The Aviation Magazine Volume 6, Issue 8, No#38 October 2015

Usually we report from air show events or from military airfields but for this occurrence, The Aviation Maga‐ zine was fortunate enough to be invited to cover an unusual event that occurred at the Blue Danube Air‐ port, Linz Hörsching, Austria, on August 8th, 2015. The subject of the event was the loading of a 64.8 ton steam super heater. Destination airport was Dammam, Saudi Arabia. To transport such a heavy object like this steam super heater, the only civilian aircraft that make this trans‐ port possible is the Antonov AN‐124 “Ruslan” NATO code name Condor. Antonov Airlines is the ANTONOV The international logistic company, Panalpina, was commissioned and company’s subdivision that speauthorised for the transport of this huge steam super heater, which was cializes in international cargo transportation. It was founded in produced by Josef Bertsch GmbH & Co KG, Bludenz Austria. 1989. Antonov Airlines became the first airline which performed After the challenge with the road transportation from the most western charter air transportation of part of Austria (just east of Liechtenstein) to the Blue Danube airport lo‐ large−size and extra−heavy carcated in Linz Hörsching, the precious and heavy cargo made in time. The goes on the AN-124 Ruslan heavy next challenge was the loading of the freight onboard. With only 13cm transport. clearance to the left and right side, the experts from three different com‐ panies (Antonov Airlines; Panalpina logistics and Felbermayr cranes) had The Antonov Airlines’ fleet into coordinate everything together. cludes one AN-225 Mriya, seven AN-124-100 Ruslans, one AN-22 The loading started at 10:00 am, first the loading ramp had to be pre‐ Antei, two AN-12s, one AN-26 pared that alone weighs in at 7 tonnes. The ramp was ready for use in and one AN-74T. less than one hour. When the ramp was ready, the truck with the steam super heater drove in front of the aircraft where two heavy‐duty cranes First flight of an Antonov 124 was were positioned to pick up in synchrony with the huge lifting hooks. Extra an 26 December 1982. Maximum care had to be utilized as not to damage the aircraft or the cargo during weight of cargo is 150 tons and the maximum take-off weight is these procedures. 450 tons. Once the cargo was lifted on to the ramp, which functions like a rail system, the cargo was secured by the Antonov crew with chains, the cargo was slowly entered into the belly of the Antonov. Like a huge whale swallowing a large fish! This was a completely autonomous operation with a built in winch onboard the air‐ craft that pulled in the cargo. Once the cargo was inside the Antonov, the crew started to take apart the ramp. While this was happening additional parts of the super heater in heavy wooden crates were brought to the rear ramp of the aircraft. The crates were lifted onboard with the aircraft’s own cranes in the belly of this giant. When everything was onboard and secured, the most fascinating part was performed by the Antonov’s crew: closing the front section of the aircraft. By 2 p.m. the crew closed both the front hood and the rear cargo doors and the aircraft was ready for takeoff. The takeoff was planned for later on the day between the evening and early dawn of the next day. The Aviation Magazine would like to thank the following people for their invitation as well as for their cordial cooperation; Ms. Andrea Zach Assistant to the Business Unit Manager Linz from Panalpina, and the Flight Manager from Antonov Airlines, Ingo Hagedorn, Marketing Blue Danube Airpport Linz‐Hörsching. Special thanks the Flight Manager, Mr. Eugene Kiva from Antonov Airlines for the guided tour onboard the giant.

The Aviation Magazine Volume 6, Issue 8, No#38 October 2015 | Page 46