[@aaronbianco2392]

What about the stress on the nose gear from the pushback tractor. Every time it moves an aircraft there is a shock, since the tractor moves, and THEN the aircraft moves. No more collapsed nosegear because a pilot forgot to release the brakes LOL

[@ThomasR119]

I think this is very innovative. I still think wing walkers will still be needed for airport safety concerns!

[@aaronbianco2392]

But "fewer" walkers is probably a good thing. Most importantly, fewer vehicles touching the plane. (Lots of planes damaged by the pushback trucks, so insurance should go down considerably)

[@pd4165]

@@aaronbianco2392 I never saw any pushback tugs get into grief - but every other vehicle on ramp seemed to have a magnetic attraction to the aeras. The company I used to work for.....crushed a pilot to death against a wall (baggage tug), had to chase a mobile belt across a live taxiway after the gearbox refused to stay in park, wrote off a twin turboprop with a mobile belt when a brake rotor snapped in half (= no brakes). A coach also hit a 747 wing, which was grounded for a month, and some dickwad touched the titanium cone on the rear of a 737 engine, which had just stopped (so he lost the finger).

[@irideaduck939]

Quite the sales pitch here! Two issues that were not talked about are, one with only ~5% of the aircraft weight on the NLG will it be able to operate in wet and snowy conditions? Two, with the added mass, has the NLG been certified for the additional loads placed upon it and can the retraction system pull the NLG as certified by the OEM?

[@sventheman]

During my years working for a big European aircraft manufacturer all my handed in suggestions for improvement have been declined argumenting "too heavy". As I'm working now in the fields of electro mobility I know about the weight of e-motors and can't really believe that this extra weight will be accepted in a larger scale no matter how great this idea is. Hope I'm wrong because I really like those usefull gadgets

[@adamqurabi65]

Yeah! A Captain Joe video!! Have a nice evening Joe and everyone watching!

[@zootnetwork]

Joe crew here. Want more people to view his channel.

[@Zenheizer]

I always wondered if that would be possible, as a child. Glad to see its coming!

[@frankpeck1448]

There goes 'Job Security' for tug operators. I recall about two decades ago, Lufthansa developed a vehicle designed to tow the airliner to the takeoff point, as a means of saving fuel. Never seen or heard of it since.

[@AlexForencich]

You mentioned breakaway thrust; can these be used in a sort of "hybrid" mode where the electric motors can provide the force to get the plane moving initially, then the engines can be used to increase the taxi speed beyond what the electric motors alone can do, thereby reducing wear on the engines?

[@donanders2110]

I was wondering the same thing

[@ZachareSylvestre]

I believe he covered this in the video, where he said that the 'breakway thrust' that is normally needed to get the plane moving from stopped is the place that normally engines are worn the most, because the plane ingests debris from the airport and causes damage to the propeller blades. This hybrid mode would allow the plane to begin moving, then use engines to keep up power without getting high power then back down to taxi power to get moving.

[@Angry.General1461]

@@ZachareSylvestre I'm sure the electric motor in the nose gear is not strong enough to handle bigger planes like the 747 or the A380. It might take several built into the main landing gear!

[@piyushkanthak1087]

Joe is back!!! Man I missed you soo much...Take care of your self😊 Love your vides your voice and what not, thanks for keeping my love for aviation alive

[@Jodah175]

Im honestly surprised this hasnt been built sooner. Though Id think youll still need spotters, or a very good camera system.

[@SetMyLife]

Exactly my thoughts

[@Andrew-zv4fm]

I agree.

[@1967mustangman]

As mentioned it comes with a 4 camera system.

[@Jodah175]

@@1967mustangman and this is why I shouldn't be playing a game whilst listening to a video. Haha, thanks for that.

[@ian3580]

@@1967mustangman Does NOT come with the 4 camera system....it's optional......meaning you can get WheelTug without it and it costs more to get it.

[@cyyzaviation7469]

Very cool, but the best part of working the ramp is pushing!

[@kayinoue2497]

This is MEGA cool. It reminds me of some of the in-wheel motor systems I was looking at for my wheelchair (before I decided on a different motor setup). Putting in-wheel motors in the landing gear seems like such an obvious move, I wonder how nobody had done this sooner.

[@leerb44]

It’s also great for maintenance ops

[@BrandonTurpin83]

This was demo-ed at my local airport (KNQA) for a couple weeks before the main demo at (MEM). What a great feeling to have such revolutionary technology right here in my hometown!

