LD3 vs PMC: The Air Cargo Sizes a Fly-Away Rig Has to Fit
What is a ULD and will your fly-away rig fit one? LD3 (AKE) and PMC (P6P) dimensions and max gross weights, the angled LD3 base that strands case volume, which aircraft take which, and how chargeable weight bills bulky touring gear. Model your cases against ULD sizes before you book a fly date.
Every fly-away rig eventually meets the same two shapes: the LD3 container and the PMC pallet. If your PA, console, and backline cases are specced around a 53-foot trailer, the first international fly date is where that spec gets stress-tested. Here are the numbers that matter, with the touring read on each.
What is a ULD?
A unit load device (ULD) is the standardized container or pallet that turns loose cargo into one unit an aircraft can accept. As Hansatic's ULD guide puts it, "a unit load device transforms loose cargo into a single structural unit that fits precisely into an aircraft hold." Everything is governed by the IATA ULD Regulations, and the airline verifies your declared weight on ramp scales: if the actual gross weight exceeds the certified maximum, the ULD cannot be loaded. There is no "we'll make it work" at the aircraft door.
How big is an LD3 (AKE) container?
The LD3, IATA code AKE, is the workhorse lower-deck container on widebodies. Per DSV's LD3 spec sheet, the base measures 156.2 x 153.4 cm, the top spreads to 200.6 x 149.4 cm, height is 162.6 cm, tare weight is 82 kg, and maximum gross weight is 1,587 kg. Hansatic lists the internal envelope at 153.4 cm long, 153.4 cm wide, 163 cm high, roughly 4.5 cubic meters, with a max gross of 1,588 kg. The one-kilogram difference between sources is rounding; plan to the lower number.
Why does the LD3's angled base matter for case stacking?
Notice that the LD3's top is longer than its base: 200.6 cm up top versus 156.2 cm on the floor, per DSV. One lower corner is cut away at an angle to follow the curve of the fuselage. For case stacking that means the full rectangular footprint you can actually stand cases on is about 156 x 153 cm, and only shorter items can ride out over the angled shoulder. A standard rack case that is fine in a truck pack can strand 20 percent of an LD3's volume if nobody accounted for the contour. Two stacked 12U shock racks that clear 163 cm in your warehouse do not clear it with a lid lip and castors.
How big is a PMC (P6P) pallet?
The PMC, IATA code P6P, is the big flat one: an aluminum pallet you build up and net over. DSV's PMC sheet lists it at 317.5 x 242.8 cm (125 x 96 inches) with a 120 kg tare, a maximum gross of 4,626 to 5,035 kg on the lower deck depending on aircraft, and 6,800 kg on the main deck. Hansatic states the main-deck figure at 6,804 kg and notes a floor load limit around 730 kg/m². A PMC on a freighter main deck is where line array cases, amp racks, and motor crates actually travel.
Which aircraft take LD3s and PMCs?
LD3s ride the lower deck of widebodies: Hansatic lists the B767, B777, A330, and A350, and DSV adds the B747, A300, A310, and A340. That means belly freight on the same passenger flights the crew is on. PMC pallets go on widebody lower decks at the reduced weight limit, but the 6,800 kg build-ups need main-deck positions on freighters like the B747. Narrow-body regional hops take neither; that is why fly-away packs that tour on 737s get broken down to loose-loadable cases.
How does air freight pricing treat bulky touring gear?
Air freight bills chargeable weight, not just actual weight. The standard IATA ratio is 1:6000, meaning volume in cubic centimeters divided by 6,000 gives volumetric kilograms, and whichever is higher, actual or volumetric, is what you pay. Touring gear is the worst case for this: empty racks, doghouses, and foam-lined console cases are mostly air. A case set that cubes out an LD3 at 4.5 m³ bills around 750 kg even if it scales at 500.
How do you spec a fly-away package to ULD sizes?
Manufacturers already think this way. SSL's new TCA Tour, shipping July 2026, is pitched as a "compact fly-away audio production system," pre-wired and packaged so the console travels as a deployable unit instead of a control surface plus a rack farm. The same logic should apply to your whole case set: before you commit to a fly date, model it. In Truck Packer you can define a custom container at the LD3's usable envelope (about 156 x 153 x 163 cm) or a PMC build-up footprint (317.5 x 242.8 cm to your carrier's height limit), drop in your real case dimensions, and see immediately what fits, what strands volume, and how many ULD positions you are actually booking. The freight quote stops being a surprise.
See it instead of reading about it: open a live crew view of a real load plan, the same top and side diagrams a crew loads from, then build your own pack with your actual case counts against a ULD-sized container.
