Everskyward
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Everskyward
Mini 727-ski. And...an Illusian?
No, Yak 40 and antonov an-24.Mini 727-ski. And...an Illusian?
What ramp and why? I can't believe the FAA or the EPA let that crap in here. If the noise don't get ya the emissions will. Those things are like flying Trabants!
Someplace I never thought I would see...What ramp and why?
I think I'll wait until we make it home successfully!Lotsa pics, and we want stories.
I think whoever names the fixes has a sense of humor, plus where we ended up.
I googled the registration numbers for those two airplanes and you are right.No, Yak 40 and antonov an-24.
Here's the FlightAware track for people who haven't seen it. UHPP is Petropavlovsk, Russia which is on the Kamchatka peninsula. It is supposedly a often-used tech stop for shorter range aircraft. However, looking at the FlightAware history for the airport it doesn't seem like they get much traffic.How cool. I checked your FlightAware track, too bad it doesn't extend outside of US airspace. Have a great trip!
She must have better eyes than I do because I couldn't see Russia even from way up there!Well, you can see Russia from there....
I agree, Scott. You and I, the passengers and my flying buddy are all old enough to remember the Cold War era so it was definitely a little strange when we were told we would be stopping at Petro. I made sure to ask the handler if pictures were OK. She said there was no problem. There are are a lot of old and interesting airplanes tucked in the trees beside the taxiways. Too bad I couldn't get pictures of them.I think what is amazing that had Mari flown that route about 25 years ago she would not be posting pictures. She would either be in a prison camp or more likely dead in the water. You are getting to see stuff that was verboten to non-Soviets just a few years ago.
The bridge is called the Seimon Ishibashi Bridge and is in the park at the entrance to the Imperial Palace. On the left side of the bridge there is a big gated structure. Here is a picture of the gate.Love the picture of that bridge!
Haha. We had a number of people at work who wanted to come along as the flight attendant. Strangely my first experience flying with a flight attendant was the flight before this one. It's pretty nice having one!Hey, next time can I be flight attendant? I won't wear a skirt, but I'll serve margaritas.
Haha. We had a number of people at work who wanted to come along as the flight attendant. Strangely my first experience flying with a flight attendant was the flight before this one. It's pretty nice having one!
I've had one on a few of my recent flights. I've found it very nice, as well.
Ted in a skirt?I thought it was rather nice as well, although I think it's your turn next time.
Ted in a skirt?
I agree!I thought it was rather nice as well, although I think it's your turn next time.
I agree!
The Twin Cessna looks pretty small compared to the Twin Boeing.
Our handlers Hiro and Toru. The van behind them is the "FBO". I am amazed that there are no real facilities for business aviation here. You taxi up to a ramp and there is no building, just people to meet you in a van. They drive you to the airline terminal to clear customs. At least we got to go through the crew/VIP line. At first I thought it was because we were at Tokyo Narita (the big international airport) but Hiro told me that there are no FBOs anywhere in Japan. They are attempting to get one at Narita but there are a lot of political barriers. Apparently the government doesn't want to encourage GA. I know that Japan is a small country and they have a great train system but you would think they would want to at least encourage business travelers from overseas like us.
Flying in Russia is a bit different especially because they use different units. The altitude is in meters, the altimeter setting is in hectopascals and they use QFE which gives you the height above field elevation, not above sea level. When they give you the wind it is in meters/sec. Luckily there is a rule of thumb to double meters/sec to get knots.
I don't think 100LL is available at Narita. When I was talking to the handler I asked about smaller airplanes with props and he said they weren't allowed to land there.Wow, now that's interesting. Did you find out if 100LL was even available?
I wouldn't say that the controllers were always easy to understand, certainly not like in the US or Canada and equivalent to what I have heard in Mexico, but we could usually decipher what they wanted. In Russia there was very little other traffic if any on the frequency. However in Japan it was pretty busy. I would say the traffic in Japan was virtually all airlines although I don't know if I could distinguish a GA aircraft if I had heard one. I can't recall hearing any N-numbered airplanes in Japanese airspace other than airlines and maybe only one other one in oceanic airspace.How good was the English in Russia and Japan? In Mexico and Cuba the controllers spoke English well and it was very easy to understand, but I also didn't venture far south into Mexico.
