Wheeltug - the novel answer to marginal airline profitability

[repariit]

WheelTug has made some progress.

Well here I go, apparently talking to myself, on this one. After doing a little poking around, it appears that WheelTug is making progress. They have been granted this patent # US7,469,858 B2, dtd Dec 30, 2008, for the nose gear drive system, issued Dec 30, 2008, with the caption below.



And here is a link to the full patent document.

http://www.wheeltug.gi/patents/US7469858.pdf

“Delta Air Lines is the launch customer and development partner for the first units which will be for the Boeing 737NG, with delivery of the first units slated for 2010 immediately following FAA certification. Delta Air Lines holds the rights to installation and maintenance of WheelTugs.” This sounds like the first installation will be a Delta retrofit, and here is a link to the rest of the related story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeltug.

It sounds like this might be a real deal, and time will tell, by 2010, according to the current information.

Here is one more link to WheelTug’s own site where you can see more information: http://www.wheeltug.gi/.

Let's keep an eye on this one.

PS: Anyone remember DC9/MD80 operators doing tugless pushbacks using reversers? I am sure that I saw somebody, maybe Continental, doing it in the late 1980's or early 1990's.