Week 2:
Wednesday 19 sept.
After the worst of the Typhoon had passed and headed off to terrorise China, i could resume, so the cancelled flight from yesterday back to Manila first up, Cebu Pacific flight 5J311D A320 RP-C3241. Took off 0905, landed at MNL 1055 (1 Hr 50 Mins) had several hours left till departure to Jakarta, when on finals to MNL i noticed what looked a bit like a graveyard under the final approach which looked a good place for shooting, so, found a local map with this on it, jumped in a taxi and set off to find it (this was an adventure itself, as the taxi driver had no idea where/what this was!) eventually we arrived at the front gates, it turns out to be the Phillippine Military Graveyard, “LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI”
open to the public (told the armed gate guard i was a tourist wanting to look around and had no problems) i eventually found a few spots where shooting was good, unfortunately the weather was not!!,but this would be a great place to spend a hot day shooting without anyone bothering you. Also today i paid a visit to the Phil AF Museum located in the AF base at the airport 20 peso entry and has a fair few a/c on display including a nice DC3 and a YS-11 among others.
Then back to the airport for the merry dance that is departing!!!
This time was my last flight with Cebu Pacific Manila to Jakarta 5J759 on A319 RP-C3192 t/o: 2110, L: 0040 (2340 local) 3hrs 30min, no mad game on this flight, no doubt because it was a late flight (and the cabin crew looked done in… bless) On arrival at CGK you must buy a visa (10 USD for a 7 day visa) bit of a pain since i was only staying about 20 hours.
Thursday 20th Sept:
My plan was to crash in the terminal (remembered my last visit here trying to sleep on very uncomfortable benches) but opted to try get in the transit hotel in the international terminal, a wee bit more steep than most hotels (80 USD a night) but a very good hotel indeed including free buffet breakfast. Every room on the hotel looks out on to the international ramp (it was built on the site of the old waving gallery) i found myself staying in the room till kicking out time, shooting through the window in air con’d luxury, i got the very last room at the very end of the hotel, any more central rooms would have much better views, the hotel allowed me to store my luggage free of charge so, i charged over on the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal, where there remains a waving gallery on the roof of each of the terminals (roof of terminal 1B probably the best place for shooting) no charge for entry to these galleries,there are lots of shops around the terminal handy for water which was a neccesity in the searing heat! tip: you cannot enter the domestic terminal without a ticket so are forced to walk along the frontage of the terminal, try to “hug” the terminal side of the walkway as much as poss, any time you venture anywhere near the road you will have hordes of taxi drivers chasing after you to use them, and be prepared for thinking you have come out without trousers on as EVERYONE seems to find foreigners very interesting and will stare at you.. quite annoying actually!!!
After a hard days shooting it was back over to International, collect the rucksack and head to check in for my flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Was due to fly on Air Asia Indonesia flight QZ 7604, but, flight was cancelled due to a/c going tech in KUL so got papped on Air Asia later flight(only 2 hours later) so climbed aboard A320 9M-AFC (Man Utd Logojet) flight AK957 T/O: 2035 L:2215 (2315 local) 1 Hr 40 Min, Air Asia operate a free seating policy so got seat 19F and had row to myself, on board snacks consisting of Pot Noodles, something in a pot called Chicken Porridge!!! (sounds mingin’) a few hot dishes available too, all very cheap (about £1 a meal 60p a can of coke) and you can buy as much Man Utd crap as you like, as they point out in every available space “we are official Asian airline of Man Utd!!” but since the airline has so many logo jets to shoot i let them off with it!
Friday 21 Sept:
Decided to spend today at the airport viewing gallery on the 5th floor of the terminal, very pleasant place, shooting through glass which is kept clean, it is good for close taxiing shots, MAS only is at this part of the terminal, foreign airlines use a satellite building some a/c taxi to it on the nearest taxiway,these are shootable, others taxi in behind the satellite building, too far away to shoot, as is the runway, you get too much haze between you and the runway.
Sat 22 Sept:
hired a car (needed) to head round the perimeter, you can get a 12 hour car hire from Pacific Rent a car (PRAC) for 88MYR(approx £12) main runway in use is 14R, 14L being used for small a/c like 737/a320s only as it is being upgraded for A380 use, so headed for the weather station (PUSAT KAJI CUACA) midway along 14R, a very good place to hang out, the sun moves behind you after about 1pm and a/c are in full sunlight. Security came and moved me once only, at which point i went a little further up the road just past 14R threshold a spot good for finals shots, before eventually wandering back to the weather station where there were by now quite a collection of local spotters/photographers around, a nice bunch, was happily chatting away all day with these guys, a great spot till the light starts to go around 6pm.
