Method for maneuvering and docking aircraft parked parallel to an airport terminal stand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12210345-B2
Application number	US-202117561590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A method is provided that reduces time to dock an electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft parking in a parallel orientation at an airport terminal. Passenger loading bridges are pre-positioned to substantially align with forward and rear doors of the aircraft. Pre-positioned passenger loading bridges extend from the terminal to locations that align with terminal-facing forward and rear doors when electric taxi systems maneuver the aircraft into the parallel parking orientation. The passenger loading bridge connected to a rear door may be pre-positioned at a height above the ramp surface above or below the height of the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer or below the height of the wing to enhance safety and further reduce connection and passenger transfer time. Connection of the pre-positioned passenger loading bridges with the aircraft doors should require only minimal adjustment before passenger transfer between the aircraft and terminal may begin.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method that reduces time required to maneuver and dock an electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft in a parallel parking orientation at an airport terminal parking location, comprising:
a. providing an aircraft equipped with and driven by electric taxi drive systems to maneuver into and out of parallel parking locations at stands at an airport terminal;
b. providing parallel parking locations at the airport terminal with at least two extendible passenger loading bridges at each parallel parking location, each extendible passenger loading bridge having a terminal connection end attached to the airport terminal and an aircraft connection end connectable to a front door or a rear door on a terminal-facing side of the equipped aircraft and being extendible a connection distance from the airport terminal to substantially align and connect the aircraft connection end of each passenger loading bridge with the front or the rear aircraft door;
c. assigning an equipped aircraft driven by electric taxi drive systems to park in an orientation with a longest axis of the equipped aircraft parallel to the airport terminal at an assigned parallel parking location and;
d. extending two of the at least two extendible passenger loading bridges at the assigned parallel parking location laterally outwardly of the airport terminal all or at least a portion of the connection distance and pre-positioning the aircraft connection ends of the two extendible passenger loading bridges in locations that substantially align with a forward door and a rear door on the equipped aircraft when the equipped aircraft is parked in the parallel orientation;
e. driving the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems to the assigned parallel parking location and maneuvering the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems to park in the parallel orientation with the aircraft forward and rear doors substantially aligned with the locations of the pre-positioned aircraft connection ends on each passenger loading bridge; and
f. adjusting each passenger loading bridge as required to fully align the aircraft connection end of one passenger loading bridge with a corresponding aircraft front door and the aircraft connection end of the other passenger loading bridge with a corresponding aircraft rear door, connecting the aircraft connection ends to the corresponding forward and rear doors, and establishing passenger transfer connections between the equipped aircraft and the airport terminal through the connected two extended passenger loading bridges.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a distance between the forward door and the rear door to be connected to the aircraft connection ends of the two passenger loading bridges for the equipped aircraft assigned to park in the parallel orientation at the parking location, laterally extending and pre-positioning the two passenger loading bridges with the aircraft connection ends spaced apart the determined distance and enabling substantial alignment with and connection to the forward door and the rear door with minimal adjustment after the equipped aircraft is maneuvered into the parallel parking orientation with the electric taxi drive systems.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising pre-positioning the two passenger loading bridges to extend laterally perpendicular to the airport terminal and parallel to each other.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing two passenger loading bridges at the assigned parking location, one of the passenger loading bridges to be connected to the rear door, laterally extending and pre-positioning the one passenger loading bridge at a height above a ramp ground surface that is above or below a height of a horizontal stabilizer on a tail of the equipped aircraft and in substantial alignment with the rear door, maneuvering the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems into the parallel parking orientation to substantially align the rear door with the pre-positioned one passenger loading bridge, vertically adjusting the pre-positioned one passenger loading bridge to fully align with the rear door, and connecting the one passenger loading bridge aircraft connection end to the rear door to establish the passenger transfer connection.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising laterally extending and pre-positioning a second of the two passenger loading bridges to substantially align with and be connected to the forward door a different height above the ground than the one passenger loading bridge and adjusting the pre-positioned second passenger loading bridge as required to connect the second passenger loading bridge aircraft connection end to the forward door and establish the passenger transfer connection.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising maneuvering the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems from a nose-in ground travel orientation to the parallel parking orientation at the assigned parallel parking location and avoiding contact between the aircraft horizontal stabilizer and the pre-positioned one passenger loading bridge prior to full alignment and adjustment of the one passenger loading bridge to establish the passenger transfer connection.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising laterally extending and pre-positioning the one passenger loading bridge at a height above the ramp ground surface that is below a height of a wing of the aircraft and in substantial alignment with the rear door.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising maneuvering the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems from a nose-in ground travel orientation to the parallel parking orientation at the assigned parallel parking location and avoiding contact between the aircraft wing and the pre-positioned one passenger loading bridge prior to full alignment and adjustment of the one passenger loading bridge to establish the passenger transfer connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing more than two extendible passenger loading bridges at the parking location laterally extendible to substantially align with and connect to a corresponding number of aircraft forward and rear doors on the equipped aircraft terminal-facing side and pre-positioning the aircraft connection ends of each of the more than two extendible passenger loading bridges in locations that substantially align with a corresponding forward or rear door, maneuvering the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems into the parallel orientation, and fully aligning each pre-positioned passenger loading bridges with the corresponding forward or rear door.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a type of equipped aircraft assigned to the parking location, determining a spacing distance corresponding to a spacing between the forward door and the rear door to be connected to the two extended passenger loading bridges, determining the distance to substantially align the two extended passenger loading bridges with the forward and rear doors, and pre-positioning the two passenger loading bridges to extend the distance determined for substantial alignment with the forward and rear doors and the aircraft connection ends separated by the spaced distance.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising driving the equipped aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems within the ramp area to approach the parking location from a right direction or a left direction relative to the assigned parking location and maneuvering the equipped aircraft into the parallel orientation with the electric taxi drive systems to substantially align the forward and rear doors on

Assignees

• Borealis Tech Ltd
• Wheeltug plc

Inventors

• Martel Thomas O
• Cox Isaiah W
• Cox Joseph J

Classifications

• B64F1/36

  Other airport installations (ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20) · CPC title

• G05D1/0202 Primary

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• B64C25/405 Primary

  Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing · CPC title

• G05D1/46

  Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D] · CPC title

• B64F1/305 Primary

  Bridges extending between terminal building and aircraft, e.g. telescopic, vertically adjustable · CPC title