After the preparations described in my
previous post, here's a chronology of pre-flight preparations on the day of the flight, which in this case was Thursday, April 4.
6:30 - Arrive at MAF compound at Wilson Airport (dropped off by our guest house van). Charter is scheduled to depart around 8:30.
6:30-7:30 - Freight moved from MAF storeroom via MAF truck to Wilson Passenger Terminal; passengers and carry-ons weighed and then taken to Passenger Terminal in MAF van.
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| Liam being weighed |
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| Arrival at Wilson Passenger Terminal |
7:30 - All freight put through x-ray machine at entrance to Passenger Terminal. The picture below is from a previous charter and shows my teammate Vince helping with this process of getting all the boxes, suitcases and other items on and off the conveyor belt. After this the freight is all piled on large carts which will then be used to take it out and load it onto the plane.
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| Some of our freight waiting to be loaded onto the plane |
7:40-9:00 - Passengers wait. Freight waits on side of tarmac. Plane is delayed due to a missing page in the customs declaration as well as a minor technical glitch.
9:00-9:30 - Freight loaded onto plane. Larger items are arranged strategically & securely in the cabin of the plane. Smaller items are loaded into the storage "pods" located in the belly of the plane. Each pod holds a different maximum weight, so the weight marked on each item of freight is helpful for the MAF staff so they don't overload the pods.
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| Pods underneath the cabin. |
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| Freight secured in the cabin |
9:30 - Passengers walk out to plane and then embark
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| Just before boarding the plane |
To be continued... :-)
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