[@johnstuart8013]

That is so cool! do you have other footage of the system?

[@BrandonTurpin83]

@@johnstuart8013 on Facebook you can search Millington Memphis airport and they have a video in August last year when it was out there doing testing before the demonstration at Memphis.

[@johnstuart8013]

@@BrandonTurpin83 Thanks

[@jonash6070]

This is some wheely cool stuff.

[@khayriz]

Badum tuss

[@notbadgamers9497]

**late at night** captain joe: *uploads a video* me: there are more important things to do than sleep, like watching captain joe

[@Rose.nancy_]

Yap

[@Dogsnark]

I’ve heard of this innovation before, and always wondered how and when it would be implemented, or IF it would be. Thank you for this explanation of the system. I’m glad to know that it’s likely to come into more common use soon.

[@bongarijit]

Lean operations -- excellent presentation @Captain Joe

[@smakermanster]

Great video! This system seems like such a no-brainer addition to any plane's systems it's a little surprising that something like this didn't come out sooner!

[@mrslkungpowchikn1206]

And help prevent the terrible fumes passengers are being gassed with!!

[@chagi4334]

I remember a few years ago when he was still flying for a Airberlin. I recognized his voice while being a passenger on his plane. I never was so hyped to be flying on a plane haha. I think it was a flight to Venice

[@ajrafkabir]

Stop lying 🤥

[@chagi4334]

@@ajrafkabir what are you talking about. It was a flight from str to vce back when air berlin still existed

[@agentmuldermd]

Enjoy the videos but this, while interesting, seems more of a sponsored ad. What are the downsides, what are the lease costs/yr, are there any competitors, any concern for loss of tug-vehicle jobs?

[@schmal911]

yeah there's definitely a side to this story that we're missing. Some tug drivers will definitely be out of a job, but that's also a cost we've seen a million times before. The visibility issue is also curious. The only comment was that there's an *optional* camera system upgrade to look behind the plane... something you can bet low cost carriers won't be buying for their pilots. So then what? A team of marshallers? A quick prayer that it's clear? Nothing about this seems like an improvement of safety. All I see is just another way for airlines to shave down costs being disguised as a "time saver" for passengers.

[@Ismalith]

Well you definitely can roll till the waiting position in front of the runway and only start the Engines there. Also they could go further and add hub motors to all wheels, they could increase braking performance and stabilize the aircraft on touchdown with spinning the wheels up and counter slipping effects on wet runways. Also you could use them to speed the aircraft up especially on the first few knots when the engines still work poorly.

[@kittyislandadventure]

Spinning the wheels before landing would be a terrible idea. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3u1l2Sgec6Ujtk

[@sidb9540]

This is one of the smartest ways to advertise and educate about a product at the same time!

[@olivertomlinson6108]

The most interesting thing was when the plane was positioned sideways and then they connected two jetways 🤯

[@JaxVideos]

Yes. All of us from row 20 on back will experience such relief the first time that back door opens onto a nice empty jetbridge! I was able to ride inside the demo plane shown here during the Twist maneuver, and was thrilled when WT's CEO proudly released the door latch and ushered us up into the terminal gate. I felt a wave of relieved passengers from future flights breaking out of hunched postures and exiting happy and refreshed.

[@SDK-im8sl]

Parallel parking with fore/aft jet bridges was commonplace for larger jets in the 1960s, for certain airlines like United and TWA. The planes would power into and out of the gates. As mentioned in this video, there were significant jet blast hazards. As not mentioned, it was hell on tires and brakes, and if the final alignment wasn't perfect, the aft bridge couldn't make the hookup. With the "WheelTug" shown here, those problems would be lessened. BUT, parallel parking and fore/aft bridges cause each gate to take up more space on the concourse, which means less gates for a given length of concourse, a very big economic/productivity concern. // I think the Wheel Tug general concept will someday take hold, but it's going to need many years of development. Using the nose gear for locomotion is the least costly approach, but it's not functionally ideal... Only a small proportion of an airplane's weight is on the nose gear, so traction will be a big problem in many conditions, for both accelerating and braking. Then there's the need for redundancy and safety... you can't use main gear brakes to stop a jetliner's rearward motion, because there's a large risk of the airplane "tail standing".

