LabDad

Why is an AN-24 hauling a US helicopter when US cargo pilots are furloughed?
Pilot to Co-Pilot: “Haven’t We Been Here Before?” “Da…” | TIME.com
"Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment ensure safe conduct while loading an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter onto a Russian Antonov AN-124 cargo plane at Bagram Airfield, Feb. 8."

For you furloughed guys, I'm dissapointed to see this and hope you all are back to work soon.

jungle

Lowest bidder.

BrownClown

The Russians were most hauling MRAPs out of Charleston for awhile. Don't know if they still are.

JohnBurke

Russian equipment has been hauling into Afghanistan for a long time. The US military can't handle the airlift; not by a long shot. ACMI carriers have been doing AMC airlift for some time, but have also been maxed-out for a long time.

ACMI carriers are private employers. The US government isn't employing the furloughed pilots. The US government isn't responsible for determining who is hired, furloughed, or how they're used.

Much of the equipment that's taken into Afghanistan is done through subcontracted operations. That is, a given company may deliver the freight to Dubai or Bahrain, where another operator may airlift it into Afghanistan, and yet others may move it around the country. Many of those operators are not from the US. AN-24 and IL76, and other equipment has been providing large volumes of airlift under contract to logistics operators downrange.

Some equipment goes on AMC commissioned flights direct out of the US to downrange locations such as Kabul, Baghram, Bastion, and other points, with intermediate tech stops as required. A lot of the material, however, goes to staging areas in the Baltic or the middle east, where it's redistributed before being reassigned to other carriers for the final leg(s). A LOT of operators and equipment s used to make those hauls.

A single helicopter isn't going to put pilots back on the line. Most of the ACMI carriers have been divesting themselves of certain types, such as the Classic 747s, resulting in permanent job losses for the FE's on that equipment, and in many cases, furloughs for the pilots on those types. Each of the ACMI operators hauls other things than AMC material. Each must be able to keep flying when the AMC flying goes away.

It's unreasonable to try to draw some kind of parallel between delivering a helicopter or load of ad-hoc cargo into Afghanistan, and furloughed crewmembers. It's far too simplistic and naive to think that one action is causal of the other, or that by changing the delivery of that helicopter to a US carrier, a company might recall pilots.

The truth is that among many of the carriers, there are more than enough crew members who are selfish and work plenty of overtime to make up for any losses of crew members to the street.

jungle

Do a few measurements and you will find most helos won't fit into most civil cargo birds, helos need something with a ramp-like military cargo aircraft.

There are some 747 nose loaders, but they require special equipment to load not likely to be found on an austere military field.

galaxy flyer

Out-sized cargo, not transportable by B747, is why Russian and Ukrainian 124s haul large compnents INSIDE the US. To take work inside the US, they have to apply for an exemption to US cabotage laws. Once they can demonstrate that no US carrier can handle it, they get the exemption. That stuck in my throat, when seeing AN-124s take civil cargo around the US when we couldn't lift it in C-5s. The Economy Act prohibits civil use of military aircraft.

FEMA has contracted with AN-124 for disaster relief, also.

GF

JohnBurke

For quite a while 747's were hauling MRAPs out of Charleston. Tens of thousands of them.

I've hauled helicopters, and just about anything else imaginable.

The K-loaders and other equipment necessary for putting that cargo on board and for removing it is available at each of the locations downrange where a 747 can go, as well as the locations outside the theater that are used for staging or cargo transfer.

jungle

That is very interesting, I am sure you took some photos, how about sharing.

Most MRAPs were sent by ship, Charleston being a port and such. Air delivery ran about 100k per vehicle.

But since this is about helos, I would really like to see a photo of a military helo loaded on a 747, not that I doubt it could be done if the helo was broken down far enough beyond simply removing the blades.

JohnBurke

We carried a lot of MRAPs.

Taking photographs was expressly prohibited, as I'm sure you know. The same might be said for sharing them on a public forum.

Galaxydriver

Lots of MRAPs went by air. C-5 and civil.