New trip 2008

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Hello Malaysian friends and other friends all over the globe!

 

I would like to know something more about spotting in Iran, on Tehran Mehrabad Intl. to be exact.

I am going to do a spotting trip most probably HongKong and Tokyo and I'd like to fly on my way to Asia with Iran Air. So Amsterdam-Tehran AB6 or A310, and then my onward flight after a stop of at least one night in THR with a B747SP to Tokyo with a short stop in Beijing.

 

Anyone any idea's of where to spot at Mehrabad? Is photography allowed in Iran? I know its strictly forbidden in Iraq, some people say the same about Iran, but I googled it up and some say its not prohibited there but people are very friendly and hospital.

 

Someone any info?

Special remarks for HKG & both Tokyo airports (Haneda/Narita) are welcome also of course!

And if somebodys wants to join me in Asia, some company is welcome as always!

 

Kind regards from Amsterdam

[Hakan 2]

I don't think so, spotting is allowed in Iran. Probably they will accept you are a potential spy ! be carefull. but I'm sure you can take some shots inside of cabin.

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

My trip has changed a little.. I will do HKG and both airport in TYO. After these trips I want to fly to KLIA for 2 or 3 nights, just very short, but I do want to be in KL

My flights will be Finnair A320 to HEL then Finnair MD11 to HKG, probably NWA 744 to NRT and back to HKG and MAS 772 to KL and back to HKG. Then again Finnair MD11 to HEL and Embraer 170 from HEL to AMS.

 

When I know the exact dates (will be in first or second week of April 2008) I will let you know as I sure want to meet some of you guys (again)!

 

WOEHOEE

 

Iran is delayed for this time. As I go to KLAX probably at the end of the year its delayed for a year. My family didnt wanted me to go and I dont leave The Netherlands with my family to worry about me. (They think Iran is war, war and war as I know it is definately not).

Edited January 2, 2008 by Cornelis Boersma

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

My "Asia-schedule"

 

29 March -> Amsterdam-Helsinki, Finnair A320

29 March -> Helsinki-Hong Kong, Finnair MD11

4 April -> Hong Kong-Tokyo, Northwest Airlines B744

10 April -> Tokyo-Hong Kong, Northwest B744

11 April -> Macau-KLIA, Air Asia A320

15 April -> KLIA-Macau, Air Asia A320

16 April -> Hong Kong-Helsinki, Finnair MD11

16 April -> Helsinki-Amsterdam, Finnair E170

 

Airports Iam going to visit in Asia: Narita, Haneda, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macau, KLIA.

Airports Iam considering to visit: Penang 1 day return with Air Asia or Jakarta on the KL B744, 1 night in CGK.

Advice or recommendations for those 2 last mentioned (or ohter good) destinations? (where best places, best traffic, most legal etc)

 

I HOPE TO SEE LOTS OF YOU GUYS!

[Pieter C. 5]

Expect full AY flights, Cornelis, as per message below:

 

Finnair November Traffic Up On Asia Flights

 

December 11, 2007

National carrier Finnair said total passenger traffic rose in November, boosted by growth of almost 50 percent on Asian routes.

 

Total revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose 22 percent from a year ago to 1.6 billion in November, after a 26.2 percent climb in October, the firm said in a statement.

 

Traffic on Asian routes was up 46 percent and up 14.5 percent on European flights, Finnair said, with demand for North America flights 6 percent ahead compared with the same month a year earlier.

 

The carrier's overall passenger load factor rose 1.9 percentage points to 71.4 percent.

 

Finnair carried 620,000 passengers in November.

 

Blue1, the Finnish unit of Scandinavian airline SAS and Finnair's main competitor on Finnish routes, said on Monday it carried 153,000 passengers, 7.6 percent less than in November last year.

 

Last week, the SAS group said RPKs rose 31 percent in November, but its passenger load factor was down 0.9 percentage points at 65.4 percent, mainly due to its decision to permanently ground its fleet of Dash 8 Q400s after three of the aircraft crash-landed, forcing SAS to lease planes with larger capacity.

 

(Reuters)

 

 

[S V Choong 4]

Hi there. I think you will most likely be arriving at Tokyo's New Tokyo International Airport at Narita city (NRT) than Tokyo's Haneda International airport (HND). Haneda airport is mainly used for Domestic and regional Asian flights (to Taiwan, Korea and etc), I believe.

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Yes, I fly to Narita, I want to do spotting at both Narita and Haneda

[S V Choong 4]

Cool, hope you share some of the spotting photos with us. Heard that both airports are spotting heaven, especially Haneda with the rooftop deck.

[Sneeze Lam 0]

Hi Cornelis,

 

If you need any help when you are in HKG, let me know and I will try my best to provide what you need.

 

Welcome to HONG KONG.

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Hey guys,

 

Here my trip schedule for next month!

