The Importance of Critical AOG Services

With the various natural disasters that have occurred all over the world, shippers and logistics providers need to be prepared to transport essential parts and equipment to emergency responders.

Take, for example, the Boeing 747 SuperTanker known as the Spirit of John Muir. Manned by a 12-person crew, the B747-400 is “capable of delivering payload drops aggregating over 19,000 gallons of water, fire retardant, or suppressant.” Its ability to release payload at variable rates (via pressurized tanks) allows for a tailored response to wildfire emergencies that would take other aircraft multiple attempts to achieve the same results.

This SuperTanker has been called upon several times, in recent years, to help extinguish record-breaking wildfires. One such occasion came about in January 2017 – as the country of Chile was experiencing the worst widespread blazes in its history – which incinerated more than 2,300 square miles, caused around $300 million in damages, and took the lives of 11 people.

Again, the Spirit of John Muir was needed was during the devastating fall months of that year, as the entire California coast – from the wine region of Napa Valley up to the northern part of the state, to the hills of Los Angeles and Orange County, down to the Fallbrook area in the south – were engulfed in flames.

In each case, this SuperTanker was the game-changer in fighting these fires. And in both cases, Aircraft-on-Ground (AOG) services were needed to deliver replacement parts needed to get the plane back into the air.

During the Chile fires, the Spirit of John Muir had to be grounded, due to a maintenance issue. A replacement dump valve was needed before it could return to the skies, which is where Aeronet Worldwide’s AOG services became necessary. The part was shipped from Arizona to Chile in three days – a stunningly quick time compared to standard, non-emergency deliveries of that kind – and soon enough, the SuperTanker was back to work, delivering much needed relief to the fire-ravaged countryside of Chile.

For two separate fires in California – the Napa Fires in the state’s northern wine country, and the Canyon Fires that afflicted its southern part – there was an even more complex shipment process.

For the first delivery, a replacement engine (valued at $14 million) needed to get from Florida to California. The delivery proved tricky, due to the logistics of oversized cargo transportation across state lines. Engineers in Louisiana had to cut new night drive permits while the truck was on the road; and a police escort was required to get the vehicle into the next state.

Luckily, the timeframe was met: the engine arrived in Victorville, California, in three days, and the Spirit of John Muir was in the air the following morning. It proved to be the salvation that everyone was counting on, as its payloads controlled the fires.

Less than two months later, the SuperTanker needed equipment to get it flying in Southern California to help battle the Thomas Fire. This time, an A-frame jack system was needed to check the nose landing gear and front tires of the plane for obstructions. The delivery was made on time, and the Spirit of John Muir was soon flying to the rescue.

All three deliveries show the importance of AOG services. If the logistics experts tasked with moving the parts hadn’t been prepared to handle the various complexities of the shipments, their delay could have led to even greater destruction. Aeronet takes every shipment seriously, but can especially execute the important details regarding critical AOG shipments. If you find yourself in need of this level of service, you can get in contact with us here.