Team of individuals from San Francisco International Airport, HMMH and RS&H selected first place for their submission, 'Taxiing Into Autonomy'.
Alexandria, VA - The Airport Consultants Council (ACC) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2017 ACC Young Professionals Innovation Competition, 'Taxiing Into Autonomy'. The proposal uses autonomous aircraft towing vehicles to improve airfield and gate utilization efficiency by making it easier and less costly to tow aircraft to remote parking positions, and reduces pushback maneuvering time by eliminating engine run-up and tug disconnect times. The winning team includes Christopher DiPrima, San Francisco International Airport; Michelle Fong, San Francisco International Airport; Justin E. Divens, HMMH; and Joseph Gale, RS&H.
The first-place team will present their submission at the 2018 ACC/AAAE Airport Planning, Design and Construction Symposium in Denver, Colorado on February 28 - March 2. The team will also have the opportunity to display their submission at the event.
Supported in part by the ACC Members Foundation
The competition is part of a larger program offered by the ACC Young Professionals Forum as a means to engage the young professionals in ACC member firms and enhance their professional careers. Targeted for industry professionals that are aged 35 or under, the Young Professionals Forum provides networking, mentoring, education, and career growth opportunities.
"Congratulations to this year's winning team, who present a futuristic concept that may be a reality before we know it," said ACC President T.J. Schulz. "This submission represents the key goals of the Innovation Competition - to highlight innovations that reflect evolving trends and addresses growing challenges at airports."
ACC would like to thank all who submitted projects and participated in the competition, including team members from the following firms and airports:
ADB Safegate Jacobsen Daniels RS&H
DY Consultants JMT San Francisco Int. Airport
HMMH Merchant Aviation Urban Engineers
Competition submissions were evaluated by a panel of judges including Evan Futterman, Futterman Consulting; Wilson Rayfield, Gresham, Smith & Partners; Kate Andrus, Mead & Hunt; Anne Barry, Ross & Baruzzini; and Benet Wilson, AviationPros.
The ACC Young Professionals Forum is looking to refresh the Innovation Competition for 2018. If you wish to be a part of this process, please contact Pinar Maurice at pinarm@acconline.org.
Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System
Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way.
In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.
This white paper discusses the hardware deployed, the test results and the annualized expectations for ROI.