Ameriflight’s Radioactive Material Transport Authorization
Did you know? Ameriflight has special permit authorization to carry radioactive material.
Ameriflight is authorized to carry and transport radioactive material under the following conditions:
- In quantities that exceed regulatory TI Limits
- When separation distance criteria cannot be maintained
What is Transport Index or T.I.?
The Transport Index (TI) is a dimensionless number on labels for packages containing radioactive materials, indicating the maximum radiation level at one meter from the package’s surface, used to control radiation exposure during transport.
What is separation distance?
For radioactive materials, “separation distance” refers to the minimum distance required between packages, overpacks, or freight containers containing radioactive materials and areas occupied by people, animals, or undeveloped film, based on the sum of the “Transport Index” (TI) of the package.
Currently, passenger airplanes are capped at 50.0 TI and cargo-only aircraft, like Ameriflight, are capped at 200 TI. At 200 TI, the closest package to the flight crew cannot be any closer than 28 feet. To put that into perspective, our smaller aircraft, the Beechcraft 99, is 44 feet from tip to tail, and our largest aircraft, the SAAB340, is 65 feet from tip to tail.
What does the Special DOT permit accomplish?
The Special DOT permit essentially allows Ameriflight to load the entire cargo area of our aircraft with Radioactive material. With our permit, we have operated flights in excess of 300 TI.
This permit allows suppliers and manufacturers to ship large quantities of their products, or products in raw form, in a matter of hours instead of days. With the ability to ship in large quantities, it also comes at a reduced cost to Ameriflight’s customers.
How is this safe?
Ameriflight has safely operated under the terms of its permit since 2005, doing so with a perfect safety record. All employees are specially trained on permit operations, and the company is regularly audited by the FAA and DOT. Ameriflight employs monitoring devices for flight crews and support staff, along with having an RHP (Radiological Health Physicist) on staff.
The Special Permit requires all effected Ameriflight employees to be under a Radiation Protection Program. The conditions of this program, and the participants, are under the supervision of our Radiation Health Physicist and comply with OSHA standards related to occupational radiation exposure.
Ameriflight has been flying Radiopharmaceuticals for 20+ years and the special DOT permit is just one of the many tools that allow flexibility for our customers in a highly regulated environment.
Ameriflight specializes in on-demand cargo charters. Our team is available 24/7 to walk you through the process. We’ll even give a quote within 30 minutes for your very own cargo charter flight.
Contact us today: ch******@*********ht.com | 972-426-3075
Message us for a quote and we’ll get back to you shortly.
3.20.25