Lifting in the Air Capital
Wichita is widely known as the Air Capital of the World because of its long history in aircraft manufacturing. Plants and suppliers across Sedgwick County move fuselage sections, tooling and machinery with overhead cranes, hoists and mobile cranes, and the precision expected on those floors carries over to every lift.
The region also has a busy construction sector, oil and gas service work, and grain handling across the surrounding farmland. The Crane School supports all of it with NCCCO crane training delivered at your facility, or with open-enrollment classes at our training center in Seffner, Florida. There is no Wichita office.
Precision Rigging for Manufacturing
In aerospace and precision manufacturing, the load is often expensive, oddly shaped and sensitive to how it is supported. Riggers need to understand center of gravity, sling angles, spreader bars and below-the-hook devices, and the crane or hoist operator needs a clear line of communication with them.
Our rigger qualification and certification program supports a company's internal rigger qualification and prepares candidates for NCCCO Rigger Level I and II exams. Pair it with signalperson training and you have a floor crew that plans and executes lifts the same way every time. For an overview of how these skills fit together, see our article on rigger and signalperson training.
Wind on the Plains
South central Kansas is windy, and spring brings thunderstorms and tornadoes. Wind is one of the most common factors in crane incidents, and on open ground there is little to block it. Operators need to know their manufacturer's wind limits, understand how large flat loads like wall panels catch the wind, and be willing to stop work.
We stress those decisions during hands-on practice, because a good operator's judgment about weather counts as much as smooth controls. Our blog covers this further in crane safety for extreme weather.
Programs and Kansas Rules
Contractors running hydraulic or lattice cranes can prepare for TSS, TLL and LAT through our mobile crane certification prep. Grain and oilfield service crews with knuckle booms fit the articulating crane program, and material handlers can certify on telehandlers.
Kansas is not on the commonly cited list of states with separate crane operator licensing, so federal OSHA rules govern. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1427 requires construction crane operators to be certified by crane type. Manufacturers frequently go further in their own plants. More detail is on our Kansas crane training page.
On-Site in Wichita or Training in Seffner
On-site training keeps your people close to production and lets them learn on the cranes and loads they handle daily. Our accredited practical examiners can schedule CCO practical exams at your site.
For individuals or beginners, the Seffner center runs monthly certification prep and three- and five-week initial programs. CCO written exams are offered every month at our Florida headquarters.
When planning an on-site visit, let us know about plant security rules, badge requirements and any areas where instructors need escorts. Aerospace and defense-related facilities often have strict access procedures, and handling them before we arrive keeps the first day on schedule. We will also ask which cranes are available for practice and testing, since production demands sometimes limit when equipment can be taken out of service.
