the wing of an aircraft parked in parallel relationship to a terminal building.
However, parallel parking presents one very significant disadvantage. Parallel parking necessitates certain aircraft turning and maneuvering room, and therefore this technique requires greater terminal facade length than does the nose-in technique. Another disadvantage of parallel parking is that departure of an aircraft from a parked parallel position requires substantial engine thrust to start and turn the aircraft. As the aircraft departs, the exhaust of the aircraft engines is directed toward the terminal building and toward the ground equipment and personnel located adjacent the terminal with a resultant shaking of the terminal building and disruption of ground operation activities.
In view of these disadvantages, most modern terminals utilize nose-in aircraft parking. However, with nose in parking, it isserviced using a separate bridge having a separate entrance into the terminal area.
Anderberg in WO 9942365 discloses an over-the-wing bridge having a telescopic tunnel section pivotally connected to a rotunda at an inboard end thereof and terminating in a cabin at an outboard end thereof. The outboard end is supported using a vertically adjustable wheel carriage, which requires the outboard end of the tunnel to be driven outward and around the wing of the aircraft. Of course, should power to the telescopic tunnel be interrupted when the rear doorway of the aircraft is engaged, it becomes impossible to move the aircraft away from the terminal building due to the wheel carriage blocking the path of the wing. Furthermore, the tunnel section is straight and therefore the floor of