[@JaxVideos]

@@SDK-im8sl Capt. Joe mentioned that WheelTug limits speed in reverse. 5mph would be OK even if the main gear came to a full stop against, say, a misplaced piece of ground equipment... The gate navigation aids coming along will park these planes perfectly and repeatably. I foresee this happening rather quickly once the first few installations are analyzed economically. Time savings recoup seats, concourse length, and even a little weight.

[@shaunhendrickson1628]

How do they avoid the electric motor being damaged by the impact of landing?

[@GilmerJohn]

And what does the extra weight do to the suspension system dynamics? "Seems to me" one of the larger sized power assisted manual tugs might solve the problem.

[@Skinnypole_clara]

Every airplane landing gear has a hydraulic suspension system that damp the opposing force of the impact landing. So the real question is is the motor able to keep up with the rpm of the take off or landing rpm while still maintaining working in condition?

[@edwin2963]

@@Skinnypole_clara there may be some kind of clutch to disconnect the motor from the wheel

[@natehill8069]

The motor is in the nose gear. Almost all "impact" is borne by the main gear. Nose gear are more fragile to begin with since they steer; they only touch down after everything else is under control. And electric motors are pretty tough anyway, very few moving parts.

[@pd4165]

@@edwin2963 If you listened to the video...9:15

[@Deamon93IT]

Not surprised this relatively tiny innovation is getting attention: the amount of cost and time savings alone are worth it, especially considering it takes only minor modifications to install

[@qwerty112311]

Except not… max speed it can taxi at is around 10 knots, when 20 is common and 30 happens here and there on engines. The weight of the system alone makes it only economically feasible on very short routes, and that’s with cheap fuel. Forget for a moment the added complexity of the system and the snail speed taxi…

[@Deamon93IT]

@@qwerty112311 most of the flights are on thr short end, where any gain in turn around time is precious. Add to that the fact that the carriers doing such flights tend to be low cost. After all they started with the B737 and A320, not exactly known for long hauls

[@akkids6887]

@@qwerty112311 Yeah, I'm curious about the process and the tradeoffs. Seems like fuel savings won't be the core value; more likely the benefits will be smoother and faster ground operations? I wonder: * how much of the overall time on the ground is spent at 20 knots taxiing? * once turned around and entering the taxiway, can the aircraft then start up the engines while rolling, and turn off the wheeltug when the engines are ready to push? (I don't know whether this would work, just curious). It seems like wheeltug will give more simplicity, flexibility and smoothness when on the ground, and that should bring savings in time, equipment and personnel, but I guess there are more tradeoffs I'm not considering. Insight appreciated!

[@jameswoods7276]

That's pretty damn cool. Will be great for operators in and out of smaller airports (like here at YHZ) or airports they don't regularly go to where they may not have pushback trucks of their own. Its a game changer for sure.

[@mostlybasic]

In early 2014 there was a pilot project which was known as "Electric Green Taxiing System" was developed and demonstrated the same solution, by a joint effort from SAFRAN and HONEYWELL. THat time I was working in SAFRAN and knew this project will see some real daylight on many aircraft but seems nothing much happened after the demo runs. That has both Main Landing gears equipped with high power Electric Motors. But this Wheeltug is amazing since it is a simplified system as a whole and very effective.

[@aviationchannel6204]

Finally, no need to wait 1 hour at the gate, waiting for pushback.

[@petereverett1455]

Or landing then waiting an hour on the taxiway for an empty gate

[@aviationcatF22]

Best channel ever keep up the good work love the vids I want to go to flight school then want to work for cargolux!

[@ccm2059]

Same but unfortunately I'm too young I don't think an airline would trust a 12year old with there cargo so I have to wait

[@aviationcatF22]

Bro I am 12 too can’t wait to get old enough to start flight school

[@donaldstanfield8862]

@@ccm2059 Awesome, good luck out there! 👊🏼

[@donaldstanfield8862]

@@aviationcatF22 That's great, all the best to you and blue skies! 🎯

[@ccm2059]

@@donaldstanfield8862 thanks

[@XeonAlpha]

Is there any potential time savings with this from being able to begin your taxi roll while still doing the engine startup procedures?

[@shuttleman27c]

As a ramp agent, I see 1 more problem with it. How people driving on the ramp know when a plane is about to move is by looking and seeing the beacon lights on, a pushback connected, a wingwalker at either wing, and the jet bright or stairs are pulled. If either of those are not present, then it will take a minute, long enough for you to drive safely past. Without most of those signals, I can see people driving behind a plane while its moving backwards will become too common. Also, what if the APU is out? You will still need to have crew who can operate the pushback but they will be out of practice by not doing it all the time

[@suddhojitgon5929]

This is really a much needed innovation. In fact, this system should have been in almost every plane by now.

