Chapman Freeborn Airchartering and Antonov Airlines have delivered two 17 metre long drill rigs from the US to Australia to help keep a mining project on schedule.
The two Pit Viper 271 rotary rig towers were flown from Houston to Perth on an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100 aircraft, chartered by Chapman Freeborn’s US team on behalf of a mining company.
The 21-ton pieces were originally scheduled to be shipped to Australia as sea freight but Chapman Freeborn was called in at short notice to arrange an air charter solution to ensure that the project deadline was met.
The loading process in Houston required the use of the AN-124’s ramp apparatus in addition to two external cranes brought in to safely manoeuvre the outsize parts.
Following the successful loading of the cargo, the aircraft departed on schedule and flew to Perth via stops in Hawaii, Fiji and Brisbane.
Vitaliy Shost, deputy director at Antonov Airlines, added: “The main challenge of this project was to load two oversized rotary rig towers by means of one set of loading equipment.
“This task required a non-standard technical solution offered by our engineers. I would like to note the fast and high-quality work of Chapman Freeborn Airchartering and the shipper on the preparation of cargo and the organisation of its delivery, without which this transportation would not be feasible in such a short time.”
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