About Best Tugs
Built around the aircraft.
Designed for the people moving it.
Best Tugs builds intelligent aircraft tugs in Spanish Fork, Utah, with a practical purpose: make moving an aircraft more controlled, more convenient, and easier on the operator.
From private hangars to commercial ramps, we bring engineering, aircraft experience, and direct customer support to the work that happens before and after every flight.
The work behind every move
Aircraft handling deserves thoughtful engineering.
A tug has to do more than pull weight. Landing-gear geometry, attachment fit, available space, and the person at the controls all matter. Those details shape how we design our equipment and help customers choose it.
Protection through technology
Aircraft-specific software, Torq Sense™, and Auto Throttle bring sensing and controlled power delivery to equipped models, helping manage the forces involved in moving an aircraft.
Control that fits the job
Walk-behind, remote-control, and ride-on options give operators different ways to work around their aircraft, hangars, and towing routes.
Fitment comes first
We help customers evaluate capacity, landing gear, attachments, and operating conditions. The right configuration starts with understanding the aircraft and how it will be moved.
Our beginnings
Two aircraft.
One costly lesson.
Mark Patey and the first Best Tug
Best Tugs began with a frightening experience. Suzy Patey’s Cirrus SR22 developed a severe nose-gear shimmy that nearly caused the gear to collapse. Research into the incident pointed to tug-induced damage as the cause.
Mark Patey had experienced the cost of that problem firsthand. An analog tug overstressed the nose gear on his brand-new Piper Meridian, causing $46,000 in damage. His insurance company denied coverage because the damage was tug-induced.
Those experiences made aircraft protection personal. Drawing on his background as a pilot, aircraft builder, and engineer, Mark worked with his sons to develop a different approach to towing—one that put managing the forces on the aircraft at the center of the design. The first Bravo B5 made its public debut at Sun ’n Fun in April 2016.
Mark’s experience and connection to the aviation community remain an important part of the Best Tugs story. Today, the people designing, building, and supporting Best Tugs carry that original purpose forward: give operators better control while helping protect the aircraft they move.
Built in Spanish Fork
Engineering and manufacturing, close to the work.
Our roots in electric propulsion, software, and aircraft operation come together in Utah, where Best Tugs equipment is engineered and built.
The lineup has grown from a single tug to equipment for light aircraft, business aviation, commercial operations, and helicopters. Each application brings its own demands for control, capacity, and operator visibility.
Best Aviation Products
More support for life on the ground.
Best Tugs is part of Best Aviation Products. Alongside aircraft tugs, the company offers ground power and hangar floor-care equipment to support more of the daily work around an aircraft.
Our relationship with customers continues after delivery. Sales and support teams provide product guidance, help with equipment questions, and assistance finding the right next step when service is needed.
Let’s find the right fit for your operation.
Tell us about your aircraft and where you move it. We’ll help you choose the tug and configuration that make sense for the job.