SQ Cargo Loading
 

Anybody encountered problems with airlines not allowing floating pallets on it's aircraft?

I've just operated an SQ charter with race cars and equipment in standard Q7 "bunk bed" racks with overhangs, some of which were floated and restrained fwd & aft with straps, and was told that they would not release the flight with floated pallets.

Does anybody deal with SQ Cargo on a regular basis who might be able to shed some light on this subject.

Surely if this is an airline restriction they are severely limiting the operational scope of the aircraft.

Nothing wrong with floating as long as restraint is ok. Every operator has its little quirks though.

Let me get this straight though: its "your" aircraft operating for them?

No, it's their aircraft chartered in.
I was very surprised to find this restriction especially seeing as floating pallets is a standard, and very simple, loading procedure and in this instance it was the only way to get all the cars on.
I'd like to know if they do float pallets or if they refused because they didn't like us telling them how the aircraft needed to be loaded.
Would be interesting if they just refused any cargo that would have to be floated.

They do 20ft centerloads, which is near as damnit the same thing :confused:

floating plts
 

hi there

work in spl as loadmaster and our company does ground handling for sq-cargo


they do not allowe floating plts !

this is also mentioned in there manuels

except in certain conditions you can get an waiver from sq-cargo engineering department.:D

No floating pallets...but they do have tipping charts Ratty! ;)

It's been a long time since I did SQ freighters, but I don't recall floating a pallet on board...:confused:

Applying for a waiver to float a couple of 1900kg PMC's with a double 25cm o/h does seem a bit excessive, don't you think?

We're not exactly talking about a nose loaded 30ft, 18t single piece....

I take it they don't carry proper Loadmasters?

Tipping charts are :mad: L/Ms don't need them. Use the twitch in yer bum, it never fails. You'd need a perfectly flat ramp to trust one.

TL: wassa 30ft? done 40ft, 42T... We're working on a 50T at the mo', though we haven't yet decided if we're doing it or not.

2T floating makes me giggle at best, shake my head otherwise. If they don't want the business, give to us. Helps our (ok, my) profit sharing.

"We're working on a 50T at the mo'..."

Don't forget to get that jack under the nose leg. Seems the current problem trend is with the nose gear. I guess the G/E's won't be playing with the switches and levers, they'll be watching you load....
Ours have a habit of jacking up the nose to change a wheel during the offload and causing the c/g alarm to trip off the loading sytem!

As for SQ, we're planning to get around them by using their aircraft as the sh1t sweeper and putting the cars on the other two chartered aircraft. SQ do seem to want the business and more besides. They've bid for two flights of the next three-flight rotation (no aircraft available for the 3rd) and because of the floating limitation we would now need four aircraft. The bosses have now gone into a flat spin, we're getting our a55es chewed for not planning properly(!) and I bet SQ have an aircraft for flt four!

Figures, I guess...

A floating pallet is a non-standard loading procedure that is sometimes used (usually to save space). This pallet does not sit in a normal position, and is often not locked. Restraint is provided by straps.

I remember we shifted locks to secure floating pallets on Saudia

Ooooh...shifting locks...don't they just love that back at HQ!:E

I used to hate the MNG flights that came in, and half way through loading we realised that the locks were all wrong at the back.
V annoying.

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'THE' C.T.
 

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