A Crane Job in Seattle

May 3/2006 - 5:30 PM

 Crane with one driver/operator, and flat-bed truck with driver (2 different companies) arrived --  as arranged  --  on the minute.  Taken to location to lift and transport a 727 wing.  The location was on the airfield, on a taxiway., adjacent to the main runway, approximately 750-1000 feet to the west of the runway, which was in use.  After surveying the scene, the crane operator moved into position and hoisted his boom 65 feet.  It took about 3 hours to lift, move, and secure the wing to the truck.  At 11 PM, when we had an oversize load transport permit for the roads, we moved the truck, with wing,  ACROSS THE AIRFIELD, ACROSS THE MAIN RUNWAY, to a gate on the east side of the field.  This eliminated a lot of road travel, curves, wires, and traffic lites, etc.

   

WE DID THIS WITHOUT EVER CALLING THE AIRPORT MANAGEMENT, THE FAA CONTROL TOWER, GETTING A SINGLE PERMIT OR PIECE OF PAPER !!!

The Airport and Tower were aware of our on-going activites and that was all that was needed!  The Tower controllers watched our activities, even came to kibbitz..  The airport management and police swung by frequently to watch our progress, not to hassle and threaten us, or shut us down.  Our working relationship has been friendly, amicable, outstanding.  We've always been on the same page.

As stated, this was immediately adjacent to an active runway - compare this to the Connie location at YYZ - a long ways from any in-use operational areas - here's an Air France 777 taking off right next to where we were working.

   

   

We took the wing to a hotel where we installed it the following morning - see details here, if you want:

http://www.rbogash.com/wing.html
The crane cost me $200/hour, no travel fees.  Total load and unload job over 2 days cost me about $1000-1200.
Toronto crane costs, primarily due to GTAA and Nav-Canada -over $50,000, maybe over $60,000.  Almost all of it UNNECESSARY!

A Crane Job in Vancouver

This is not an isolated case.  On April 28, 2006, we moved a Lockheed Jetstar from Vancouver (YVR) Aiport to Everett, using cranes at both locations, the Everett cranes being immediately off the apporach end of Runway 16L.  Same story.  No permits.  No hassles.
In Toronto, we couldn't even use forklifts or skid-loaders that couldn't even reach up to the top of the airplane fuselage!  We needed special permits to even go up 30 feet, less than the height of the surrounding light standards!  They even hassled us when the contractor, Modern Cranes,  spotted a crane on the site for a next-day operation, with the boom down!!!

See Jetstar crane pictures and details here:   http://www.rbogash.com/jetstar.html

Support stands

The GTAA demanded we provide an engineering drawing for the support cradles we used, that it be stamped by a Licensed Civil Engineer, and further that we provide proof that his License was valid and sanctioned by the Ontario Professional Engneers Association. (His stamp on the drawing, well, it just wasn't good enough.)   It took us three weeks, three engineers, and $1800, but we came up with the piece of paper the GTAA wanted.  I hand delivered it.  But wait, they wanted the Approved Stand incorporated into our written Safety Plan.

And, as they say in those commercials - that's not all.  When the engineer used a boilerplate requirements block on his drawing - one that called out the cradle to be primed and painted - that did not escape the notice of the GTAA.  I noticed this myself when I received the fax containing the drawing.  Well, I thought, this is a GTAA test!  Within one hour after I had dropped it off, they called and demanded that the painting be accomplished (outdoors, zero degrees, blowing snow), or change the drawing.  So, back to the Licensed Engineer I went, and got the drawing changed.  Now we have a cradle that's good for a thousand years!  And,...... the GTAA passed my test.

    The GTAA cradle and stand

The stands I used on my 727 job this week --  no Engineer, No Stamp