3DPlanes From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 167 posts, RR: 0 Posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 3840 times:
Not sure that this belongs in Tech Ops, but I'm afraid to wade into the CivAv forum... But, I've got another question that came up a work today...
How is high density or high value cargo transported? Are there special containers? For example if you were carrying gold bricks or something very heavy, would they just get loaded on a standard palette?
The gold bricks option also generated some further discussion about a) protecting against theft during transit, and b) crash protection - you wouldn't want something that dense breaking free.
Setting insurance aside, you also might not want folks walking off with gold bricks from a crash site, eh? So I can see where you might use a special container, like those used for radioactive materials, that's designed to withstand the crash impact forces.
Or, maybe nobody cares that much, and they just insure the shipment accordingly...
N215AZ From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 77 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 3834 times:
I think you might have answered one of your questions with another question. The fact that you are transporting something that valuable and that heavey is a deterant to putting it in the air. Due to the weight limits and the insurance value.
That is just my onpion, not a professional be any throw of the word.
Without Wax,
N215AZ
"Atra esterní ono thelduin, Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Un du evarínya ono varda."
Ha763 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 3492 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 3831 times:
Quoting 3DPlanes (Thread starter): Are there special containers? For example if you were carrying gold bricks or something very heavy, would they just get loaded on a standard palette?
No special containers that I know of. All we make sure is that the density per inch/foot/meter/etc is within the specs of the pallet/container and the aircraft. If needed, we use skids or other loading devices to spread the load across a larger area.
XXXX10 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2000, 777 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 3718 times:
With some valuable cargoes a special security firm will escort the cargo and wait on the apron until the a/c departs.
On arrival there will be antoher team waiting for the a/c.
It is usually conidered safer to transport valuable cargo by air as it is safe whilst the aircraft is in the air, I would imagane that the insurance is cheaper for air freight (against sureface freight) off-setting the extra cost of transport by air.
There have been some high value thefts at LHR including, in the 80's, £26,000.00 worth of gold bars-the biggest robbery in the UK at the time.
PhilSquares From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 3709 times:
Quoting 3DPlanes (Thread starter): How is high density or high value cargo transported? Are there special containers? For example if you were carrying gold bricks or something very heavy, would they just get loaded on a standard palette?
It's handled just like any other cargo. I have flown bank notes (currency) which is quite dense, and it's all shrink wrapped on a pallet. I've flown antique porcelain worth millions of euros that was just in a container and that was it.
Quoting N215AZ (Reply 1): The fact that you are transporting something that valuable and that heavey is a deterant to putting it in the air.
I don't think so. Shipping via air is the quickest way. It's most likely the most secure way. Once the shipment is loaded on the aircraft, it's pretty secure.
Bobster2 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3705 times:
Swissair Flight 111 carried a Picasso painting worth $1.5 million, 110 lbs of cash, 2 lbs diamonds, 10 lbs jewelry, and 4 lbs Swiss watches. The painting was treated as ordinary cargo. The other valuables were in a safe that probably survived. The people on board didn't survive. The "valuables" really had no value compared to the other losses.
CosmicCruiser From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2211 posts, RR: 16 Reply 7, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 3616 times:
We have carried stuff that's had an escort all the way.
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66 Reply 9, posted (6 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 3593 times:
Quoting 744rules (Reply 8): KInd of funny, but years we had regular loads of viagra (at least 500kg/flt). They were delivered a/c side in an armoured car.
Did the nose of the plane become longer? Did your pitch angle increase?
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
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