strangest freight
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 572
Likes: 0
From: Around
Not strange but..
35 tons of Euro notes from, well that I can't say, to, well can't say that either really. Never had quite so many, very heavily armed, police officers looking and scrutinizing me. Quite scary, I mean, there's a reason they're there right - it is quite amusing to pet the thought of making a run with, oh around 20 Billion Euro's ..
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: In a lot of different Hotels
Sand
Plain old sand
From Port Moresby to Woitape in the Goilala's (Papua New Guinea).
It was a charter for the Japaness govt to help the villages build a new school but as usual the land owners wanted to much money for the sand out of the river to build their own children a school so it was cheaper to fly in a Twin Otter load.
PNG's sad story ..... Greed
Plain old sand
From Port Moresby to Woitape in the Goilala's (Papua New Guinea).
It was a charter for the Japaness govt to help the villages build a new school but as usual the land owners wanted to much money for the sand out of the river to build their own children a school so it was cheaper to fly in a Twin Otter load.
PNG's sad story ..... Greed
Joined: May 2003
Aviation Qualifications: Aircrew (non-pilot)
Posts: 282
Likes: 1
From: Ireland
Shifted about 3 tons of tropical birds for a Zoo. A discussion followed as to what would be the weight of the aeroplane if they all went flying at the same time and hovered above their perches.
Joined: May 2003
Aviation Qualifications: Aircrew (non-pilot)
Posts: 282
Likes: 1
From: Ireland
OK CR2, you asked.
Just turned back the logbook pages to jog the memory:
Silver ingots in sacks, from the Gulf to Italy
White buffaloes, from Lahore to Varna
Armoured Caddillacs, to north Africa
Goatskins, from Kano to Spain
An entire 747 sawn up into bits, from Benghazi
A 24 ton ship's engine block, from Holland to New Zealand.
Currency, printed in UK, for PolPot in Cambodia.
Cement and bricks for an orpanage in Burundi.
26 tons of toilet paper and beer mugs for Idi Amin
A load of 60foot boiler tubes for a stricken liner in the Caribbean
Oil well fire fighting gear for the Gulf ( remember Red Adare?)
Thousands of goats, 700 a trip, into Dubai
The Rothmans Team Pitts aircraft.
A satellite
etc etc.
Just turned back the logbook pages to jog the memory:
Silver ingots in sacks, from the Gulf to Italy
White buffaloes, from Lahore to Varna
Armoured Caddillacs, to north Africa
Goatskins, from Kano to Spain
An entire 747 sawn up into bits, from Benghazi
A 24 ton ship's engine block, from Holland to New Zealand.
Currency, printed in UK, for PolPot in Cambodia.
Cement and bricks for an orpanage in Burundi.
26 tons of toilet paper and beer mugs for Idi Amin
A load of 60foot boiler tubes for a stricken liner in the Caribbean
Oil well fire fighting gear for the Gulf ( remember Red Adare?)
Thousands of goats, 700 a trip, into Dubai
The Rothmans Team Pitts aircraft.
A satellite
etc etc.
Top Dog
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,098
Likes: 0
From: Close to FACT
Evertonian
Joined: May 2000
Aviation Qualifications: Non-Aircrew
Posts: 13,470
Likes: 278
From: #3117# Ppruner of the Year Nominee 2005
Well obviously it wasn't going to MEL!!!
BTW, nice photo in the FO's seat Ratty!
Did you sneak in before the "real" crew got there?
BTW, nice photo in the FO's seat Ratty!
Did you sneak in before the "real" crew got there?
Top Dog
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,098
Likes: 0
From: Close to FACT
'Twas obs seat and I assume you are refering to the pic on the way home...
Shorter sized Canadian Capt took piccie, was doing me bit monitoring HF over Bay of Bengal (think SELCAL was
)
LUX/KWI/SIN/MAA/AUH/LUX and straight down the pub!
Shorter sized Canadian Capt took piccie, was doing me bit monitoring HF over Bay of Bengal (think SELCAL was
)LUX/KWI/SIN/MAA/AUH/LUX and straight down the pub!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: leeds
Freight
Best one I ever had - was 2 x Ferrari F50's on board B747F (Air Hong Kong) out of Manchester (EGCC)
The were individually strapped down to P1P pallets using straps and tie dwon rings
Got there in one piece - minus the keys (left behind in office at Manchester in error)
How about 75 Ostriches on Board a Martinair MD-11 from Manchester to Vancouver??
Noisy creatures I tell you
Propshaft for a canal barge - loaded on a MP DC-9 at Leeds (EGNM)
The were individually strapped down to P1P pallets using straps and tie dwon rings
Got there in one piece - minus the keys (left behind in office at Manchester in error)
How about 75 Ostriches on Board a Martinair MD-11 from Manchester to Vancouver??
