BETA Fueling Systems recently delivered hydrant refueling trucks to Kahala Surf Corporation in Honolulu, HI. These new and innovative trucks are able to conduct the entire refueling operation with the chassis turned off. This is the firsthydrant truck in the United States that is able to fully refuel an aircraft without any power required from the chassis.
“The real challenge for the design was to figure out how to operate a hydraulically driven lift system up and down more than once with no power from the chassis,” Jon DeLine, President and CEO of BETA Fueling Systems. “This project demonstrates that BETA can deliver new technology to the industry with a level of reliability and support our customers have come to expect from us.”
The hydrant refueling trucks went into service this year and they have performed very well during peak hours for aviation traffic. They have proven to use less fuel and improve safety below the airplane wing for operators and passengers since the vehicle is turned off during fueling. The onboard touch screen allows the operator to record each step of the fueling operation and the site to receive reports based on their own operational goals and metrics.
The level of diagnostics and training available through the touch screen saves money and improves safety. The truck design also includes a retractable set of stairs to ensure personnel can get out of a lift basket in an emergency. The technology used for the new hydrant refueling trucks is one of the many advances developed by BETA to bring aviation customers around the world safe, sustainable, and reliable equipment.