[@brad4057]

Welcome back joe

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

This is a BRILLIANT IDEA!

[@mroutcast8515]

Captain Joe and Mentour Pilot posting on the same day = heaven for aviation addict. If you know more similar high quality aviation channels, recommendations would be welcome.

[@artyomarustamyan9904]

74gear Denis Okan (his videos are in russian, but often with subtitles)

[@musonii]

alex praglowski

[@johnnyliminal8032]

Juan Browne (blancolirio channel) does a great job on explaining aviation mishaps and related investigation reports. Also used his Luscombe and currently uses his new plane (Husky, iirc) for aerial views for some of his other topics (wildfires, water management) in Northern California. Is also an airline pilot, military flying background. Most recently covered some competitive STOL events. Iirc Dan Gryder, who I know from some blancolirio interviews, has a YT channel. Very focused on general aviation safety, excellent thinker.

[@Shabon67]

@@artyomarustamyan9904 I like 74gear but I literally cannot stand the way his voice sounds. And for pretty much that reason alone, I do not watch his videos. Sorry Kelsey!!

[@bikeny]

I just watched Mentour Pilot's video and now Caption Joe's. Both are fantastic.

[@erandajanaka3790]

Fix motors to other wheel sets too. You can use them as Dynamic breaks to reduce break pads wear out.

[@sagittarius_]

Congratulations for beeing the first (as I have seen) to report this super innovation🙂 As impressive and facts based as always from you. Thank you👏👏👏

[@SB_AE]

I always fell so inspired when i watch him i so want to become a pilot in the futrue!

[@tvanharp]

Do it! We need pilots. A lot of pilots took early retirement because of Covid and a lot of them probably aren't coming back. There was a shortage before Covid and now that everybody is ramping back up it's going to be even worse.

[@tvanharp]

Just take a look at American Airlines right now. And United's Scott Kirby has talked about the looming pilot shortage due to less military pilots.

[@technophant]

In stop and go traffic you could roll forward without revving up the engines. Nice

[@MarcDufresneosorusrex]

right?

[@th1nk_outside]

wow! it seems to be one of those extremely rare and absolutely awesome engineering cases when a new technology is solving a problem while beeing simple enough to basically not have any downsides. love it!

[@stevehofmaster7489]

Yes I enjoyed this so much and oh yes I only wish we had these while I was working as a ground agent for 30 years,I can't tell you how many times we had to WAIT for a push back tug great idea hope it comes along soon!

[@dzenishadzic664]

Cockpits will need mirrors just like trucks so pilots can see where they are going when reversing..

[@PtrkHrnk]

This is such obvious thing to do, it could be done since forever... It's actually surprising isn't requirement yet.

[@alpham777]

Pushback drivers be like: Sure be ashamed if something happened to it.

[@nilin-o2]

something will happen when they do touchdown and if that was not enough breaking alone that generates intense heat ... that's why they didn't show you any of that

[@Copilotdave]

Ya I’m a pushback driver, but tbh I think it’s pretty cool hahaha, but I like pushing back

[@clou09]

@@nilin-o2 that's why there's a clutch to decouple the system during takeoff and landing.

[@spvillano]

@@Copilotdave I saw 737's and a 727 jockeyed around using a tug. Stopping was the hardest part, as we both know that there's a wee bit of difference between the weight of a pushback and a baggage tug. Still, the prize winner was one ramp worker pushing on a 727's nose gear to push it back a foot so that the jetway could mate. Level ground and good bearings being a big deal in aviation.

[@h8GW]

*Sure would be a shame

[@freddietaylor7322]

Hi, how are you? Missed your videos so much. Hope all is going good 👍

[@Kciwzlm]