 

30- March, Amsterdam-Helsinki, Finnair A319/A320/A321

30- March, Helsinki-Hong Kong, Finnair MD11

31- March, Arriving in Hong Kong at 07.25 AM local time. After this, whole day of photographing at HK Airport I guess.

1- April, dont get myself April fooled, but Spotting at HKG

2- April, Spotting at HKG

3- April, Spotting at TPE probably, not planned yet

4- April, Spotting at HKG or being around HK City

5- April, Flight HKG-NRT, Northwest B744, departing HKG 08.30 AM. Arriving at 01.30 PM in NRT. Rest of day is spotting I guess.

6- April, Spotting at NRT

7- April, Spotting at NRT/HND or being around Tokyo City

8- April, Spotting at HND

9- April, Spotting at HND

10- April, Spotting at HND/NRT and flight back to HKG departing NRT 6.30 PM arriving HKG 10.30 PM, Northwest B744. I stay at the airport during the night.

11- April, Spotting at MFM, and departing to KUL at 11.50 AM. Arrivin in KUL 3.40 PM Air Asia A320

 

KLIA/KUL/WMKK

 

12- April, Spotting at KUL, It's Saturday I expect you all on OH early morning!!

13- April, Spotting at KUL, Sunday, the people I dont meet Saturday I hope to see this day on OH or Weather station!

14- April, Flying to still unknown place, will be Jakarta or Penang or Langkawi! Who will join me? Teoh Zu Yao is the first to join!

15- April, Flight KUL-MFM departing 02.30 PM. I spent evening at HKG Airport as I fly home the day after.

16- April, Flight HKG-HEL, Finnair MD11, and HEL-AMS, Finnair Embraer 170/190!

 

The day to CGK/PEN/LGK can be changed to Sundays. Other days can be changed as well!

I hope to meet you guys again next month!

 

Kind regards Cornelis

[Walter Sim 1]

All the best Cornelis!!

 

Will certainly mark down the dates , hope to see you here!! Enjoy your holiday!!

[LeeCH 0]

Cornelis, I will be in NRT and HND spotting on the 3rd and 4th April. And you will only arrive NRT on 5th April (my departure day). If you can or plan to alter your plans, can always meet up in NRT. In case you are wondering, I am not on personal holiday. Got a rare two nights in Tokyo by chance.

 

YK and TK, want to do the funky spotting again?

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Guys from HKG this time. Weather really fucked up, sorry for the words. Heavily clouded, sometimes rain, today in afternoon fog. Can't be worse! Expected from tomorrow, better In Tokyo I get sun, sun and sun so that sounds very good.

 

Some shots from the past few days. Lots of more to follow when I have faster internetconnection!

 

MD-11 OH-LGB wing inflight above Russia.

 

 

Same wing in cloudy HKG on final APP, see the nice effects the weather has on the wing!

 

 

The flightdeck after gate arrival.

 

 

The view from my room at Regal Airport Hotel:

 

 

Nightspotting from my room

 

 

 

2 special liveries and both bad pictures Maybe I can photoshop them. The CX 77W was really far away shot but will arrive tomorrow from JFK so I'll be on approach then for a good one! Also nailed 2 China Airlines A330s with fruit and flowers.

 

 

 

Finally UPS M11 on HK Cargo platform. Some Cargo-company let me photograph away from their property

 

From here I saw a CX 742F get an engine flameout at engine startup. I made 2 photographs of it, but my camera seems to have deleted them, only find back 2 with fire-brigade around

 

Friday to Taipei. Saturday to Tokyo. Hope to let you know some more soon! And of course SEE YOU GUYS IN KUL on OH on Saturday 12 April in the early morning! (and of course later that day on WX or Spooky and the day after )

 

And forgive me for dirtspots. First thing in Tokyo to do is let my camera by cleaned!

 

Best regards,

[Pieter C. 5]

Great photos and enjoy the rest of your trip, Cornelis: keep those pictures coming !!!

[Simon 3]

Love those special livery

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Hey guys,

 

Finally today some good weather in HKG! But I had to be off to Taipei today, so couldnt enjoy of it for a very long time.

I boarded Eva Air A332 B-16301 from HKG to TPE. As I was on board it was so incredible hot, first thought airconditioning wasn't working properly. Then we started up our engines AT THE GATE! Before being push-backed. Never have had this before really strange! After the engines were running already for a couple of minutes we were not being pushed-back but going forward with highspeed onto the terminal! The captain hit the brakes very fast so in one time the whole machine was standing still again and most passengers thought THANK GOD I HAVE MY SEATBELT PUT ON!

 

From that moment I thought, hmm I guess something is wrong. We've been pushed-back a little later but the Airbus was making strange sounds constantly. As I know Airbusses make weird sounds, but nog like these, flew AIrbus lots of times to recognize these sounds.

