Iloilo to Cebu on ATR 72
It's a turboprop!
This is a small 'turboprop' plane - for only 72 passengers. I like it just the same. I say this because, many F&F (family and friends) are not keen about flying with "propeller planes".
Some are even frightened at just the thought of it haha! Sus kayo, and this one by the way is even still 'brand new' - just about 4 months old with this airline, straight from the factory.
They (that means you my dear F&F) had a lot of horrified comments about that flight I took last October (from Cebu to Cark). I say again, it's safe. Incidentally, this was that very same plane - and it was only 1 month old that time!
Yup, that was my flight boarding 20OCT2008.
But let's do this blow-by-blow from the start.
More airport-related sights & scenes muna
This Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 161 boarded early. I opted to board last, since I was still "looking around" this New Iloilo Airport - uzisero baga!
And there was only 1 reason why I gazed, and took a photo of everything above Gate 3. Can you spot it? Little things that matter. Sirit na?!
What time was it? Look at the displays. Those are provided by this 'new' airport. First, the big electronic clock says 8:50. Second, the Flight Information Screen (TV) says 9:07. What was the time, really? Hello, ano ba talaga kuya, ha?
Is it difficult to synchronize them? That, by the way, is one of the most important things that any airport on earth must provide accurately - at all times. Obiously, FAIL na agad ang CAAP.
No IFs, no BUTs, that discrepancy is horribly a sign of gross unforgivable stupidity. Ka-tonto, ka-manol, ka-huluya. They (Iloilo CAAP people) probably think those are 'mere decorative art'.
They probably don't even think that those are "official" and can be used in legal matters like litigation. Kung dispalinghado, kaduda-duda.
How then, can you trust this airport?
Asus, if that happened in say Changi, Haneda or Narita, either those gadgets will be covered or "switched off", and heads will definitely roll.
That is tantamount to "falsification".
Pero sa atin, aw bahala kamo dira ay!
That's a glaring example of the many reasons why so many citizens of this country find it so hard to trust government-related "everything".
Example scenario: if I was an auditor of COA, I will demand that CAAP charge Cebu Pacific fines or penalties for having overstayed at my government-owned Iloilo Airport Gate - since their departure time was 9:05 and at 9:07 (per that monitor) they were still boarding si Pinoy Traveler wasn't even inside yet, yan ang proof!
Another scenario? CebPac could have denied my boarding, claiming I was late (a no show) since it was already 9:07 and departure time was 9:05. And I would have claimed sa harap ng juez de paz "hindi ah, 8:50 pa lang, ayan o".
So judge will ask, oy CAAP, ano'ng oras yun?
Hahaha, those are just examples. But do you know what the EXIF Data of that photo tells me? It was only 8:41AM - I was even saying "ang aga naman.., etong si 5J is always so atat"!
In my experience, Cebu Pacific always boards their flights early (sometimes irritatingly early) - unless there has been an officially declared & announced delay or disruption. On this flight, none. So, impossible that it is already 2-mins past departure time and passengers are still boarding. But the TV says 9:07, ayan o. Well, the clock says 8:50 pa lang ayan o! Ano gid?!
Those need to be rectified by CAAP ASAP.
Trivia: there is an official time reference for, by, of everything and everyone in the world - called UTC or Coordinated Universal Time.
Coordinated? Ah sa Iloilo airport, wala-wala a!
Let's proceed...
After entering Gate 3, while on the gangway, walking to the stairs, I saw this on the floor:
And I said to myself "ano na, aircon vent man?" hehe. Eh I'm not an engineer or architect, and I guess this was 1st time my brain recognized a "grill on the floor" in our country (I often see that abroad, and I know them to be "heaters").
So I texted "a reliable source". I even sent that photo to him. He said "pwedeng drainage but chances are aircon yan". I asked: "yung mainit o malamig"? He said "either way, better touch it now to feel and tell kung mainit o malamig".
Eh wala na, I was already in the plane when I asked. The ending... he said it's usually called trench grille or floor supply diffuser ba't pati yan pinapakialaman mo magcocontractor ka na ba?
He further told me many "nose bleed" words like dehumidification, solar radiation and glass precipitation until I said I rest my case hehehe!
That's what I get for asking a topnotcher na sa Engineering at topnotcher pa rin sa Architecture Board Exam na parang gusto pa mag lawyer. At magaling na singer guitarist motocrosser. Da!
Me ganyang buhay na totoong tao grabe! Well at least I (and you) now know, that grill on the floor has something to do with "aircon" pa rin.
Anyway and aw, did I say stairs? Ah yes, stairs that we had to negotiate from the third floor to ground level. Propeller planes don't use gates.
For the not so young, this is inconvenient. Me, kaya pa so far - and I enjoyed this, because I could see more of this airport's surroundings.
