Taipei To Cebu To Tacloban

This was one time I wished my flight would be delayed heheh! Well sorry me, it was departing not just on time, but even ahead of its published schedule (I suspected)! How'd I know that? Oh just guessing!

At 0932H there it was about to dock at the gate. So I surmised, the airline's manager at Taoyuan would want to dispatch that plane at 1032H because the usual 'parking fee' that they pay is only for an hour!

I wasn't sad anyway. I just wished I could stay longer to explore all the boarding gate themes of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. But I know I'll be coming back many times soon, so I look forward to it.

Look, at 10:09AM, the forward section of the aircraft belly was done loading. Nagkukwentuhan na sila!

I was seated 1F, I could see the loading operations at the forward underside of the plane. Through the years of frequent traveling I learned that most of the time, when a plane's belly is not going to be full, many of our checked-in luggage are stowed at the rear section for weight & balance purposes - o ha?!

Kaya ayan, madalas naghuhuntahan na lang ang mga gi-ahak sa front area hehe, while waiting for the rear section folks to finish loading. I think there is not so much cargo (yet) from TPE to CEB on AirAsia.

But if there is cargo and they are heavy, those would be loaded first sa pinakaloob ng airplane via the rear door, followed by pinakaloob din ng plane using the front door - so that our checked-in baggage are all near the door, para pagdating, unang maibababa and we don't wait long at baggage claim area.

Yes, imagine that, even the belly part of a plane uses science! Maybe we should talk about it soon!

Hmm, 1024H this was attached to our plane. Many folks call it GPS, but I guess it's an ASU - a "starter"!

Let's talk technical (an amazing topic by itself when it's about airplanes), and I've been learning about some of them lately, by asking friends/family in the know! If I am wrong, Engr. Kristine will correct me!

So, back to that photo above. Ganyan ba paandarin ang plane? Well yes and no hehehe! First let's talk about GPU and ASU. GPU is Ground Power Unit. It is [sometimes] used to provide power to your plane (while not flying, obviously). Generator kumbaga - and it looks something like that thing in the photo.

ASU means Air Start Unit. It's used [obviously] to start the engines running. And to us passengers who are non-technical people, it also looks something like the above photo! Minsan mas maliit pa dyan na natutulak/nahahatak ng tao, minsan itinutulak ng sasakyan, at minsan ganyan sa picture - nasa truck!

They look almost the same, that's why many people refer to any or both as just "GPU" or even "GPS"!

So ganun nga ba magka-power ang edroplano? I said "yes and no". Yes if the plane by itself cannot do its normal functions on its own engines due to some technical handicap. Hindi lagi ibig sabihin sira si airplane ha? Example: bawal magpa-andar ng engine sa gate dahil sa ingay o nagtitipid lang si airline.

It is more costly to have the airplane's engine running while on-ground, than just use a GPU (that may even be owned by the airline or rented from the ground handling company). Tipid-tipid pag may time!

Now there's something that the ASU has, that the GPU doesn't - compressed air used to actually blast start the engines. Di tulad noong unang panahon na iniikot lang yung elesi para umandar si airplane!

AND ang latest maritess: there are newer equipment, that already combine GPU and ASU in one truck! Those are called Ground Power Systems by the airline industry. That's why we now keep hearing GPS!

Now, if it's not a 'combi', I'll say the above is an ASU for 2 reasons: 1) there's an extra hose (for blasting compressed air to start engines?), and 2) ikinabit yan 5mins before departure lang - para umandar na!

Anyway and okay... back to my departure flight... and at 10:31AM pushback na, instead of 11AM!

How did I know pushback na? Syempre, gumalaw na paatras si plane! That was my view as we moved.

Because I was on the right side of the plane (seat 1F), I could see Gates A8 (left edge of photo) and A9 (right edge) - and that is the edge of Terminal 1, after which there is Gate D1 of Terminal 2, remember?

I know some of you will be curious as to what those boxes are, right? Let me tell you something about those. They were unique to Taiwan but now being used worldwide since Taoyuan International Airport Services (TIAS) do not only make/use them here, they also sell those to airlines and ground handlers!

Ano nga yan? Ah eh.., iba-iba ang tawag dyan, depende sa lugar. As a product, that is a "Non-powered Aluminum Cabinet Luggage Trailer". O ano, magtatanong ka pa? Hahaha! Sa atin, those are 'pushcarts'.

Those are the equivalent of [this] that we talked-about sometime ago. In their version, each pushcart has a 'housing' or 'cabinet', so that, luggage or even cargoes are safe from the elements. Better, right?

Actually, if you look at the picture again, there are bigger ones, and they're a little different. Those are called "Non-powered Aluminum Pallet Truck Trailers". Those are for 'pallets' - big sheets of metal that look like humungous cookie sheets - but in Taoyuan's case also covered kasi sila ang gumagawa nyan.

Anyway, taxi time. Our plane taxied from Gate A7 to a far Runway 05R takeoff. That's about 4kms away!

But it was fun for me, riding on a plane while on ground, to a far distance, even farther than my hotel!

