Attan

Chris C. and Ian Lim Welcome aboard and thank you for joining my flight. In fact I'm wondering if MWings can organise a joy flight day for just our MW members and their families. We can block the aircraft for a whole morning. Those interested can pay RM60 for a 30-minute flight over KL (between the twin towers, Bangsar, Lake Titiwangsa, etc.), have lunch and then spend the afternoon at the RMAF Museum.

Pak Brahim No handphone means no travel kah? Anyway my sympathies to you but then now you can get a better model of handphone.

Nice nite shot, Rauf and welcome aboard MWings.

Welcome aboard, Andrew R. and Kian Hong. Luv the eagle pics.

Many thanks to Tarmizi (that's him looking at the camera in Picture #1) for his amazing 737 rig. Many MWingers were there to help out in every possible way. Well done, Guys.

Flying displays will be held at 1445 on Friday ...... and at 1030 and 1600 on both Saturday and Sunday. DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERAS.

Naim, love those pics - B_abe, B_us and B_eeeater.

A suggestion - if you don't have photos to pin up at the booth, slide or Powerpoint presentations on a large LCD monitor would do just fine. I shall attend the carnival on Saturday as I have something on on Sunday.

Capt Radzi Based on previous carnivals, no restriction on cameras and other recording equipment.

Nice shots, Naim. So now you have one set of bird pics on MalaysianBirders and another set on MWings!

The Carnival will be on from Friday to Sunday (24th to 26th) with a VVIP visiting either on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Joy flights start on Friday morning and last till Sunday afternoon. The organiser is Malaysian Sports Aviation Federation (MSAF) which aims to unite all bodies involved in aviation and related fields (aeromodelling, spotting, scale models, etc.) and hold annual carnivals similar to Oshkosh. I suggest MWings meet the MSAF officers at the carnival and join its membership. Maybe MWings can share a booth with another MSAF member for free.

Andrew, that's a beautiful mountain in your signature. Is that Mt Kinabalu? Anyway this post ends my Bandung report. Said "Goodbye" to Bandung........ WE TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY AND PASSED THIS REPAIR SHOP. AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE WE PASSED THE CITY WHERE THE GRAND MOSQUE STOOD OUT. BELOW THE RIGHT WING IS PROBABLY SOEKARNO-HATTA (WIII) AS WE HEADED NORTHWEST. PASSING SOME ISLANDS OFF THE SUMATRAN COAST. Well, that's all about my Bandung stint. Thanks for viewing and commenting especially Norman, Pieter, Ignatius and Andrew. My next series of posts will cover the "Jakarta - Mataram - Jakarta Air Rally 1996" which will be under the "Flight Logbook" section since I actually flew those routes.

BANDUNG ==================== The story of Bandung continues..... ANOTHER FAMOUS HOTEL - THE SAVOY HOMANN HAS BEEN IN BANDUNG FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS. A PARTIAL VIEW OF THE BANDUNG GRAND MOSQUE. A ROOM AT THE REASONABLY PRICED GRAN SERELA HOTEL. "THE VALLEY" RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING BANDUNG CITY. Somehow the rear curtain feature of my camera did not give me the desired results. INSIDE VIEW OF "THE VALLEY". AT THE "ATMOSPHERE" DINNER CLUB, A JAZZ SINGER BELTED OUT HER NUMBERS. This club in downtown Bandung seemed to be popular with the locals. Outside the two-tiered main dining hall, it had open air pavillions amidst a landscaped garden and pond. THE DRUMMER LOST IN THE BEAT. TIME TO RETURN TO KL, THIS TIME I CHECKED OUT THE PERTAMINA BOWSER. TO BE CONTINUED.....

BANDUNG ======= The story of Bandung continues..... A RESTAURANT WITH UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE. "5 a sec" LAUNDRY IN A BEAUTIFULLY TEXTURED BUILDING. THE HOTEL WHERE WE STAYED. A BAKERY NEXT TO THE FAMOUS "RUMAH MODE" FACTORY OUTLET. A SNACK STALL NEAR "RUMAH MODE". THE COURTYARD OF RUMAH MODE. LUNCH AT A SUNDANESE RESTAURANT. THE FISH IS "IKAN SEKANG" AND HAS A BONY BALL THE SIZE OF A MARBLE ON THE DORSAL EDGE. AN OLD HOTEL, THE "PREANGER" WHERE MANY WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE STAYED. TO BE CONTINUED.....

