strangest freight
Alba Gu Brath
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Merseyside
Age: 55
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During the '90s BY did a lot of work with the Born Free Foundation. One flight they brought back a couple of lions from Mombassa (I think) to go to the Born Free sanctuary in the UK. Problem was no-one told the loaders! Hold door open, GROWL, 2 loaders leg it! 
Recall talking to a C130 skipper during GW1. He had been feeling very proud of himself having flown 3 Gazelle heli's and 10 tonne of freight in the back of his Herc. Didn't feel so good when a C5 parked beside him and offloaded 3 Lynx, 5 Gazelles, 50 tonne of freight and 40 pax!
Recall talking to a C130 skipper during GW1. He had been feeling very proud of himself having flown 3 Gazelle heli's and 10 tonne of freight in the back of his Herc. Didn't feel so good when a C5 parked beside him and offloaded 3 Lynx, 5 Gazelles, 50 tonne of freight and 40 pax!
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Southern Africa
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Back in the good ole 707 days out of Belgium we carried the lions, rhinos, llamas, pigs, chickens, rockets, hand grenades and the like but during gulf war 1 in '91 we carried 2 flights a day of rocks. It seems the king of Saudi proclaimened all in his kingdom should have a gas mask so we were hired to transport gas masks from Bratislava to Jeddah. Turns out that the factory couldn't keep up so they crated up rocks and sent them. The Saudis were so slow in opening the crates and distributing to their people that they didn't discover it until the day before the war ended. That was about 2,000 tons of rocks. hazzard pay was great.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dar Es Salaam
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In February 2002 I flew on an MI8 out of Basankusu (DRC) with a cargo of 3 crocodiles, several chickens all alive, smoked fish and empty diesel drums.
The smell was horrific as one of the crocs insisted on shi***ng all over the floor but at least I could open the windows for the 2hr flight to Mbandaka.
The smell was horrific as one of the crocs insisted on shi***ng all over the floor but at least I could open the windows for the 2hr flight to Mbandaka.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Netherlands
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i once flew $15.000.000 cash, very close to the mexican border. i must admit it crossed my mind for a second or two to bash the fire extinguisher to my captains head and go way down south. unfortunately i didnt have the guts to do such a thing.
capt. skid
capt. skid
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Two hundred baro
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Once flew a ton and a half of partially crushed garlic fron Coventry to Belfast for the Bachelors soup factory over there. We all ended up on oxygen and couldn't see properly, eyes streaming from the fumes. Declared a Pan.
Couldn't get laid for months.........
Couldn't get laid for months.........
We flew a goat in Belize once...it was a present to the Gurkhas who were down south on the border....it then broke free, and then jumped out the open doors and free-fell 6000ft into the jungle!!! The Gurkhas weren't impressed.
Flew a body (which had been in the water for a couple of days) and the bag split...the smell was undescribable.
Flew a body (which had been in the water for a couple of days) and the bag split...the smell was undescribable.
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chester
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Strangest Freight
A pride of lions from Manchester to Malaysia - never been that close to a lion before when strapping down the paletts!
Kimodo Dragons, tons of kellogs nutrigrain bars, not all at the same time though.
Kimodo Dragons, tons of kellogs nutrigrain bars, not all at the same time though.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Earth
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80 odd cockroaches - found behind the galley. Didn't even have boarding passes either. Freeloaders..... didn't mind too much though until one day a few visited the cockpit and ran up my colleagues's leg...
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Brazil
Age: 61
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Rock band roadies and stage equipment on a 6 – the strange thing was that when they got they were knackered (it’s hard work), after t/o one asked if he could “check his luggage”, it was down the back so no probs, he was Very happy when he came back, one by one they all “checked their luggage” and all became happy – they carried their own bags off.
Scariest story (from old FE) – flying a 6 from South America to Miami – on landing customs insist on checking cargo despite crew warning they think it opened during flight – crew refuse to open cargo bays – customs very suspicious – crew stand well back – customs open fright bay and are showered by live tarantulas.
If anyone remembers Bernie (and if you meet him you would) – doubt if he’s still around but he deserved to be – Shadwell says Hi.
Memory jogger - he was FE on G-APSA on it’s original delivery from Douglas and did his last flight on her years later.
Nicest flight – the Dak one that took me away from Sumbrough.
Scariest – maybe trying “wingovers” in a Rapide but probably in hindsight survey flights especially when I realised the pilot had left the party AFTER me.
Scariest story (from old FE) – flying a 6 from South America to Miami – on landing customs insist on checking cargo despite crew warning they think it opened during flight – crew refuse to open cargo bays – customs very suspicious – crew stand well back – customs open fright bay and are showered by live tarantulas.
If anyone remembers Bernie (and if you meet him you would) – doubt if he’s still around but he deserved to be – Shadwell says Hi.
Memory jogger - he was FE on G-APSA on it’s original delivery from Douglas and did his last flight on her years later.
Nicest flight – the Dak one that took me away from Sumbrough.
Scariest – maybe trying “wingovers” in a Rapide but probably in hindsight survey flights especially when I realised the pilot had left the party AFTER me.
