An airport collision avoidance system may include a tow vehicle configured to move an aircraft, the tow vehicle having a first beacon. The airport collision avoidance system may include at least one second beacon associated with at least one object. The airport collision avoidance system may include one or more processing circuits including one or more processors and one or more memories having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: form a mesh network connection between the first beacon and the at least one second beacon; identify relative positionings between the tow vehicle, the aircraft, and the at least one object based on the mesh network connection; and at least partially control the tow vehicle based on the relative positionings between the tow vehicle, the aircraft, and the at least one object.

A towbarless tractor for towing an airplane having a nose landing gear includes a chassis, a body supported on the chassis, a tractive assembly, a driveline configured to drive and steer the tractive assembly, a braking system configured to apply a brake force to the tractive assembly, a capture system including an actuator configured to facilitate capturing the nose landing gear within the capture system, and a controller. The controller is acquire data regarding the airplane, and generate or modify, based on the data, at least one of (a) a steering command provided to the driveline as the capture system approaches the nose landing gear or (b) a side-shift command provided to the actuator as the capture system approaches the nose landing gear.

A towbarless tractor includes a chassis, a body supported on the chassis, a tractive assembly, a driveline configured to drive and steer the tractive assembly, a braking system configured to apply a brake force to the tractive assembly, and a controller. The controller is configured to command the driveline to autonomously follow a travel path taken from a home location to a pushback location in a reverse order to return from the pushback location to the home location, and determine, when navigating from the pushback location to the home location, if an object is in a return path from the pushback location to the home location.

A vehicle for towing an airplane includes a chassis, a body coupled to the chassis, the body and the chassis having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a tractive assembly, a tow mechanism configured to engage with a nose landing gear of the airplane, a light system including a first lighting element positioned along the first side and a second lighting element positioned along the second side, and a control system configured to monitor a direction of travel of the vehicle and control operation of the light system to selectively illuminate the first lighting element and the second lighting element to provide an indication of the direction of travel of the vehicle, thereby making the direction of travel of the vehicle perceivable to an operator positioned outside of the vehicle.

A towbarless tractor for towing an airplane having a nose landing gear includes a chassis, a body supported on the chassis, a tractive assembly, a driveline configured to drive and steer the tractive assembly, a braking system configured to apply a brake force to the tractive assembly, a capture system configured to facilitate capturing the nose landing gear, and a controller. The controller is configured to command the driveline and the braking system to autonomously navigate to a capture location, at the capture location, command the capture system to autonomously capture the nose landing gear, and command the driveline and the braking system to autonomously navigate from the capture location to a pushback location.

A system can include a pushback tractor and a remote control device. The remote control device can include an operator interface, an indicator, and one or more processing circuits. The one or more processing circuits can establish communication with the pushback tractor, cause the indicator to provide a first indication of establishment of the communication with the pushback tractor, and control operation of (i) a prime mover of the pushback tractor and (ii) a capture system based on inputs received via the operator interface.

A towbarless tractor system includes one or more processing circuits configured to monitor a capture system of a towbarless tractor based on visual data acquired by a sensor on the towbarless tractor, the capture system configured to engage with a nose gear, and store or transmit at least a portion of the visual data acquired by the sensor of the towbarless tractor regarding the capture system in response to an event.

A towbarless tractor for towing an airplane having a nose gear includes a chassis, a plurality of tractive assemblies coupled to the chassis, a capture system including a cradle configured to support the nose gear and a winch assembly including a winch strap configured to selectively couple with the nose gear, and a control system configured to selectively pay out the winch strap at a first rate and selectively retract the winch strap at a second rate during an airplane winching operation to pull the towbarless tractor towards the airplane such that the cradle is pulled underneath the nose gear. The first rate is greater than the second rate such that the winch strap is paid out faster than the winch strap is retracted during the airplane winching operation.

A towbarless tractor for towing an airplane includes a control system configured to engage a braking system responsive to first operator controls receiving a first operator input, control a winch assembly to pay out a winch strap responsive to second operator controls receiving a second operator input, enter the vehicle into a capture mode responsive to the first operator controls or the second operator controls receiving a third input, disengage the braking system and control the winch assembly to retract the winch strap responsive to the second operator controls receiving a fourth input during the capture mode to pull the towbarless tractor towards the airplane such that a cradle is pulled underneath a nose gear, and engage the braking system and control the winch assembly to stop retracting the winch strap responsive to a sensor detecting the presence of the nose gear within the cradle during the capture mode.

A system for coordinating aircraft servicing tasks of a plurality of ground support equipment at an airport includes a plurality of beacons and one or more processing circuits. The plurality of beacons are configured to couple to the plurality of ground support equipment. The one or more processing circuits include one or more processors storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processing circuits to acquire signals from the plurality of beacons and coordinate movement of the plurality of ground support equipment based on the signals and in accordance with an aircraft servicing plan.