Big Load

A/Ox4 · Feb 10, 2015

I saw on the news that a large plane had landed at our normally boring airport. I made a mental note to go check it out at some point. Of course I forgot, so late at night (11pm) I remembered and hoped it was still there.

Not only was it still there, but there was a big operation going on. Not long after I showed up, a gentleman walked up and asked if I would to be on the other side of the fence. Of course I said would love that. He told me to go to a terminal, say he sent me and I would be let in. Sure enough... I met up with him on the tarmac and he told me I could go anywhere I wanted, and he would give me free reign, so long as I emailed him any pictures I took. Turns out, he is the project manager. I was only too happy to agree.

The plane is an AH-124-100, on of the worlds largest cargo jets. It is comparable to the much more popular Boeing 747. In fact, this plane has a greater cargo payload capacity! The load seen here is for oil refining, and weighs in at 166,000.

tirediron · Feb 10, 2015

Good old Antonov; they build some amazing aircraft. Great series!

Gary A. · Feb 10, 2015

Yes, great series ... looks like both you and the project manager made out. Good job.

funwitha7d · Feb 11, 2015

worth making the effort when it all comes together, great access to shoot these

qleak · Feb 11, 2015

nice story to go along with a cool series! Thanks for sharing Trey!

waday · Feb 11, 2015

Love this series! I'm sure the PM is all too happy to have these photos. He'll love showing these off for proposals.

weepete · Feb 11, 2015

Cool shots indeed!

Sounds like a fortuitous encounter that paid off for both of you.

Seadawg · Feb 12, 2015

Very cool. Right place at the right time. Great shots also

virginie24jb · Feb 14, 2015

That must have been a fantastic experience. You're lucky! Some really cool shots indeed.

Kev Richards · Feb 14, 2015

Love the series. That cockpit looks positively ancient with all the analogue instruments

A/Ox4 · Mar 10, 2015

My images were recently published on an industry news site. Another first for me.

All with kit lenses

Ruslan defies the odds in tower airlift - heavyliftpfi.com

The_Traveler · Mar 10, 2015

Very lovely clean shots.
I remember my one time flying in a USAF C-5 Galaxy, slightly smaller but in the same scale.
We were seated in the reserve crew compartment behind the flight deck and someone called us down to the 'hold.' It was empty except for some palleted medical stores and a few people were throwing a football around just for the novelty.
It had been used for hauling heavy military vehicles, etc and everything seemed so big and rugged and heavy that it was incomprehensible that things that big really flew.
It doesn't fly that fast and there isn't much sound proofing so it was a loud, long boring ride in a metal tube from Addis Abbaba to Weisbaden then to Andrews.