Another exciting part for me on this departure was that, the big airplane I was riding on, would have a chance to pass over the highway again. Why was it exciting? Ah wala lang. Wala kasi ganyan sa atin eh!

Look, as my Air Asia 'flight' was rolling along the taxiway, above the national highway, I could even see my hotel room. Aw ex-hotel room pala, nag-checkout na nga pala ako hahaha. That's where the yellow arrow points at. Red arrow points to where we'd be taking off and green arrow to where Runway05L is.

After passing over the highway, we still had to turn right, then another left. Ayun pa rin si Novotel o!

No wonder, while I was there, I saw that around the hotel were buildings of Eva Air and China Airlines.

Okay, so takeoff position, goodbye Taiwan na talaga for now. Let's go kapitan! Abante! Lupad! Togdon!

Trivia time! Do you know what that "zebra line" is for? Actually, this is not even trivia but an important matter, for those who may happen to step on that spot (very rare and highly unlikely in your lifetime)!

Hmm, "very rare", so trivia nga! Okay sige na, but do you know what it is? It's not a pedestrian crossing ha?! Hindi rin dyan nag-shooting ang The Beatles in their most famous picture (and album cover btw)!

That is called a Runway Threshold - kung saan 'officially', 'technically' and 'professionally' nagsisimula at nagtatapos ang isang runway. Runway ng airplane at hindi yung rampahan ng mga model ng damit!

For departures just like what we were about to do, that's where an aircraft can/should start its takeoff roll. For arrivals, no plane can/should land before that zebra line (unless in an emergency, jusko wag)!

In other words, any normal takeoff or landing must be inside the zebra lines.

Ah, eto ang trivia: did you know that the length of a runway is measured from zebra line of one end to the zebra line of the other end - only? Yup, only the 'usable' space for landing or takeoff is measured.

Eh, yun lang naman pala ang kailangan, bakit madalas me sobrang runway outside of the zebra lines? Aw yun? Kailangan yun! There is what they call a RESA or Runway End Safety Area. Yan yung additional pavement labas ng zebra lines, that are used in cases of emergency or problema sa eroplano. Ganern!

Oh yes, kasama na dyan ang namali ng tantya si kapitan - juskolord! Pwede rin "wind shear effect" na parang biglang nawawalan ng hangin sa lugar at nalalaglag si airplane ng wala pa sa threshold. It can also be masyado pala mabigat si airplane (dahil OMG mali ang weight & balance computation) - kung kaya kelangan pa ni kapitan ng extra lupa para umarangkada to takeoff. And many more emergencies!

Kaya huwag mo nang pag-deskitahan iyang extra semento sa dulo. In fact, after the RESA, meron pang "required" na extra unpaved lupa. It's called a "clearway" - para bumagal si plane pag nag-overshoot!

Ayan ang RESA. And the extra field at the end is the clearway. Hindi pwede mag-football doon. Bawal.

And we took off! Only 1055H and we were already mid-air. Actual takeoff must have been about 1052H.

Takeoff was heading north, it being Runway 05. But it banked to the right towards the Pacific Ocean.

Only about 15 minutes after takeoff, meals were sold, and pre-ordered meals (like mine) were served.

I think I was the first passenger to receive a meal, since I was seated 1F. And I immediately 'dived' into it! I was hungry yes, but I didn't get an 'extra order' as I usually do. This was just a short flight anyway.

I was more interested in looking out the window and see the places we were flying by. But, now that I had to attend to 'food', I must have missed some of the nice aerial views of New Taipei and/or Taipei.

It was a cloudy sky though, so I said "there's always a next time"!

I found it cute that our 'flight path' stayed on the Pacific side of Taiwan, not mainland side hehehe!

I asked a friend, and he told me that flight paths of airliners flying from Taipei to Cebu generally looks like that (the blue line). Well and good for me, malayo sa 'mainland', di kasi natin alam ang mga... sila!

That known, I observed what we were passing by. Trip lang, since I never did this in my younger years. As in I didn't at all really care about the wonders of the outside views from an airplane, in those days.

And good that I was on the right-side window (Seat 1F). My first interesting sight, this city and runway:

I was very sure that was Taitung City we were passing by. How did I know? Ah, I observed my bearings and checked on google maps! Plus, I have seen that runway many years ago, so it's somehow familiar.

By the way, in case you're curious, it's a small domestic airport, with a runway of just about 2km long, probably comparable to BCD (Bacolod). But it is a big city, the biggest on Taiwan's east coast, actually.

It is one of the good tourist destinations in Taiwan, especially summer where there are festivals (e.g., hot air balloon!). When I was young, I also saw many tourists going to some island or islands nearby.

About 40 minutes after takeoff, we were already past the southern edge of mainland Taiwan. Hmm, it would have meant we were already entering Philippine territory. Wow, that quick! What island is that?

From previous knowledge, after Taiwan there's only the Batanes group of islands below it. So were we in Batanes? It would've been best to see the islands up close. I also wanted to say "clouds alis muna"!

I saw a big ship cruising-by, probably on it's way to pass by the hotly-disputed West Philippine Sea.

