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Lotus

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That is tragic. Such a freak accident, I would not have thought it's possible even?

Not the first time. Guys take chances while towing. The newer design tugs are much safer. No more towbar, The tug clamps around the nose wheels and picks it up off the ground. 

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Not the first time. Guys take chances while towing. The newer design tugs are much safer. No more towbar, The tug clamps around the nose wheels and picks it up off the ground. 

 

I remember having seen this in action at Dubai. I still remember thinking those tugs must be mighty strong to lift a 777, never mind an A380.

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I remember having seen this in action at Dubai. I still remember thinking those tugs must be mighty strong to lift a 777, never mind an A380.

The actual diesel engine is not big at all compared to the older tugs. It uses hydraulics. Even the wheels are hydraulically powered. So its design is just pure genius. It's "light" as well as it uses the aircraft weight to put the power down to the tarmac. When the first A380 came here, non of our tugs were heavy enough to pull it(we only had the older towbar tugs). They took the biggest tug and added weight over the wheels(the tug is designed to take extra weight if needed). We now have one lift up tug. There are a handful on the line but they belong to other 3rd party service providers.

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I used to go and park at the museum at Rand Airport and eat my lunch when I worked in Wadeville. I was there so often they just let me wander around the planes on my own :-)

 

It turned out that apparently the SP was the same plane that was leased to Air Namibia some years previously and I'd actually flown on it.

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