Excerpt from Cleveland Plain Dealer. Airport Commisssioner quoted "It is so big, Szabo says, it must be unloaded on the runway. Four semis head for the plane, and many support vehicles nuzzle up to its belly like nursing piglets. " I guess Cleveland's taxiways couldn't handle it either. Actually Youngstown's runway is two or three feet longer than Cleveland's longest. But Cleveland has one major thing that Youngstown doesn't. Airlines. Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "David MR" <damiross2@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, November 10, 2003 10:22 PM Subject: Re: World's largest plane lands at Hopkins Airport > YNG can take dual tandem wheeled aircraft up to 600,000 pounds. > > Customs isn't available as stated. > Here's what the YNG page (http://www.yngwrnair.com/services/customs.html) > says about Customs: > > The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport does not yet have U.S. Customs or any > other federal inspection services available at this time. However, U.S. > Customs can be made available at the airport on a permanent basis under an > arrangement with the Western Reserve Port Authority if you are interested in > becoming a frequent user. The Port Authority has the capability to exercise > an agreement with U.S. Customs which can provide on-airport federal > inspection services permanently on site. This would also include both > Immigration and Department of Agriculture services. The Port Authority would > need about 90 days lead time to make these arrangements > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Alireza Alivandivafa" <DEmocrat2n@xxxxxxx> > To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Monday, November 10, 2003 19:02 > Subject: Re: [AIRLINE] World's largest plane lands at Hopkins Airport > > > > In a message dated 11/9/2003 8:09:00 PM Pacific Standard Time, > > matthew.sheren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes: > > > > << According to the article, the cargo was going to Austintown, which is > > near Youngstown. If the big pieces were going to Youngstown, why not > > just fly into YNG, whose main runway is the same size as CLE's? Also > > from the article > > > > Maybe CLE has the cargo facilities for whatever was coming and YNG not. > > Also, CLE probably has more customs officers than YNG. Finally, YNG's > taxiways > > are the most likely culprit, as that thing needs a hell of a lot to taxi > into > > position. Runways are not the only part of the infrastructure that would > be > > strained by the Mirya. > > > > >Other fun facts: The plane has two huge ridges between the wings, > > effectively a luggage rack like the >ones a lot of Third World buses > > have. Also, it has to go where it goes on one 200,000-gallon tank of > > >fuel. It cannot be refueled in the air, which remains oddly > > reassuring, because this is a former Soviet >aircraft and who knows > > just how former. > > Yeah, but that "luggage" was supposed to be Buran. It doesn't hold > > anything otherwise. And who cares if it can't be refuelled in the air? > > It can always do things like, uh, land and pick up more fuel. There's > > also something about AF1 being a "stretch 747," which is a quote from > > the Airport Commissioner >> > > > > Well, considering that any 744 is bigger than the 742s that often serve as > > AF1, they must be "super stretch." You are right about the land and get > more > > fuel thing. The damn thing is a heavy lift cargo plane, it is not made to > > attack anyone. It needs a lot of space and is not going to be dropping > tanks on > > anyone, a la C-130 any time soon. >