Taking a Tour of an Antonov
Members of Aeronet Worldwide‘s executive office had the opportunity to tour the Antonov An-124 Ruslan heavy transport plane. It was coordinated by Aeronet’s Senior Vice President of International David Gibson. Due to his role as Chairman of the Los Angeles Air Cargo Association, David was able to arrange for our friends at Volga-Dnepr to conduct a private tour during the aircraft’s stop at the San Bernardino International Airport in California.
Walking around the outside of the plane, you can’t help but notice the plane’s overall size, especially when compared to nearby passenger aircraft on the tarmac. Just how big it is, becomes really apparent when the nose of the plane opens to reveal the cargo area [view video]. (The Antonov actually opens on both ends, allowing cargo to be loaded from the front or back.)
The Antonov’s cargo compartment measures 118′ x 21′ x 14′, and can carry up to 150 metric tons (tonnes). Antonovs have a long history of hauling all sorts of cargo, from heavy machinery, to rockets, to boats, to submarines to even other aircraft. In 2020, Aeronet used an Antonov 124 to transport the UAE’s Hope space probe from Colorado to Dubai, then to Japan. Volga-Dnepr currently uses the aircraft for many aircraft-on-ground (AOG) emergency situations.
The Antonov is manned by a Russian crew, which is comprised of a pilot, copilot, navigator, chief flight engineer, electrical flight engineer, radio operator, and two loadmasters. The loadmasters demonstrated to us its various capabilities, including the four onboard crane jacks, which all run the length of the cargo hold and out the back of the plane, giving them the ability to load cargo off of ground level [view video].
Access to the cockpit is through an interior ladder, near the front of the plane. That portion of the upper deck also houses the living quarters. However, the cockpit is where you truly gain an appreciation for 1980s aeronautical engineering. Despite the more analog look of the Antonov’s controls – compared to the more modern aircraft of today – it still as effective as it was 40 years ago. In fact, it probably has about 10 more years of service time left!
View our pictures from the tour:
About Aeronet Worldwide:
For nearly 40 years, Aeronet has provided its clients, in a wide array of vertical industries and sectors, with the very best in global logistics solutions. With associates and partners connected to every major airport and seaport throughout the world, there is no shipment too large or complex. Visit Aeronet.com for more information.
About Volga-Dnepr:
The Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies is the world leader in the transportation of super-heavy and oversized cargo. Since 1990, they have been successfully representing Russian civil aviation on the international market. It’s comprised of three leading Russian cargo airlines: Volga-Dnepr and AirBridgeCargo (who are multiple winners of the Wings of Russia national award), and Atran (whose history dates back to 1942). The Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies consists of an international team of about 3,500 employees in nine countries around the world. Visit Volga-Dnepr.com for more information.