 

Well flaps went out and we starting taxi to runway 07R. As there we were lined-up the aircraft kept waiting and waiting. I thought well maybe a cargo airline doing approach on 07R but then after a couple of minutes MU 737 left 07R and then the captain announced a technical failure and told us the aircraft had to get back to the terminal. First of course we've been waiting long time before the aicraft could taxi back due to other taxiing traffic.

 

After we arrived somewhere on the platform I deboarded the machine. I only had half a day in Taipei, after we already had 1 hour delay before this and after spending another half an hour inside this machine waiting to taxi back to the terminal I asked myself: Isnt it better to get off as the delay can take hours longer and then you are screwed waiting for you dont know what in this overheated machine. So I asked the cabin crew. THey arranged me to go off. Lucky I didn't had any checkedin luggage in baggagecompartment so I could go off very fast

 

THey arranged me a bus, very big one, only for me We drove all HKIA platform And I could skip immigration with very long queues of people. The cancelled my departing Hong Kong stamp so I could get in very fast Of course they already checked my history and passport before I could get off the machine in the first place.

 

At the end of the day I wasted lots of time but before the flight I've spend some good time behind immigration with all the glass of the terminal this gave me some nice photo opportunities Results I will show you when I have faster internet connection.

 

Later the afternoon I've done some nice spotting at HKIA with first day good weather, lots of interesting traffic and hopefully some good shots! Too bad I missed TPE, but I am glad I got off as I saw 6 hours after scheduled departure time the aircraft was still on the tarmac. I wonder what was going on with the machine and if all the other passengers have been waiting so long inside of this machine.

 

I have to say good service for EVA Air as they didnt hesitate when I was asking to de-board, they arranged it very well and very fast! Also they started service for the people who had to wait! Dont want to say I had a bad EVA Air experience, I only wasn't lucky today.

 

Tomorrow of to NRT NWA 744. Hope this one will depart in time

 

Kind regards,

 

Cornelis

[Pieter C. 5]

Cornelis,

 

Starting engines at the gate, sounds like an APU problem

[Peter Smith 1]

Finally today some good weather in HKG! But I had to be off to Taipei today, so couldnt enjoy of it for a very long time.

I boarded Eva Air A332 B-16301 from HKG to TPE. As I was on board it was so incredible hot, first thought airconditioning wasn't working properly. Then we started up our engines AT THE GATE! Before being push-backed. Never have had this before really strange! After the engines were running already for a couple of minutes we were not being pushed-back but going forward with highspeed onto the terminal! The captain hit the brakes very fast so in one time the whole machine was standing still again and most passengers thought THANK GOD I HAVE MY SEATBELT PUT ON!

Certainly does sound like a u/s APU, nothing uncommon what-so-ever. And the hard "brakes" I believe were probably just from the pushback tug. It is common in asia (where i've seen it done more often) to chock the main gear rather than the nose or could even have been chocks were hard under the nose, so they towed the a/c forward a little to release them from under the tyre. With the added pressure on the tug of having both engines running, its quite possible he hit the brakes hard to stop it and thats why you felt it jump.

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Guys, some HKG shots. Shots of NRT will follow another time! Weather is good here, so good shots! Now in hotel and MAS crew checking in! Wow! Flight attendents are beautiful

 

Let me bring one home! Also one for you Pieter?

 

New colors Skippy A332

 

 

 

Old cls Skippy A333 at night

 

 

Is this USA or is this HKG?

 

 

B-16301 the ship I got of after tech. problems

 

 

And again Wunala Dreaming seeing her for 4th time now after LHR, SYD and LHR again.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Let me bring one home! Also one for you Pieter?

 

Agree, MH ah-mois always stunning !!! however, occupied already

 

[Desmond C 0]

Hey really, why got 3 United in HK at the same time? Anyway, Wunala :good:

[Sneeze Lam 0]

Hey really, why got 3 United in HK at the same time? Anyway, Wunala :good:

 

 

Simple, cause they fly via HKG to many other SE Asia countries like HCM City and SIN, so....they back around the same time and prepare for the US turn.

[Pieter C. 5]

Simple, cause they fly via HKG to many other SE Asia countries like HCM City and SIN, so....they back around the same time and prepare for the US turn.

 

Mini-hub @ HKG, like what NW does @ NRT

[Desmond C 0]

Simple, cause they fly via HKG to many other SE Asia countries like HCM City and SIN, so....they back around the same time and prepare for the US turn.

Mini-hub @ HKG, like what NW does @ NRT

Hmm, i see. Terima kasih

[Cornelis Boersma 0]

Guys,

 

Here some shots from Japan.

 

First 747SP of Iran Air on NRT. Got her this morning just started to rain (again)

Maybe see her with good daylights in KUL

 

Rest I took at HND been spotting here for 2 hours and got already most special liveries available here

More shots of HND and of course NRT to follow.