Sure, I'd do it again, especially since I have a much better idea what to expect. Maybe not today, though...Would you do it again?
I don't think 100LL is available at Narita. When I was talking to the handler I asked about smaller airplanes with props and he said they weren't allowed to land there.
I wouldn't say that the controllers were always easy to understand, certainly not like in the US or Canada and equivalent to what I have heard in Mexico, but we could usually decipher what they wanted. In Russia there was very little other traffic if any on the frequency. However in Japan it was pretty busy. I would say the traffic in Japan was virtually all airlines although I don't know if I could distinguish a GA aircraft if I had heard one. I can't recall hearing any N-numbered airplanes in Japanese airspace other than airlines and maybe only one other one in oceanic airspace.
Sure, I'd do it again, especially since I have a much better idea what to expect. Maybe not today, though...
I know that there are a few small airplanes in Japan but I have no idea how they get there or what airports they fly out of. Years ago I had a student who was Japanese. I remember him saying that, at the time, a C-150 was about $150/hour. This was back in the mid-1980s.I guess I won't be bringing the Aztec then...
How good was the English in Russia and Japan?
Greg told me in advance about the female Japanese controllers. I was thinking, how hard could they be to understand? I think it's because they speak quickly in a higher pitched, mechanical monotone. It was also pretty busy on the arrival to Narita and the end of a long flight so that could have had something to do with it... or not.And the female Japanese controllers are VERY difficult to understand at times.
I think a lot of it is related to the passband of the radios for audio. The female voice are higher pitched and fall outside of it.Greg told me in advance about the female Japanese controllers. I was thinking, how hard could they be to understand? I think it's because they speak quickly in a higher pitched, mechanical monotone. It was also pretty busy on the arrival to Narita and the end of a long flight so that could have had something to do with it... or not.
Well, maybe. But I wish I had a tape of what it sounds like so you could judge for yourself. Culturally I think the Japanese women learn to speak in that higher tone range in normal life and it must carry over to speaking on the radio too. I don't think it's genetic because I don't speak like that.I think a lot of it is related to the passband of the radios for audio. The female voice are higher pitched and fall outside of it.
No, we didn't enter Chinese airspace but Greg might be able to answer this.Did you get to deal with any of the mainland China ATC? It is used to be that there was almost no chance of anything being understood except normal ATC sayings
The bridge is called the Seimon Ishibashi Bridge and is in the park at the entrance to the Imperial Palace. On the left side of the bridge there is a big gated structure. Here is a picture of the gate.
Japan seems like a study in contrasts. In one direction from the hotel there is this peaceful looking park. Not a blade of grass is out of place. In the other direction is the Ginza shopping district which is an assault on the senses. Behind the hotel, which is very tastefully decorated, is a train track with a bunch of stores and restaurants underneath. I think this one was one of the most interesting...
And the female Japanese controllers are VERY difficult to understand at times.
Yes, we did stay at the Imperial Hotel and we went to a sushi place that was underneath the rail line. It was one of those places where it comes around on a conveyor belt. I was surprised how inexpensive food is once you get outside the hotel.Staying at the Imperial Hotel? Your pictures look familiar (there last December). There was a great sushi joint just in the Ginza around the corner from where you walk under that rail line. So good that the locals were standing in line to get a seat.
Yokota AB outside Tokyo and Kadena AB on Okinawa both have aero clubs. I've seen their 172's flying around while transiting the area. Don't know where they go, though. I wish I had the time to get a fam flight, but we were always there for min ground time. Maybe someday.I know that there are a few small airplanes in Japan but I have no idea how they get there or what airports they fly out of. Years ago I had a student who was Japanese. I remember him saying that, at the time, a C-150 was about $150/hour. This was back in the mid-1980s.