Nice to look at, but no no no, not one of these cuties was our flight to Cebu. But, how I wish!
Eto sya sa baba! I think that is still about 100 meters (or a little less) of walk for passengers.
I like this walk on cloudy dry days like today. It is a great 'pictyur-pictyur' opportunity, di ba la?
But, on wet (or worse, on raining days), walking like that is a "bad trip" for people and luggage, even if the airline provides umbrellas to us all!
I was lucky today, yey!
Oh, after the above photo, what followed was that one I placed at the very top of this article.
Sights On Flight
Alright, fast forward, we took-off, westward to Cebu. Ah the views were truly amazing to me!
We took off from Runway 02 and banked right so on that photo, we were likely already above Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara and New Lucena. Yeh!
I could see the farms of Old Iloilo-Capiz Road and the Tigum River - the source of water for Iloilo City etc., from Mt. Inaman 46kms away.
Hmm, I just realized now, the areas where our flight flew over, were/are the province's "food basket". Like Pototan (lower left corner of that photo?), is the province's rice farming capital.
Then below, in the middle of the picture is the northern portion of Guimaras Island. Yes, the mango exporting island. Hmm, maybe I need to see it now. First & last ko dyan was 1999 pa.
That protruding part of mainland, right edge of photo, must be the northern area of Iloilo City.
Aw, this one I am sure: the many fish pens on foreground should be (left to right) Dumangas, Zarraga and Leganes. Because I see the two rivers that serve as boundaries among them!
It's so satisfying to look down and identify (or guess) the places where an airplane passes. I feel like bata uli ako, as I always did that then!
Oy oy oy, what looks like specks of dirt at left side of that photo are Siete Pecados Islands. A friend told me once, those islands are good to visit as they have good diving & snorkeling spots. I remember I said "saka na lang, I'm just a son of a beach"! But info for you dear divers.
In no time, we were already over Bacolod, but the clouds were a bit uncooperative today. No clear views of 'down there'. I saw Bacolod and Talisay. I guess Silay and the airport would've been at left side of the plane. Until I saw this:
That is San Carlos City in the middle. On that cloudy left edge of the pic is Sipaway Island. I should visit those places of Negros Oriental.
Yes I must. Okay bucket listed!
Alright. Six minutes after looking down at San Carlos and Sipalay, plane started banking left, and Naga City (Cebu) was visible on my right.
Well actually, I could see all the way south. All the way south to maybe Argao or even Oslob? Wow, places I'd like to visit soonest. Ok, listed!
Anyway, I knew that meant we were to land at Mactan Cebu International Airport Runway04.
Approaching from south of the island, so that is part of the intertidal flats around Cordova. It may look like already dry land, but no, it is not.
Those are the shallows. If you go down there, most of that is under water, rangin from "just wet" during low tide, to about 10 feet when it is high tide. They are playgrounds of fish etc.
Okay alright! We landed after a scenic flight of less than 30mins. Great even if cloudy. That's why I like smaller propeller airplanes - they fly low and slow, so I get to see more of "below".
Arrival
So it was walking time again - which I do not hate because of my personal circumstance/s, but because I can feel fellow passengers who despise this 'walking portion' in their air travel:
So far, I have always not been too bothered by this "cadillacad", but who knows, maybe soon I could be heheh, Lord 'wag naman sana muna!
Nevertheless (o, parang propesor ang word!), I tried analyzing why majority of people do not like the walking portion to/from their airplane. I also asked around to get the majority pulse!
1) it is not anymore normal.
2) there are buses, why not use them.
3) if #2) is not possible, go to #1)
Oo nga naman. Well, I join them in 'hating' the walk part when it's raining, lalo sa mga tarmac na bumabaha pa rin and/or bumabaha na rin.
At least here in Mactan, I don't remember the tarmac of getting flooded. When I say flooded, I mean lubog ang suelas ng sapatos mo, unlike at the Manila Domestic Terminal, knee-deep!
Otherwise, when it's not raining, or not under a blazing noontime sun, I mostly cherish that "walk before the ride" portion at every airport.
But airline passengers have varying personal circumstances, so I understand why most of them hate walking. Some are in a hurry, some are tired or probably just feel "short-changed"!
Because, look at the photo intently. I took that before I entered the building (baggage claim). We came from that plane. It's actually already far. But there is their bus THAT we passed-by during our walk. Why nga naman were we not asked to ride on that? Sira? So.., dapat itapon!
Ah and by the way that walk wasn't diagonally straight from that plane to where I stood. We first had to walk to the side (left edge of photo, those staff in red shirts directed us there), then follow the road towards the terminal building.
