Press Room

April 25, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Islip, NY – When they installed their new Aero-Lift a year ago, New York Jet management was curious about the effect it would have on daily operations. Today they are redesigning plans for future hangars to accommodate more Aero-Lifts. It is easier to go up and park aircraft in ceiling space than it is to widen out the buildings on land that goes for such a high premium.

"We were a little surprised to see how easily the lift went together," said Operations Manager Ed Sheffield. "We had a crew of three men and had set aside a full day to get it assembled, but it went together in only two hours."

New York Jet, which hangars everything from Cessna 152s to G-5s had run short of floor space and realized there was an excellent opportunity for stacking aircraft in one of their facilities. "We put a Husky on the Aero-Lift and raised it up over a Bonanza. It's a perfect fit. After running the taildragger up and down a dozen times in the first couple months we realized that the lift has lived up to all the operational capabilities described by the factory. No surprises, no difficulties. The simplicity of the entire process has made the lift a valuable tool for us. Racking and stacking aircraft is a very viable concept that enhances our bottom line," said Sheffield.

The Aero-Lift can raise a 2500 pound aircraft or helicopter, with any gear configuration. The lift is a cantilevered, single-post lift design that uses a jackscrew mechanism and electric motor, rather than traditional hydraulic systems. The Aero-Lift is also perfect for maintaining or cleaning the belly and gear of any aircraft.

Aircraft are hoisted on a large girder that branches off to three docks that can be adjusted quickly to accommodate any landing gear configuration. The unit's components are substantial in size and weight, and yet the Aero-Lift sits unattached to the floor. Nothing is bolted to the hangar structure.

Aero-Lifts, manufactured by ARM Aerospace in Tucson, have been incorporated successfully in a wide range of general aviation hangars. Most of them are being used by pilots who own more than one aircraft or who are renting out the ceiling space to someone else in need of a hangar. In almost all cases, they are being used on airports where there is a shortage of hangars.