So you add two electric motors to the Nose wheel tires. Gotcha. This is one of those Ideas it sounds great on paper but when put into practice won't work out. Starting from the MX side of things. How do you think that will go for maintenance cost? Time to change the tire, gear, or motor? Does installing that also now require being synced up to the Airplane? If software is not up-to-date on the chips it takes a while for updates to happen. (not to mention the semi-conductor/ Microchip shortage we are in or heading towards) What's the overhaul cost? Can this be MEL'd? If so then guess what you need a push team again. Does all that out weigh the cost of a Push team? I understand also that Push teams are contracted out pending on airport so it won't really change the cost to the airline. Except when they will need someone to watch their wingtips or tail. Again going to need a ground crew. Does one plane turning into a Ground service cart of any type, outweigh the cost of the repairs that might need to be done vs the cost of a Push team>? Not including the lost revenue from the plane not flying. Just like you said it airlines like it when planes are in the air. UNLESS you are planning on adding cameras everywhere. Then you would need to factor in all the pricing for that. As for saving time. Your timing seems biased. Usually everything todo with the tug is already hooked up and ready for push back prior to asking. Yes there are cases where they are short staffed, Running late, and Ect. So it would probably equal the same amount of time maybe a little more for the ground to disconnect. For argument sake I will give you the 5 min timing. Regardless you can still call for a push back and taxi now. However you If you are at a busy airport even with this technology you will still need to call for a push back, then call for a taxi. Also now considering the more space you will need for the turn around. Gates are packed together and planes are meant to go in one way and pushed out. (Most of the airports that would utilize these types of planes. ) Now forcing all the airports to re draw lines and re map their airport. Which will also require more space per gate now and means less gates per terminal. Do you think that an airline that wants to make money is going to want less gates just to save ~5-10 min of overall pushback time? I would be very curious how the numbers actually look when all laid out.

[@carmengrace2413]

I always wondered about how much fuel burn it takes to taxi in Tampa. It’s almost like their going to just drive to the destinations. Not to mention having to wait for a gate with engines still burning.

[@MetraEmdF40PH]

Now I know why there’s no pushback truck in PTFS! (Roblox: Pilot training flight simulator)

[@idiotsevant71]

Why in the world didn't this happen 20+ years ago? I mentioned this kinda idea when I worked air cargo to a Kalitta engineer, and it was just laughed at.

[@AdventuresonTour]

I was kind of thinking the same thing... Seems so logical, and down right simple really..

[@user-ez5vq9fd2t]

Regulation. The reason mainstream aviation tech is behind a decade is because it takes a lot of time and money to introduce new equipment, procedures, and regulations. If it's not 100% necessary or have enough bang for buck, airlines and aviation authorities will not look into it.

[@JaxVideos]

WheelTug's patents on this are circa 17 years ago, and on the motor itself 21 years ago. That's the time it takes to do this without gov't funding or major airframer support. Oh, and if you think those would have helped, consider why there is no competitor left on the field.

[@idiotsevant71]

@@user-ez5vq9fd2t I would have thought that when planes started to get bigger it would have been done at that time. Especially during war time as an effort to get them around quicker on the ground. Just kinda makes sense to me that way, there were so many aviation breakthroughs of things in the 40's thought someone would have come up with that then.

[@aaronbianco2392]

Safran/Honeywell got together and tried, but they put the motors on the main landing gear NEXT TO THE BRAKES. I bet the two heat sources loved one another. I also realized that if you are going in reverse with an electric motor in the main gear and hit the brakes, then you will get a tail strike, but if you have the motor in the nose gear act as the brake, then it simply lifts upwards, loses traction, and you avoid the tail strike since the plane never stops moving backwards as the braking force causing a potential tail strike is removed. Why didn't Safran use this solution?

[@A.hdh.]

A tiny 757 model! 😍😍😍

[@tomeaston2962]

And it’s radio controlled

[@A.hdh.]

@@tomeaston2962 no way...

[@tomeaston2962]

@@A.hdh. 2:11

[@A.hdh.]

@@tomeaston2962 oh no no no no. Thats a 737. I meant the tiny 757 behind Joe on the wall

[@tomeaston2962]

@@A.hdh. I thought you were talking about that one lol.

[@Gsoda35]

Captain Joe got a huge collection of videos for me to watch. Time to watch them all! I love your work!

[@vibinmonuttan5041]

Those electric motor also used as regenerative braking to stop the plane smoothly ?

[@christofferlangendorf2212]

This is so genius!😀❤️

[@balazslengyel6950]

While this was a very interesting video, I liked it, it also sounded a bit like an advertisement. Are there competing companies?

[@danielrose1392]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGTS

[@Bluenoser613]

Oh, that must be way safer. Those push bars seem to be a hazard.

[@pd4165]

And you have to have the right one on the airport - diversions can be a nightmare (and probably why they were doing that pushback 'by hand'). Nose lifting pushbacks are much better all round.