BANDUNG ======= We continue with the story of Bandung. AT THE HOTEL, A VIEW TO ONE SIDE. THE VIEW ON THE OTHER SIDE. ONE OF THE NUMEROUS BOUTIQUES IN BANDUNG. A FOUNTAIN CUM AQUARIUM FRONTING A BOUTIQUE. THE FULL VIEW OF THE BOUTIQUE. A "FACTORY OUTLET" HOUSED IN A GRECO-ROMAN STYLED BUILDING. A FASHION STORE. ANOTHER "FACTORY OUTLET". TO BE CONTINUED.....

Yes, Norman...I noticed that most of the towers in Indonesia (especially the military ones) are checkered like that. I suppose in the old days all pilots had to report to the tower before and after landing (presumably there was no radio com then), so it was easier to find the tower painted like that. It's also easier to look out for the light signals from the controller.

Oops, didn't take a good look. Yeah, certainly an F27 which Pieter can spot even with closed eyes.

BANDUNG ======= Two hours drive to the southeast of Jakarta lies Bandung, a city of 2 million people where the Java Man was found. It is now famous for its Bandung Institute of Technology and the Casa Nurtanio aircraft manufacturing facilities. The ladies love Bandung because its streets are lined with "factory outlets" selling branded goods at a third of the prices prevailing in Kuala Lumpur. Jakarta citizens do most of their shopping in Bandung which sees a sharp rise in traffic bearing Jakarta number plates during the weekends. The older streets are lined with shady mature trees and the surounding hills have many resorts for those seeking the cooler clime. THE JOURNEY STARTED AT KLIA WITH ME VISUALLY CHECKING OUT THE BOWSER NEXT TO THE AIRCRAFT. COMMENCING TAXI TO JOIN THE OTHER TWO ON A TYPICALLY BUSY MORNING AT THE LCCT. RWY 14R WAS UNDER REPAIR BUT WHAT'S THE DEEP TRENCH FOR? IT WAS AN INTERSECTION TAKEOFF BTW. AS WE APPROACHED JAKARTA, MT. BROMO WAS A PROMINENT LANDMARK. THE CITY OF BANDUNG AS WE BEGAN OUR DESCENT. THE TOWER OF HUSEIN SASTRANEGARA AIRPORT, BANDUNG. THE AIRPORT TERMINAL. THE CASA NURTANIO MODELS - CN212 AND CN235. TO BE CONTINUED.....

Pieter, probably most of things that are old in Indonesia reflect Dutch elements. After all they were ruled by the Dutch for 400 years IIRC. That is why I like to wander around that country - it's full of history with elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity still preserved. Kelvin, I dined at Atmosphere and also The Valley. Both experiences were worth the money. On my next trip I'll probably spend some time at The Peak in Lembang. Thanks for the tips.

JOGJAKARTA....continued THE LOROJONGGRANG TEMPLE IN PRAMBANAN. Completed in the 8th century, the Hindu temple complex at Prambanan can be clearly seen as one flies southwestwards from Solo to Jogja. It consists of many towers, three of which are seen here. Between the photographer and the towers is a large lotus pond. At night a buffet dinner is served on the lawn with the elegantly lit towers as a backdrop. On full moon nights (and only then) the Ramayana dance is performed at an amphiteatre next door. RAMA TRIES TO CATCH THE TWO GOLDEN DEER FOR SITA. RAWANA HAS KIDNAPPED SITA WHILE RAMA WENT DEER HUNTING. SITA WORRIES FOR RAMA. HOLIDAY OVER, IT'S BACK TO THE ADI SOEMARNO AIRPORT, SOLO. A B737 TAIL OF SRIWIJAYA AIR. NEXT POST - BANDUNG

