It's a Team's Life
High School Friends – Expediting – Facebook
We started using Facebook about a year ago and one of the
first “friends†we connected with was Brian who we had not seen in about 28
years.
It was really awesome to exchange
emails with him and get caught back up with his life and what he was doing.
We were recently in Houston and gave Brian a
call and had a catch up supper and then a tour of where he works.
He has worked for Continental over 20 years
and has done most outside jobs.
The job
he is doing now is what we would call a “yard dog†but he calls it a “Super Tugâ€
operator.
Super Tug can lift 70,000 kg
The yard dog parks a trailer
that can be of different lengths but is usually only one width, Brian moves
planes around that have many different wing spans and lengths!
We were able to see what he drives, how to
operate the Super Tug and also a personal tour of a Boeing 777 and were able to
stand next to the motor on the 777.
Bob & Linda in front of Boeing 777 engine
The
Super Tugs are used to move planes that are not flying immediately out, to take
planes back to the maintenance area, and to bring planes to a gate.
Bob facing forward in the Super Tug
The purpose of the Super Tug is to move the
plane while using the planes electrical system to run marker lights but not
have to start the plane to waste fuel this saves Continental over 2 million
dollars a year.
Brian gave us a great
tour and we sure have a better understanding of what all is involved with
moving the planes around, the maintenance done on each plane, and the
dedication these guys have to take care of each planes.
Brian telling Bob how to operate the Super Tug
Brian’s knowledge of the planes and his job made this tour for us fascinating. Through our career we often able to take advantage of these situations as they pop up!