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

G,day Capt Joe from Sydney, Australia. This is your best video: hands down! Thank you 🌏🇭🇲

[@jaavedzahid8630]

Captain Joe deserves the subs after all the hard work he puts into just one vid. Just brilliant 👏👏

[@BRUXXUS]

It’s shocking this hasn’t been a thing for years already. Well done WheelTug, and hoping you get a ton of business! Also, those electric motors must be absolutely beastly!

[@generaloneill5460]

We didn't wait to think about it. But for few reasons it wasn't a good idea.

[@JaxVideos]

...beastly..., yup Elon is drooling right now. Breakaway torque for a 6am departure in the dead of winter... You know what the main engines would have to sound like. Then this watermelon size motor set does it all silently and sheds the carnot heat way up front away from the brakes.

[@Siddharth-eb]

I was thinking about this topic and here I see a video about it!! Crazy coincidence xD

[@Tang0Fox1]

Coincidence or you're being spied on. Lol

[@arjansinghsuri9336]

His videos are so informative that you can pass your exams with flying colours and also give information or guide pilots by being a passanger lol 😂

[@Rose.nancy_]

That's right one day I asked my mom about jet lag he didnt even know what it is I explained an I got congratulated

[@intantarmizi6138]

So can u use it to stop your plane while landing ?

[@MatthewSC93]

Truely revolutionary. Can’t remember the number of delay due to tug unavailable at busy airports. Then it leads to missing slot time and futher delay.

[@robthetennisman]

I just wrote a report on electric taxiing for university literally last week haha

[@LizardDoggo]

Haha

[@akkids6887]

Interested in what you learned! Did you look at nosewheel motors, main wheel motors, autonomous/robotic tugs, all three, or an even broader scope?

[@ramoth7333]

Honestly, I'd choose the airline that uses this Wheel Tug system over the other airlines for less waiting time and being fuel efficient.

[@Crystalus08]

I was gonna hit the pillow, when Captain Joe comes to orient us with another interesting fact😂😂

[@Renard380]

Looks like you're hitting the "like" button instead ;)

[@milk-it]

Top innovation. Well presented!

[@whitetiger7411]

Quite a lot of people expected this to happen sooner or later. Those pushback trucks are very old now!

[@Oskarminepro]

Hi yo

[@daryusshroff5534]

Literally if someone sees all his videos a person can give an exam in his flying school

[@FedoraSnatcher]

Not at all

[@daryusshroff5534]

@@FedoraSnatcher we all have differences in opinion 🙏🏻

[@FedoraSnatcher]

@@daryusshroff5534 The exams in flying school go in much more depth then this, this is surface level things basically.

[@daryusshroff5534]

@@FedoraSnatcher ok understood,

[@FedoraSnatcher]

@@daryusshroff5534 Yep

[@TheRealEnglishTeacher]

The only problems I see with this, are the loss of jobs for those tug drivers.

[@lhenn_]

Jesus, get over it. Airports are so big and offer such a huge diversity. One can surely find other tasks for the personnel (controlling and guiding, for example). You could even think of a system combined with remote control by ground crew. With your reasoning, we all would still be painting walls in caves. ;)

[@marcmalnick9929]

Its inevitable. Innovation, progress and just like the horse and cart are gone, so will all the tight drivers and assistants

[@TheRealEnglishTeacher]

@@lhenn_ I never said I was against it. Love your assumption

[@aaronbianco2392]

But are their job gains elsewhere that offset? From what I know, tug drivers don't necessarily require that you have a high school education like a truck driver, and since the pay is low since the qualifications are low, I'm sure there is a lot of turnover. As a contrarian, I might expect that they will have to keep at least one person for the cases that a plane doesn't have the system, or that it inoperable on an aircraft. Most likely, some jobs at the airport will have their responsibilities exapanded for the cases where there is a severe wind snowstorm. So tug operations might become seasonal in northern climates while southern climates they simply disappear.

[@weintdm1]

Research the job longetivity for the average tug driver.

[@mikepawlik3989]

i read this is a polish patent as well as for main wheels to be speeded up during landing not to burn tires over and over again which generates huge additional costs every year for airlines and airport maintenence

[@axelavila8364]

Honeywell developed something called Electric Green Taxiing System, and was announced in 2011 in conjunction with Sanfran and first demonstrated in the Paris Air show in 2013; I'm proud of being part of the development of the testing system for EGTS when I worked in Honeywell.