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NZWN New Zealand
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Ah back in '79 we were told to put a 1500 kg electric forklift into ATL.98 Carvair ZK-NWA. The load sheet said if we ever managed the feat of getting it up to the sill the floor beams could not carry the weight anyway. Kept telling the marketing manager but he knew nothing about planes and the first guy to refuse was summarily sacked.
First we used a big Toyota landcruiser to try and drag it up an inclined ramp. Well half way up the clutch caught fire.
Plan 2. Use our own forklift to hoist it up to the side door. Gotta be nuts huh ?
We'll they started to lift it but thank fully it got up about two feet off the ground before the forlift performing the lift toppled over. Honestly what a buch of squareheads they had for management.
First we used a big Toyota landcruiser to try and drag it up an inclined ramp. Well half way up the clutch caught fire.
Plan 2. Use our own forklift to hoist it up to the side door. Gotta be nuts huh ?
We'll they started to lift it but thank fully it got up about two feet off the ground before the forlift performing the lift toppled over. Honestly what a buch of squareheads they had for management.
Join Date: May 2001
Location: HK
Age: 49
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Just after locking the pax door in a J32, the ramper knocks on the side of the plane. I open the DV window and he hands me a styrofoam container express package to Allentown. Usually this means we are a "Lifeguard" flight. Lungs, eyes, etc. When we get to Allentown the Ops agent, enthusiastically says, "Finally, our bull sperm has arrived"
BBB
BBB
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: USA
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This is probably still classified, but years ago when the US Navy decided to finally let Female Sailors be stationed on Deigo Garcia we brought in 4 pallats of Kotex and Tampax to "Fantasy Island" aboard a Giant C-5A Galaxy!
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Earth, or thereabouts
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2500 goats Sydney to Seoul. Half for dinner, half for breeding.
6 Camels, again Sydney to Seoul, to be used in the Seoul Opera production of Aida. The sellers had preped the camels by playing loud opera music to them for 6 months prior.
White House Press Corps, DC to Madrid, enough said.
6 Camels, again Sydney to Seoul, to be used in the Seoul Opera production of Aida. The sellers had preped the camels by playing loud opera music to them for 6 months prior.
White House Press Corps, DC to Madrid, enough said.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: This side of the moon
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One aviator who now flies heavies, did hour-building flying a C210 seated on the coffin for a funeral parlor.
Still on 210's, upon landing at an seashore airfield used frequently by holidaymakers, the "pilot" was summoned to the tower where the ATC requested to see his licence, and afterwards refused to return it....
Reason: Excess baggage, after volumetric space (wich included the kitchen-sink) expired upon loading, was tied down on top of the wing using bungies, ropes and duck-tape!
L382 relief drops, when followed in a certain coutry, made for easier target aquisition for the enemy-paid aircrew.
Still on 210's, upon landing at an seashore airfield used frequently by holidaymakers, the "pilot" was summoned to the tower where the ATC requested to see his licence, and afterwards refused to return it....
Reason: Excess baggage, after volumetric space (wich included the kitchen-sink) expired upon loading, was tied down on top of the wing using bungies, ropes and duck-tape!
L382 relief drops, when followed in a certain coutry, made for easier target aquisition for the enemy-paid aircrew.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Australia
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I work security on freight (hence guarddog) and my god, the crap we get through!
14 pallets of Rod Stewarts band gear (I hate that guy).
Medical Cocaine.
3 boxes of monkeys from indonesia.
1 heavily sedated grizzly bear from the zoo.
1 human brain being sent for autopsy.
The entire front nosecone of a fighter jet.
And once, 16 kilos of cryogenically frozen dog semen. (I didnt ask and i still dont want to know why.)
That is the top of my list of strangeness. Hope it made some of you smile.
14 pallets of Rod Stewarts band gear (I hate that guy).
Medical Cocaine.
3 boxes of monkeys from indonesia.
1 heavily sedated grizzly bear from the zoo.
1 human brain being sent for autopsy.
The entire front nosecone of a fighter jet.
And once, 16 kilos of cryogenically frozen dog semen. (I didnt ask and i still dont want to know why.)
That is the top of my list of strangeness. Hope it made some of you smile.
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Far side of the moon
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Re: strangest freight
Jordan F1 Car, 13t of fish, Misiles, Rocket motors, Ejector seat charges, Nokia phones, stuff wot glows in the dark and more nasty viruses than you can poke a stick at....... I really miss night freighting...
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Permanently lost
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Re: strangest freight
I'm with Howard Hughes on this.
Flying a C206 out of Gove with 2 bottles of cordial, 2 packets of crisps and 2 packets of cigarettes. A $500 charter for that. Went on to pick up a load of mud crabs from Baniyala to take back to Gove.
Another day and call to fly the C210 back to Darwin. Load will be a body (bagged). He had been speared in the neck the night before and there was still plenty of fluids sloshing around in the bag when we loaded him. Best pax I have ever had though.
Flying a C206 out of Gove with 2 bottles of cordial, 2 packets of crisps and 2 packets of cigarettes. A $500 charter for that. Went on to pick up a load of mud crabs from Baniyala to take back to Gove.
Another day and call to fly the C210 back to Darwin. Load will be a body (bagged). He had been speared in the neck the night before and there was still plenty of fluids sloshing around in the bag when we loaded him. Best pax I have ever had though.