Noisy creatures I tell you
Propshaft for a canal barge - loaded on a MP DC-9 at Leeds (EGNM)
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Europe
742F to DXB carrying aprox 70 dairycows - and I fell in love!! She was dark haired and had beautiful brown eyes. I am talking about the veterinarian of course. Never saw her again.
When I first started dispatching, just after arrival the load team leader called me on rt and said "you better get down here, take a look at the holds - there is a box with HUM with a hole in it. Its all over the bloody hold".
I had no specific interest in taking a look at a leeking HUM, so naturally i inquired for more info over the radio: "what, how much, how bad, babble, babble, yadda, yadda".
The loader now answered "yeah, and they are moving!". Now young Flap was wondering - moving?!?
This radio conversation was in danish, where "hummer" (hum plural) means "lobster", however, young Flap didnt realise until after a few minutes. A box full of lobsters was cracked open and as soon as the lobsters were free of the protecting ice, they started crawling around the hold. One of the loaders took off the rubberband on the lobsters claw, resulting in a blue and sore thumb. They really can use those claws.
Gave me a bit of a scare.
/FS
When I first started dispatching, just after arrival the load team leader called me on rt and said "you better get down here, take a look at the holds - there is a box with HUM with a hole in it. Its all over the bloody hold".
I had no specific interest in taking a look at a leeking HUM, so naturally i inquired for more info over the radio: "what, how much, how bad, babble, babble, yadda, yadda".
The loader now answered "yeah, and they are moving!". Now young Flap was wondering - moving?!?
This radio conversation was in danish, where "hummer" (hum plural) means "lobster", however, young Flap didnt realise until after a few minutes. A box full of lobsters was cracked open and as soon as the lobsters were free of the protecting ice, they started crawling around the hold. One of the loaders took off the rubberband on the lobsters claw, resulting in a blue and sore thumb. They really can use those claws.
Gave me a bit of a scare.
/FS
Last edited by Flap Sup; 25th April 2004 at 14:13.
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 870
Likes: 0
From: UK
I bet somebody somewhere is regretting the decision to ship the freight in the following article from this weeks 'Flight International'. DOH!!!
"Squirrels' bid for freedom leaves aircraft on tarmac.
Tolga Ozbeck, Istanbul.
An Airbus A340-300 of THY Turkish Airlines has been grounded for a week at a cost of some $1 million after a cageload of squirrels escaped inside the aircraft.
The aircraft (TC-JII) is at the THY Technic facility at Istanbul Ataturk Airport where it is now undergoing a C-check during which it was hoped the 36 missing squirrels would be found.
The incident occurred on 12 April when a cargo of 15 cages of squirrels was uploaded in Beijing for carriage to Rome via Istanbul. But at Istanbul two of the animals were seen in the cabin by flight attendants.
An inspection revealed that one of the cages was open and 40 squirrels were missing.
The aircraft was taken to the hangar and gas used to try to kill the squirrels - but by last week only four had been found, raising safety and health fears."
Never knew the little packets of nuts on board had such strong customer appeal. Just hope these squirrels were the furry variety and not the whirlybird sort.
"Squirrels' bid for freedom leaves aircraft on tarmac.
Tolga Ozbeck, Istanbul.
An Airbus A340-300 of THY Turkish Airlines has been grounded for a week at a cost of some $1 million after a cageload of squirrels escaped inside the aircraft.
The aircraft (TC-JII) is at the THY Technic facility at Istanbul Ataturk Airport where it is now undergoing a C-check during which it was hoped the 36 missing squirrels would be found.
The incident occurred on 12 April when a cargo of 15 cages of squirrels was uploaded in Beijing for carriage to Rome via Istanbul. But at Istanbul two of the animals were seen in the cabin by flight attendants.
An inspection revealed that one of the cages was open and 40 squirrels were missing.
The aircraft was taken to the hangar and gas used to try to kill the squirrels - but by last week only four had been found, raising safety and health fears."
Never knew the little packets of nuts on board had such strong customer appeal.
Just hope these squirrels were the furry variety and not the whirlybird sort.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: mostly away from home
The Roadsweeper from Hell,
Last day of 1GW - to Bahrain - a pink roadsweeper - presumably to kill the FOD that did for the Tornado(s). Also presumed that the OBBI local trucks were insufficient and that Manama UDC didn't have any to lend or wanted them back if they did.
Anyway this delivery must've terrified Saddam 'cos he gave up after that.
SB.
Last day of 1GW - to Bahrain - a pink roadsweeper - presumably to kill the FOD that did for the Tornado(s). Also presumed that the OBBI local trucks were insufficient and that Manama UDC didn't have any to lend or wanted them back if they did.
Anyway this delivery must've terrified Saddam 'cos he gave up after that.
SB.