A bonding equipment safety apparatus for the prevention of damage to aircraft or other aircraft refueling equipment. This apparatus has a housing with a proximity sensor mounted within that detects if the door of the housing has been closed by the attachment of a bonding cable and clamp, which detection then engages a control system influencing the movement of the fueling vehicle, ensuring that the bonding cable equipment has been properly detached from the aircraft and stowed before allowing the aircraft refueling vehicles and equipment to move away from the aircraft and cause damage.

A stow bar for an aircraft fuel nozzle includes a U-shaped body formed of a base part, a first arm extending from one side of the base part, and a second arm extending from an opposite side of the base part. Each of the first arm and the second arm includes a free end located distally of the base part. Each free end includes a male connector for insertion through an aperture in a housing or a flange of the aircraft fuel nozzle. The stow bar is formed of a single, solitary piece of material. The single, solitary formation of the male connectors with the stow bar provide increased strength and durability to the stow bar connection with the fuel nozzle, and is an improvement over known support bar designs having female threaded connectors which receive screws that are prone to break and leave debris within the female connectors.

A stow bar for an aircraft fuel nozzle includes a U-shaped body formed of a base part, a first arm extending from one side of the base part, and a second arm extending from an opposite side of the base part. Each of the first arm and the second arm includes a free end located distally of the base part. Each free end includes a male connector for insertion through an aperture in a housing or a flange of the aircraft fuel nozzle. The stow bar is formed of a single, solitary piece of material. The single, solitary formation of the male connectors with the stow bar provide increased strength and durability to the stow bar connection with the fuel nozzle, and is an improvement over known support bar designs having female threaded connectors which receive screws that are prone to break and leave debris within the female connectors.

A fueling mat includes a main body configured as a sheet. The main body includes an opening defined in the main body and a plurality of tabs. The opening defines an outer perimeter and the tabs extend inwardly from the outer perimeter. The tabs are configured to flex out of the opening. With this structure, the tabs can protect the region of a fuel port from damage, whether or paint or structural, during fueling and further can help cover the opened fuel port, at least fractionally, before a fuel nozzle is inserted.

A fueling mat includes a main body configured as a sheet. The main body includes an opening defined in the main body and a plurality of tabs. The opening defines an outer perimeter and the tabs extend inwardly from the outer perimeter. The tabs are configured to flex out of the opening. With this structure, the tabs can protect the region of a fuel port from damage, whether or paint or structural, during fueling and further can help cover the opened fuel port, at least fractionally, before a fuel nozzle is inserted.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to synchronization of a ground support vehicle with a taxiing aircraft, so as to provide ground support services during taxi operation. After landing, a taxiing aircraft obtains a parking destination from a ground traffic controller. A first navigational route from a first location of the taxiing aircraft to the parking destination is determined. The taxiing aircraft transmits a signal indicative of the first navigational route to the ground support vehicle. A second navigational route of the ground support vehicle is determined so as to intercept the taxiing aircraft. The ground support vehicle navigates according to the determined second navigational route, and couples to the taxiing aircraft at a coupling location common to both the first and the second navigational routes. The ground support vehicle provides ground support service during continued navigation according to a coupled portion of the first navigational route.

A fueling system is for an aircraft having a tank with a compartment configured to be filled with fuel. A discharge conduit extends from the compartment to an outside of the tank. A sampling arrangement has a sample container and a sample conduit extending from the compartment to the sample container. The fueling system further has a gas propellant arrangement comprising a pressurized gas source. The gas propellant arrangement is configured to provide pressurized gas to the compartment and to the sample container.

A fueling system is for an aircraft having a tank with a compartment configured to be filled with fuel. A discharge conduit extends from the compartment to an outside of the tank. A sampling arrangement has a sample container and a sample conduit extending from the compartment to the sample container. The fueling system further has a gas propellant arrangement comprising a pressurized gas source. The gas propellant arrangement is configured to provide pressurized gas to the compartment and to the sample container.

Aircraft hydrogen fuel systems and methods and systems of starting such systems are described. The aircraft hydrogen fuel systems include a hydrogen burning main engine, a main tank configured to contain liquid hydrogen to be supplied to the main engine during a normal operation, and a starter tank configured to contain gaseous hydrogen to be used during a startup operation of the main engine. Methods and processes for starting and/or restarting such systems are described.

An aircraft having at least one transport pipe in which dihydrogen flows and, for each transport pipe, an embedding channel in which the transport pipe is housed. The embedding channel has a gutter that has a bottom and an opening opposite the bottom and a cover that covers the opening of the gutter. The cover constitutes an outer wall of the aircraft in direct contact with external air surrounding the aircraft. The cover has ventilation windows passing through it that allow the passage of the dihydrogen towards the outside. With such an arrangement, even in the event of dihydrogen leaking into the embedding channel, the dihydrogen is automatically evacuated towards the outside of the aircraft.