That probably contributed-to or triggered why fellow passengers were 'bad-mouthing' Cebu Pacific as we walked. Remember, these were Ilonggos. They don't stay mum pag sablay ka!
That made me remember my inday palangga friend who always say "sirain mo na ang buhay ko, huwag lang ang buhok ko" in her markedly sweet sing-song Hiligaynon accent ayhehehe!
I so itched to record their protestations as we walked hehehe, but my lowly point-and-shoot camera couldn't respectably do the task. So I just listened to commit everything to my brain memory ! Summary: nasira daw ang poise nila!
Haaay Cebu Pacific, can/should do it better.
Anyway, we arrived and I saw this on a wall...
Viva Pit Senor. Welcome to Cebu. Ok sige, go!
Oh, I was to wait at this airport for two friends who would be arriving on two separate flights from Manila, so we could 'taxi together' to our hotel at downtown Cebu. Only a 75-mins wait.
More of my stories coming up!
This is a small 'turboprop' plane - for only 72 passengers. I like it just the same. I say this because, many F&F (family and friends) are not keen about flying with "propeller planes".
They (that means you my dear F&F) had a lot of horrified comments about that flight I took last October (from Cebu to Cark). I say again, it's safe. Incidentally, this was that very same plane - and it was only 1 month old that time!
But let's do this blow-by-blow from the start.
More airport-related sights & scenes muna
This Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 161 boarded early. I opted to board last, since I was still "looking around" this New Iloilo Airport - uzisero baga!
What time was it? Look at the displays. Those are provided by this 'new' airport. First, the big electronic clock says 8:50. Second, the Flight Information Screen (TV) says 9:07. What was the time, really? Hello, ano ba talaga kuya, ha?
Is it difficult to synchronize them? That, by the way, is one of the most important things that any airport on earth must provide accurately - at all times. Obiously, FAIL na agad ang CAAP.
No IFs, no BUTs, that discrepancy is horribly a sign of gross unforgivable stupidity. Ka-tonto, ka-manol, ka-huluya. They (Iloilo CAAP people) probably think those are 'mere decorative art'.
They probably don't even think that those are "official" and can be used in legal matters like litigation. Kung dispalinghado, kaduda-duda.
How then, can you trust this airport?
Asus, if that happened in say Changi, Haneda or Narita, either those gadgets will be covered or "switched off", and heads will definitely roll.
That is tantamount to "falsification".
Pero sa atin, aw bahala kamo dira ay!
That's a glaring example of the many reasons why so many citizens of this country find it so hard to trust government-related "everything".
Example scenario: if I was an auditor of COA, I will demand that CAAP charge Cebu Pacific fines or penalties for having overstayed at my government-owned Iloilo Airport Gate - since their departure time was 9:05 and at 9:07 (per that monitor) they were still boarding si Pinoy Traveler wasn't even inside yet, yan ang proof!
Another scenario? CebPac could have denied my boarding, claiming I was late (a no show) since it was already 9:07 and departure time was 9:05. And I would have claimed sa harap ng juez de paz "hindi ah, 8:50 pa lang, ayan o".
So judge will ask, oy CAAP, ano'ng oras yun?
Hahaha, those are just examples. But do you know what the EXIF Data of that photo tells me? It was only 8:41AM - I was even saying "ang aga naman.., etong si 5J is always so atat"!
In my experience, Cebu Pacific always boards their flights early (sometimes irritatingly early) - unless there has been an officially declared & announced delay or disruption. On this flight, none. So, impossible that it is already 2-mins past departure time and passengers are still boarding. But the TV says 9:07, ayan o. Well, the clock says 8:50 pa lang ayan o! Ano gid?!
Those need to be rectified by CAAP ASAP.
Trivia: there is an official time reference for, by, of everything and everyone in the world - called UTC or Coordinated Universal Time.
Coordinated? Ah sa Iloilo airport, wala-wala a!
Let's proceed...
After entering Gate 3, while on the gangway, walking to the stairs, I saw this on the floor:
So I texted "a reliable source". I even sent that photo to him. He said "pwedeng drainage but chances are aircon yan". I asked: "yung mainit o malamig"? He said "either way, better touch it now to feel and tell kung mainit o malamig".
Eh wala na, I was already in the plane when I asked. The ending... he said it's usually called trench grille or floor supply diffuser ba't pati yan pinapakialaman mo magcocontractor ka na ba?
He further told me many "nose bleed" words like dehumidification, solar radiation and glass precipitation until I said I rest my case hehehe!
That's what I get for asking a topnotcher na sa Engineering at topnotcher pa rin sa Architecture Board Exam na parang gusto pa mag lawyer. At magaling na singer guitarist motocrosser. Da!
Me ganyang buhay na totoong tao grabe! Well at least I (and you) now know, that grill on the floor has something to do with "aircon" pa rin.
