For more than two decades, at the 440th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve in Milwaukee, Capt. Lance P. Sijan had been honored with a decommissioned, dedicated McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom jet fighter -- a replica of the plane he went down in. Then the 440th moved to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Sijan's sister was able to get the plane relocated to a new plaza at the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.
Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, a member of The ALL Family of Companies, was a proud part of the team that moved the 26,000-pound plane.
Dawes Sales Manager Joe Ruddell piloted the team that would lift the plane, load it onto a flatbed truck, transport it through a shallow tunnel, and then lift and set it onto the foundation in the new plaza. Dawes' Link-Belt HTC 86100-XL truck crane with a 110-ton capacity was chosen for the job, along with a 53-foot Manac expandable trailer from Dawes Specialized Transport (DST) Inc. The HTC 86100-XL was able to get close enough to the pedestals in both locations. Once Dawes reached the plaza, the Link- Belt lifted the jet off the trailer and, with precision, set it onto its new pedestal, where it was bolted into place.
For more information, visit www.allcrane.com or call (216) 524-6550.
