Use of Forklifts for Wide-Bodied Aircraft Cargo On/Offloading

This paper explores the pros and cons of using a forklift in the materials-handling equipment (MHE) role as a wide-bodied aircraft cargo loader. In the early years of air-cargo operations involving aircraft like the Douglas C-l and DC-3, cargo loading was essentially a case of manual individual piece handling, supplemented by a forklift as required. The advances and development of cargo aircraft have historically paced development of complementary ground systerns (1)*. Some of the forklift considerations presented in the paper include; safety, performance specifications, types of forklifts, rated capacity, load center, upright (or mast), forks, carriage, and center of gravity. Advantages and disadvantages of using forklifts for cargo on/offloading are also examined.