Anyway and aw, did I say stairs? Ah yes, stairs that we had to negotiate from the third floor to ground level. Propeller planes don't use gates.
For the not so young, this is inconvenient. Me, kaya pa so far - and I enjoyed this, because I could see more of this airport's surroundings.
Nice to look at, but no no no, not one of these cuties was our flight to Cebu. But, how I wish!
Eto sya sa baba! I think that is still about 100 meters (or a little less) of walk for passengers.
But, on wet (or worse, on raining days), walking like that is a "bad trip" for people and luggage, even if the airline provides umbrellas to us all!
I was lucky today, yey!
Oh, after the above photo, what followed was that one I placed at the very top of this article.
Sights On Flight
Alright, fast forward, we took-off, westward to Cebu. Ah the views were truly amazing to me!
I could see the farms of Old Iloilo-Capiz Road and the Tigum River - the source of water for Iloilo City etc., from Mt. Inaman 46kms away.
Hmm, I just realized now, the areas where our flight flew over, were/are the province's "food basket". Like Pototan (lower left corner of that photo?), is the province's rice farming capital.
Then below, in the middle of the picture is the northern portion of Guimaras Island. Yes, the mango exporting island. Hmm, maybe I need to see it now. First & last ko dyan was 1999 pa.
Aw, this one I am sure: the many fish pens on foreground should be (left to right) Dumangas, Zarraga and Leganes. Because I see the two rivers that serve as boundaries among them!
It's so satisfying to look down and identify (or guess) the places where an airplane passes. I feel like bata uli ako, as I always did that then!
Oy oy oy, what looks like specks of dirt at left side of that photo are Siete Pecados Islands. A friend told me once, those islands are good to visit as they have good diving & snorkeling spots. I remember I said "saka na lang, I'm just a son of a beach"! But info for you dear divers.
In no time, we were already over Bacolod, but the clouds were a bit uncooperative today. No clear views of 'down there'. I saw Bacolod and Talisay. I guess Silay and the airport would've been at left side of the plane. Until I saw this:
Yes I must. Okay bucket listed!
Alright. Six minutes after looking down at San Carlos and Sipalay, plane started banking left, and Naga City (Cebu) was visible on my right.
Anyway, I knew that meant we were to land at Mactan Cebu International Airport Runway04.
Those are the shallows. If you go down there, most of that is under water, rangin from "just wet" during low tide, to about 10 feet when it is high tide. They are playgrounds of fish etc.
Okay alright! We landed after a scenic flight of less than 30mins. Great even if cloudy. That's why I like smaller propeller airplanes - they fly low and slow, so I get to see more of "below".
Arrival
So it was walking time again - which I do not hate because of my personal circumstance/s, but because I can feel fellow passengers who despise this 'walking portion' in their air travel:
Nevertheless (o, parang propesor ang word!), I tried analyzing why majority of people do not like the walking portion to/from their airplane. I also asked around to get the majority pulse!
1) it is not anymore normal.
2) there are buses, why not use them.
3) if #2) is not possible, go to #1)
Oo nga naman. Well, I join them in 'hating' the walk part when it's raining, lalo sa mga tarmac na bumabaha pa rin and/or bumabaha na rin.
At least here in Mactan, I don't remember the tarmac of getting flooded. When I say flooded, I mean lubog ang suelas ng sapatos mo, unlike at the Manila Domestic Terminal, knee-deep!
Otherwise, when it's not raining, or not under a blazing noontime sun, I mostly cherish that "walk before the ride" portion at every airport.
But airline passengers have varying personal circumstances, so I understand why most of them hate walking. Some are in a hurry, some are tired or probably just feel "short-changed"!
Ah and by the way that walk wasn't diagonally straight from that plane to where I stood. We first had to walk to the side (left edge of photo, those staff in red shirts directed us there), then follow the road towards the terminal building.
That probably contributed-to or triggered why fellow passengers were 'bad-mouthing' Cebu Pacific as we walked. Remember, these were Ilonggos. They don't stay mum pag sablay ka!
That made me remember my inday palangga friend who always say "sirain mo na ang buhay ko, huwag lang ang buhok ko" in her markedly sweet sing-song Hiligaynon accent ayhehehe!
I so itched to record their protestations as we walked hehehe, but my lowly point-and-shoot camera couldn't respectably do the task. So I just listened to commit everything to my brain memory ! Summary: nasira daw ang poise nila!
Haaay Cebu Pacific, can/should do it better.
Anyway, we arrived and I saw this on a wall...
Oh, I was to wait at this airport for two friends who would be arriving on two separate flights from Manila, so we could 'taxi together' to our hotel at downtown Cebu. Only a 75-mins wait.
More of my stories coming up!
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