For anyone who can’t drive, the perimeter road is way too far to walk to, but, the shuttle bus that runs between the main terminal and the LCCT terminal passes here, costs 1.50MYR if you ask the driver he will most likely stop for you (there is no official stops on the bus route) or of course a taxi is very cheap too, however, there is no shade, and without my cars air con i would have toasted, as it was a particularly fine day!
Sun 23 Sept:
Today was see the city day, there is a very good/cheap hop on hop off tourist bus thing in Kuala lumpur, it would take about 2 1/2 hours to do one rotation if you didnt get off (but there is so much to see) main highlights in Kuala Lumpur are of course the Petronas twin towers, beware though if you want to visit it is free but only 1300 tickets are issued a day, you may have to queue 3 hours for a ticket and then you only go as far as the SkyLobby bridge that links the towers for 10 minutes maximum!!, a better option is the KL tower, the worlds 5th tallest tower and houses the world’s highest MacDonalds!! also well worth the visit is the Aviary, a huge place mostly free flight with all sorts of weird flying creatures present.
I then returned to my hotel ,4 star Citrus Hotel MYR 159 (approx £22)to get my stuff and head for the airport to fly to Bangkok.
There is a bus service from KL train station direct to the LCCT at KUL for Air Asia, only MYR 8 one way(£1.20) takes around 90 mins.
Got checked in very quickly at LCCT the terminal has more check in counters than my local airport,Glasgow!! and only one airline at the terminal(Air Asia) flight AK884 KUL-BKK A320 9M-AFP (“Amazing” logo jet)T/O:1905 L:2100 1Hr 55mins. and very swiftly through formalities at the very impressive Suvarnabhumini Airport at Bangkok.
Monday 24th Sept:
I spent today having a bit of a breather and taking it easy in Bangkok.(now THERES an oxymoron!!)
Tuesday 25th Sept:
So, on to Bangkok’s shiny new international airport….
Quite difficult for spotting/shooting. As for the terminal (the world’s largest single structure building) landside there is a spectators gallery, it had “under construction” signs at a barrier leading to it (which changed to “closed” by the time i left BKK) so no idea what this was like and if it will re-open, there are 2 restaurants on the 6th floor above immigration,at the back of the check in rows, the one on the left called “Sky Loft” has good views (through glass) of most stuff taxiing past.(an odd place, you pay before you go in whatever amount you want to pay is credited to a swipe card, and, it gets swiped each time you buy something,a sort of self service restaurant (HIGHLY recommended is their pizza at 350 Baht for a whole one (£5.40) is one of the best pizza i have had…. and i am a pizza expert hehe) and when you are done you return your card and get whatever change is left. The other restaurant is more formal kind of dining, and the views are not as good as the sky loft. Airside, not too clever you are about 20 feet from the nearest window at all times except the boarding gate lounge, so,it is just down to your luck if your departure gate has decent views(mine did not!! as can be seen in the below shots)
Outside the terminal, there is a road which runs the length of 19L/01R
This runway was used for take-offs only on 19L,you could stop along this road and shoot (with the possibilioty of some fence getting in the shot) If 19L is used for landing there is a long stay car park just behind the threshold which would be good for finals shots, As all landings were on 19R i found myself at the Suvarnhabhumi Post Office building just under and slightly left of finals for 19R i found this an excellent spot for shooting, however the sun moves round in front of you by about 1pm (i guess you only really need to walk 300feet till you are looking at landers from the other side) The airport security paid me a few visits, they don’t mind you watching the aircraft but no photography is allowed (of course once they are out the way…)The Cargo areas,maintenance etc.. are all secured entry areas,so,unfortunately no way in to them that i could find, i daresay that you could stop,if in a car, on the terminal approach road, for a moment to shoot whatever is parked at the Thai hangar, and some of the domestic ramp too,but,expect to be moved on by police very quickly,so the PO seems the best place.
That covers week 2, final few days follows…
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October 6, 2007 at 4:31 pm