Unusual Aircraft Spends The Night In Tulsa

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- An unusual aircraft spent the night at Tulsa International Airport.  SkyNews 6 recorded video of a Boeing 747 fitted with a fold-up nose.

The plane is owned and operated by Kalitta Air, an air cargo company based in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The 747 was designed in the 1960s as a passenger jet, but over the years many of them have been converted to cargo carriers to take advantage of their long range and large weight-carrying capacity. 

When converted to cargo carriers, most 747's are fitted with a large door on the side for loading and unloading.

A spokesman for Kalitta Air says four of the company's 21 747's have fold-up noses, which make it possible for the planes to carry extremely long pieces of equipment.

The plane that spent the night in Tulsa left Monday morning for Boeing Field near Seattle carrying a load of helicopter rotor blades.

Learn more about the company here.

Kalitta Air is owned by Connie Kalitta, a man whose name is familiar to thousands of people in the Tulsa area for a different reason.

Connie Kalitta is a retired NHRA drag racing driver and still owns two NHRA drag racing teams.

Known as "The Bounty Hunter" when he was a driver, Kalitta is celebrating 50 years in racing this year.

Visit the web site of Kalitta Racing.