JOGJAKARTA (OR YOGYAKARTA OR JOGJA) A historical city dating back to the Mataram Kingdom (1575 - 1640), Jogja now has a population of more than 3.3 million. It claims to have the largest number of universities in Indonesia (453 according to my guide) and was the centre of the country's fight for independence. Visitors to Jogja usually shop for batik and handicraft and visit the famous ancient temples at Borobodur (Hindu/Buddhist) and Prambanan (Hindu). Borobodur is located northwest of Jogja while Prambanan is to the northeast of the city. Two huge volcanoes flank the cities of Jogja and Solo - Mt Merapi (9,737ft) and Mt Lawu (10,700ft). MALIOBORO STREET, THE MAIN SHOPPING STREET.TEN DAYS AFTER THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN, A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE HIT THE CITY. SALAK FRUIT FROM THE BOROBODUR AREA IS REPUTED TO BE THE BEST-TASTING IN THE COUNTRY. APPROACH ROAD TO THE BOROBODUR TEMPLE). THE CLIMB TO THE TEMPLE. THE FRONT VIEW OF THE TEMPLE. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 778AD AND WAS COMPLETED IN 825AD. A CORNER VIEW OF THE TEMPLE. REAR VIEW OF THE TEMPLE. CLOSEUP OF A CORNER OF THE TEMPLE. NEXT POST - LOROJONGGRANG TEMPLE IN PRAMBANAN

THE PURO MANGKUNEGORO (continued) THE LIONS GUARDING THE PAVILLION. THE LOUNGE FOR VISITORS. AN ANTIQUE DUTCH CABINET CONTAINING SILVERWARE. THE DINING ROOM FOR VISITORS. THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM. ANOTHER VIEW OF THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM. THE OTHER SULTAN'S PALACE - KRATON KASUNANAN. MOUNT MERAPI AS SEEN ON THE WAY TO JOGJA. The road journey to Jogja from Solo took two hours. Lava was flowing down one side of the volcano. The smoke and dust exiting the crater made the volcano hardly visible. Some villagers living on the slope had perished. NEXT POST - JOGJA

Azman, You're spot on He was with MAS before taking up his Regency.

SOLO One of the two oldest cities in Java (the other being Jogjakarta), Solo has many historical sites dating back to the Mataram Dynasty which moved there from East Java in the 17th century. A two-hour drive southwestwards takes one to Jogjakarta (or Jogja in short), a large city with many more historical sites. Solo is also known by its old name Surakarta. THIS IS THE LARGEST SHOPPING MALL IN SOLO. THIS MARKET SELLS FRUITS AND FOODSTUFF BUT MOST OF THE STALLS SELL THE WELL-KNOWN BATIK UNIQUE TO SOLO. JL SLAMET RIYADI - THE MAIN STREET OF SOLO. There are two sultans descended from the Mataram kings and they both have their own palaces (called "kraton" or "puro"). The Puro Mangkunegoro is open to the public but is smaller than the other sultan's Kraton Kasunanan. Below are pictures of Puro Mangkunegoro. The lead actress of the Malaysian movie/stage musical "Puteri Gunung Ledang" spent a few months there learning how to live as a princess including how to perform the royal dances. A VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE KRATON AS SEEN FROM INSIDE. The entrance is below the painted wing. To the right are the stables (now garages). THE PAVILLION WHERE ALL THE ROYAL CEREMONIES ARE CARRIED OUT. There are four different "gamelan" groups, each with its own unique sounds, performing for different ceremonies. A stage inside the pavillion is for "wayang kulit" (traditional puppet theatre) shows. The pavillion also has a museum, meditation rooms and a hall for the Sultan to meet his subjects. The royal quarters are in separate buildings to the back, left and right of the pavillion. THE FACADE TO THE PAVILLION ENTRANCE WITH THE ROYAL COAT OF ARMS. THE DECORATED CEILING OF THE PAVILLION. ONE OF THE CHANDELIERS IMPORTED FROM THE NETHERLANDS. MORE OF SOLO IN THE NEXT POST.

Yeah, Norman looked like a seasoned PanAm 747 captain.