Leading air charter broker, Air Partner, has teamed up with Ruslan International to fly a spectacular, gigantic mechanical Dragon Horse to Beijing. “Long Ma Jing Shen” or ‘The Spirit of the Horse Dragon’ will participate in a Chinese parade to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China.
The unique 12 metre high, 46 tonne mechanical model was built in France by La Machine. Air Partner has flown the giant dragon from Nantes in France to China on an Antonov 124. The celebration parade will take place in Beijing in October.
The mode,l which requires at least eight human operators riding aboard to control the puppet’s movements,,comprises a wooden chassis over a steel body. The dragon has articulations that enable intricate movements including the ability to rear its hind legs, spew fire, snort jets of smoke and uncoil its tongue. The model sits on a support vehicle enabling it to move at speed.
Thierry Zemouli, from Air Partner’s French office, commented, “The Air Partner team worked extremely hard throughout the meticulous six hour loading process, to ensure that the model would arrive safely in China. With such a complicated machine, we had to use Air Partner’s freight expertise to ensure that no damage occurred on the flight. The Antonov 124 was an ideal aircraft for Long Ma Shin as its doors open to 6.4m x 4.4m. We are looking forward to watching the parade!”
Says Andriy Blagovisniy: “The history of the AN-124 is one of carrying exceptional loads; but this ranks among the most unusual and fascinating assignments with which Ruslan International has yet dealt. Specialists from Ruslan International’s Load Planning Department developed a custom solution for loading and safely securing this unique cargo, and preparations for the flight took 3 months. We are delighted to have been involved in the safe transportation of this amazing machine, and look forward to seeing its performance in China.”Air Partner Freight charters aircraft of every size to fly cargo anywhere, at any time, whatever its weight, size or shape. Serving governments, leading industrial shippers and relief and humanitarian organisations, the freight team provides bespoke air charter solutions to meet a wide range of cargo charter needs. From urgent ‘go now’ requirements moving small quantities of automotive spare parts, through to the most complex project cargo shipments taking several months to plan, Air Partner Freight has the skills, experience and expertise to ensure shipments are handled securely and reliably. Air Partner Freight has cargo specialists in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Turkey, and Singapore, who provide strength of knowledge by utilising regional carriers for tailored charter services.
About Air Partner
Air Partner has been trading for over 50 years and is a world leading provider of aviation charter services to industry, commerce, governments and individuals worldwide. The Group is globally recognised as a leading charter broker and organises ad hoc aircraft charters of every type for any reason. Its three main divisions comprise Air Partner Private Jets, Air Partner Commercial Jets and Air Partner Freight. The Commercial Jets division charters large airliners to move groups of any size. Private Jets offers the company's pre-paid JetCard scheme and on-demand charter. With its headquarters alongside Gatwick airport in the UK, Air Partner operates 24/7 year-round and has 20 offices globally. Air Partner is also the only air charter broker in the UK certified ISO 9001:2008 compliant for commercial airline and private jet solutions worldwide.www.airpartner.com
About Ruslan International
The company was formed in July 2006 as a joint venture of Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Airlines, to provide marketing of both airlines’ An-124 fleets (which total 17 aircraft) with the aim of optimising their utilisation.
The decision to streamline and centralise the marketing function stemmed from the two carriers’ already successful collaboration in the 'Ruslan Salis' operation - a joint project that continues to provide NATO with a dedicated aircraft from each fleet. The cooperation was further driven by the need more efficiently to serve the ad-hoc charter market, as well as satisfy existing long-term contracts requiring the allocation of significant portions of both carriers' fleets.
The Ruslan International concept has now evolved further, enabling the two airline partners to pool spare parts and loading equipment, as well as acting as the vehicle for both airlines’ efforts to resurrect production of the An124 - thus safeguarding the future availability of this unique aircraft.
Both airlines retain their separate and distinct identities, and the 17-strong combined fleet of An-124 aircraft continues to operate in the liveries of the individual aircrafts’ respective owners.
Ruslan International comprises five key departments:
Operations
Responsible for flight-watch, permit applications and the scheduling of both fleets.
Commercial
Responsible for handling charter enquiries, price negotiations and contracts.
Customer Service
Responsible for the after-sales coordination of all flights.
Load Planning
Responsible for pre-flight cargo preparation and planning.
Route Planning
Responsible for flight routing and flight planning procedures.
About the An-124
The Antonov An-124 “Ruslan” was first flown for military purposes in 1982, and civil certification was issued in 1992. The aircraft was manufactured in parallel by the Russian company Aviastar-SP and by the Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT, in Ukraine. The last airframe was completed in 2004, but plans are now afoot to re-start production.
Externally, the An-124 is similar to the American military Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but has a 25% larger payload. An-124s have been used to carry a wide variety of loads including railway locomotives, ocean yachts, aircraft fuselages, B777 engines, and even the occasional elephant. The An-124 is able to kneel to allow easier front loading. The cargo compartment of the An-124 measures 36.5m x 6.4m x 4.4m and the maximum payload is 120,000 kg.
For further information and comment please contact:
Air Partner:
01293 844 788
Temple Bar Advisory
020 7002 1080
Tom Allison
Joanna Crawford
0777 625 3482
Ruslan International:
Michael Goodisman, Business Development Manager [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)1279 682139
Or
Pilot Marketing Services:
Derek Jones, Account Director [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8941 5381
