GREEN HELPS ALICE OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE

GREEN HELPS ALICE OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE

Green Worldwide Shipping

In June 2019, Green Worldwide Shipping Los Angeles team was presented with an opportunity from the Aviation Logistics Network (ALN) to participate in a bid to move an aircraft prototype from La Havre, France to Prescott, Ariz.

After a highly competitive three-week bid process, Green Worldwide Shipping was awarded the opportunity and after multiple revisions to the project’s specifications, including the addition of flat-rack and dry containers to the scope, Green and the client finalized the bid at 3-40′ containers and 4-40′ flat racks.

Despite the tender’s written instructions, Green’s freight experts knew this assignment would still require special handling to ensure safe and careful arrival to destination.

The Service

After making its debut at the 2019 Paris Air Show earlier in the year, “Alice,” the first electric commuter prototype plane needed to make its way back from Le Havre, France to Prescott, Arizona.

A little over a month after the show, the seven separate containers and flat racks holding the Alice prototype began the first leg of the journey home, destined for the Port of Los Angeles. From there, the plan was to coordinate unloading into Green’s local container yard for transloading onto drop deck trailers and then moving it to the final destination.

With the containers on the water, the client approached Green with an additional request ­— to aide in the search for a local rigging company who would be able to offload the over-sized aircraft prototype sections into the local airport hangar upon arrival.

Green’s flexible, solutions-based freight experts went right to work, finding and contracting a rigging company with a 40-ton crane capacity that was familiar with the local airport and two additional forklifts to assist the client in unloading the containers and flatbeds upon delivery. The timeline of the project went like this:

  • July 4, 2019 – On the NYK Deneb vessel, the 7 separate containers and flat racks holding the “Alice” prototype began their journey from the origin port of La Havre (FRLEH) to the discharge port of Los Angeles (USLAX).
  • July 29, 2019 – The Green Los Angeles team cleared the freight through U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.
  • August 2,2019 – The freight was released by the carrier.
  • August 3, 2019 – The containers and flat racks arrived at the Los Angeles port for discharge.
  • August 4, 2019 –The flat racks and containers were pulled to Green’s local container yard after arrival to the discharge port. The 3-40’ containers were sent ahead to AZ. Each of the flat racks holding prototype sections including the fuselage, wings and crated propellers were removed and set on to 2 drop deck trailers.
  • August 5, 2019 – While awaiting the arrival of the drop deck trailers, Green’s freight experts were able to arrange the unload of dry containers at the hangar using the forklift sourced.
  • August 9, 2019 – Lastly, the prototype sections, on the drop deck trailers, arrived and were offloaded utilizing both the forklifts and the 40-ton crane.


After departing La Havre, France and crossing the ocean, the prototype sections, on the drop deck trailers, arrived and were offloaded utilizing both forklifts and a 40-ton crane. Green Worldwide Shipping images.
After departing La Havre, France and crossing the ocean, the prototype sections, on the drop deck trailers, arrived and were offloaded utilizing both forklifts and a 40-ton crane. Green Worldwide Shipping images.

The Green Los Angeles team seamlessly executed the coordination and delivery of the airplane prototype to the airport with both the handling crew and their customer’s team. Ultimately, Green says the customer was extremely happy and grateful for the level of service provided and complimented them for their exceptional attention to detail and follow through.

Green Worldwide Shipping says it strives to “provides best-in-class aerospace and AOG services to the aviation community.” They pride themselves on their aerospace desk which is staffed 24/7/365 with airfreight specialists who understand the urgency of every situation, the company says. Green says each shipment is closely monitored through every step of the transportation pipeline with documented milestone completion and full data transparency.

Green Worldwide Shipping is also a member of the Aviation Logistics Network (ALN) specializing in the transportation of time-critical freight for the aerospace Industry. The ALN network structure provides a high degree of localized decision-making skills, when attending to and monitoring urgent freight solutions to the international aerospace community with their 350+ stations around the world.

To reach the Green Worldwide Shipping AOG Service Desk, email aog@greenworldwide.com or call AOG 24/7/365 +1 253 336 4647. For more information go to greenworldwide.com.

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