22 FEBRUARY 2008 GHI de-icing IDS was founded in July 2002 by Mark Aldrich and Larry Hopkins, two aviation veterans with extensive backgrounds in aircraft de-icing. Mark had actually spent 13 years working with chemical companies that blend and sell de-icing fl uid and he met Larry through their work on a special Washingtonbased advisory committee that was formed to set standards for de-icing, following a number of incidents in the 1980s that were attributed to de-icing problems. Larry had spent almost 40 years with United Airlines and was a key author of United Airline’s Ground De-icing Programme: as such, he is acknowledged as one of the leading experts in all types of ramp training operations, including those of de-icing and refuelling. Larry is also the founding principal of Terrapin Consulting and has been providing services to de-icing equipment manufacturers, training organisations and airlines for over a decade. The same – but different The approach that IDS takes to de-icing aircraft is very different from other de-icing companies. IDS’s philosophy was to use forced air technology and An Integrated Approach On the last day of 2007, Salvatore Calvino and Kevin Worley along with its existing owner, Larry Hopkins, purchased Integrated De-icing Services. weather predication coupled to an extensive knowledge of the properties of glycol which, when combined, results in a huge reduction of glycol use, with obvious environmental appeal and fi nancial benefi ts. Traditionally, the cost of de-icing is calculated by the amount of glycol used in the operation, which gives no incentive for de-icing companies to reduce glycol use; in fact, the opposite applies, since the more you use, the more you earn. In contrast, IDS charges by the aircraft type, which is a more transparent service. Glycol use, recovery and discharge are all hot topics and these are often cited by environmentalists when attacking airport operations. In the US, the agency responsible for such issues is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A current project, known as the Airport De-icing Effl uent Guideline Project, started an in-depth study on airport de-icing operations in 2006 and the EPA expect to publish its fi ndings during the third quarter of this year. This may affect some airport operators if State numeric targets are agreed because existing permits that airport operators currently use do not include these targets - and these targets would be legally binding. Eric Strassler, one of EPA’s project managers involved in this current study, explains: “We hope to publish the fi ndings this fall but there will then follow a consultation period of about a year before we can move forward to implement any new regulations. Implementation can take another one to two years.” If national or state numeric targets are adopted, the industry will have to think again about just spraying litres of glycol at aircraft and this will put IDS and its technology in pole position. developments Salvatore Calvino Kevin Worley Larry Hopkins The rôle of the simulator IDS employs around 480 people at its fi ve airports, namely Buffalo; Colorado Springs; Detroit; Minneapolis and Pittsburgh, and it uses a de-icing simulator as a training tool. New operatives must complete a series of training programmes developed by Larry before being allowed to operate the de-icing trucks. This special simulator has been developed by gForce

GHI FEBRUARY 2008 23 who have worked very closely with IDS to develop a computer simulator that mimics the de-icing process in every way except for the physical movement of the operative. That said, gForce can supply an electro-hydraulic control system, if requested. (See the April issue of the magazine for more information on gForce’s simulators). “We currently use the gForce simulator for profi ciency training of operators to allow them to become more familiar with the functions of the various controls. In the future we hope to use multiple units to replicate pad de-icing operations,” says Larry. IDS has invested in state-of-the-art de-icing trucks and currently runs a fl eet of two Vestergaard Beta models, 12 Global 2150 types and 30 FMC Tempest 14 models with one man drive, 16 of which were delivered in 2007. All trucks are of the enclosed cab variety and are equipped with forced air technology. IDS works very closely with FMC and has developed a unique labour exchange programme with the de-icing truck manufacturer that has resulted in IDS staff temporarily relocating to Orlando in the “off season” to work with other FMC staff in building Tempest de-icing trucks. Larry commented on this initiative. “Apart from the huge advantage our staff have when it comes to understanding how the Tempest operates, you can imagine the pride our staff have when they are working in a de-icing truck they actually built.” Being a seasonal business results in IDS staff fi nding other work off the airport during the summer but the change of ownership should result in full time employment in the near future. IDS will be working closely with Quantem Aviation Services (QAS), an aviation service provider, for the major domestic and international airlines. Since its start-up in 2000, Quantem has extended the network to 16 locations throughout the US. “The combination of IDS and QAS, and the culture that each of these companies shares in the form of quality and teamwork, will allow us to enhance our customer relationships with the airlines and airports we serve across our network of 20 cities. Because of these synergies, we’ll be able to accelerate the growth of IDS and QAS, and reduce the seasonality of the combined operations,” declares Salvatore. The new IDS management team will include Salvatore Calvino as Chief Executive Offi cer, Kevin Worley as President and Larry Hopkins (the founder of IDS) as its Chief Operating Offi cer. The purchase includes fi ve existing operations in the US with expansion plans in both domestic and international markets.