DC-8.

Used to fly Sea World charters around the USA. Fairly standard load:

seals
sharks
penguins
dolphins
-all on the same load

whales
polar bears
etc.

Great times!

22,000 pounds of dynamite from Ilopango to CHS during the Salvadoran war in a Herc. Military contract. We didn't worry about it, because if it had gone off, we wouldn't have heard a thing.

Four hundred fifty kg of distilled water in 5 gallon jugs going from the the mid east to the USA. I guess they couldn't boil water in the the US at that time.

A courier with five carry on bags. each with 75kg of gold. From a Middle Eastern country to Libya.

29,000 chicks. DC3. Pipes from cabin to our side windows to vent the poor things. 16 hours and our necks red from the particles of feathers.


Worse, more boxes than you could shake a stick at on DC3 SEN to Rochester. Full of WORMS. When hearing came back on shutdown. (it did then) you could hear a kind of slime noise. You think slime doesn't have a noise? Fly a million worms and say that. Bloody fishermen.


6 X 40 gal drums of Petrol to a colleague who's fuel had not covered his surprise diversion. Got permission to do allsorts when we needed to get the oil out of the sea.

And I thought BA were generous with 2 x 23 kg !

Did he really carry them on ?

More to the point, did he stow them correctly in the overhead lockers or underneath the seat infront of him ? :cool:

A human head on ice. For medical research rather than transplant I supposed.

saw a photo from a friend flying cargo posting a photo on facebook with cash only in the back of his A330
crazy stuff

Most memorable flight I've ever done has to be 900 pigs on the main deck of a 744F on their way to China. I can still smell them to this day :{

About a ton of polish (in lots of little bottles, boxed) for onward shipment to an Iranian car manufacturer. Flew it from ACI to GCI on three flights in a PA28. It had missed the boat to Guernsey and was already late, so that got it on its way fairly promptly.

6 Indian guys that had bought out the whole busines class. (12 seats) Each had two massive suitcases that were too heavy to carry by one person. 6 seats had this massive suitcase on them and the rest between those 6 seats as they were too heavy and big for the overhead bins. Content: cash money. :ok:

5 Live Zambezi sharks in a massive water tank from JNB to AMS

Gold and Lions
 

800kg of Gold from a gold mine strip to the international airport on a weekly basis in Ghana in a L410!

And a friend of mine carried 2 baby lions on a Hawker800 from Dubai to Sana and they destroy part of the aircraft interior, while playing and p...

Happy days!

Not really strange but unique and carried in a 20 tonne jet--

A paper bag with 5 Rolex watches and a cell phone

A small envelope with 50,000 Euro in 500 euro notes

Fergie - the then Duchess of York on an Emery DC8 from STN.

My job was to show her around the AC and introduce her to the crew. The main deck was full of relief supplies.

Once I'd given her a quick tour - we got back on the ramp to meet some local dignitaries and the airport managers.

Discretely she then asked me 'What do I do if I need the bathroom?'

The thoughtful crew hastily erected a little curtain to protect her modesty in said on board facility.

Unless you are being particularly unkind, the D of Y counts as baggage rather than freight.

RHRP

:D:D:D:D:D

Strangest freight
 

I did the trials to get Mrs Thatcher to the Falklands after the conflict. Internal fuel tank at the front, and caravan in the back for her. No probs until the fuel tank was filled!
Put ballast on the ramp, was OK until the internal tank was empty!
The LM had to move weight during the flight to FI to keep the a/c in trim!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Original Car (always wondered why ti wasnt just flown over on it own maybe ETOPS regs :ok:)

Basking Sharks in a tank

Nobbled Race Horses (well they were once i fed them polo mints)

Pigs and I agree with 750XL on his comment - BTW word of advice you cant tell which direction a pig is gonna pee due to its curly wurly bits :uhoh:

Big Cats going to from zoo - those AVI boxes physically rocked when being loaded...

US Military Rescue Submarine complete with its own MACK truck and trailer. The trailer was lined with snap on type tool boxes all brand new (very nice)...

And while in Military the famous "bucket of sunshine" (those that know, know. Those that dont, dont :mad:)