I could not tell where exactly we were, but I was certain we were already flying on Philippine territory.

Just about 15 minutes more and I saw that we were already passing above Laoag City. Yehey!

Was I sure of that? Very sure! I'm familiar with that part of the country and google told me so too! Eto:

The red arrow points to the famous La Paz Sand Dunes of Laoag. Blue arrow points at the middle area of Laoag International Airport (LAO, RPLI) Runway 01/19. Between them is the mouth of Padsan River.

If you're familiar with Ilocos Norte, you should be able to see that the entirety of Laoag City is in that photo! Actually, even the towns of Sarrat, San Nicolas, Batac, Currimao and Paoay are in the view too.

In fact, the white arrow points to Paoay Lake, and the green arrow points to the Paoay Sand Dunes, at the left end of which is Culili Point, that's why some folks refer to the area as Culili Point Sand Dunes.

I missed Badoc Island still in Ilocos Norte. But further south, here's Poro Island in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.

Ah the western coast of Luzon... so many beachfronts of varying types, lengths (and costs heheh) from north to south! Isn't our country just lovely? I think every island's western coast has a beach paradise!

Hmm, I realize just now, I haven't been to a beach for a long time now - maybe already a month.

Ay, as if to stop me from thinking just "beach", a minute after, we were already over the big Abra River!

I could see many things with my bare eyes, that my phone's camera does not seem able to capture! At that mouth of the river, right side should be the town of Caoayan (Ilocos Sur), to its right is Vigan City.

On foreground of the picture is a big part of Abra province. I could see Tayum and La Paz. Above them is the capital Bangued - hello to family and friends 'down there' in Abra who I have not seen for ages!

Hey I find it cute that my "hello" says "down there in Abra", because we usually say "up there", "up to" or "up in" (the mountains) of Abra. But this time, I was passing-by up in the sky, so I say "down there"!

This is part of Lagben River (to the left is south and to the right is north) since we were flying to Cebu.

That portion of the river is approximately where the three provinces of Abra, Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province converge. If the plane passed a bit further east, I could have caught an aerial shot of Sagada!

The funny part... some clouds got in the way of my views, when they were gone, I lost where we were!

Questions ran fast in my brain, but no answers were coming out of memory. I am not yet familiar with the topography in this area without reference to anything I know. Argh! What is that river now? Is that coast there still Ilocos Sur or already La Union? Therefore we were above the Cordilleras? Where's the famous Baguio? Meaning we were flying above Mt. Pulag? If only I could ask "kapitan, nasan na tayo"?!

Hah, the (visible) rivers big or small, were/are my only hope of getting to identify a place. But 'no can do'! It is not often that I pass this way by air. I just knew we were flying southward from the Abra area.

Anyway, next I saw this river that's already on the plains just out of the mountains. Hmm... San Jose?

Guessing but maybe I was right, that would be in the area of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija (right) and that river should be Talavera River. My basis? Where we were (my estimate) would be along our flight path.

Especially that after about 5 minutes, we were already looking down at Laguna Lake! Can you see it?

It's easy for me to identify Laguna Lake because I often pass over it when flying out of Manila. My sure marker, Talim Island. in that view, I think we were above the Sierra Madre ranges (General Nakar area).

After 35 minutes from the above-picture of Laguna Lake, I could not identify these little islands. Argh!

I could only guess that they'd probably be islands off northern Panay or northern Negros, because...

The next scene I saw, is something I am very sure of - the cement mines of Naga City, Cebu.

I'm familiar with that view because, when airplanes coming from the west, north or east are to land at Mactan's Runway 04, they would usually approach the Pinamungahan/Toledo areas, bank left to Naga (as in the pictures above), then a final left to approach the runway. That area is an airplane's "eskina"!

By the way, since we're in this topic already, I do wonder, for how long (I mean until when) could that cement digging process be on that site? Does the thing (whatever it is they're getting from earth) not ever get depleted? Na-a diay forever? Apo cement have been at it since 1921! Doesn't that ruin earth?

I'm sure I'm not the first to ask, but what I'm sure-of is, I do not hear much negative news about them - local, national or international. Therefore, the extraction (of whatever it is) is safe both for mankind and mother nature? Oist, sa totoo lang, I didn't actually know that cement pala is mined (hinuhukay)!

It was not until I have been frequently flying, that I kept seeing those huge pits, and when I would ask around, everyone tells me that is Apo Cement. Akala ko, ang semento eh tinitibag na rocks or bundok!

So ano pa nga ba... we landad at Mactan-Cebu International Airport about 2.5 hours after takeoff!

Well I think that was fast and wonderful, because I watched a very big portion of our country from up in the air. A bird's-eye-view of Luzon and Visayas - without even passing through Metro Manila traffic!

Another good thing, we landed in Cebu about 1:20PM when it should have been be 1410H. No hurry, I did not have to rush to transfer between T2 and T1 as I was transiting to a 4:30PM flight to Tacloban!

In fact, I walked from arrival area of T2 to departure area of T1. Eh hindi naman umuulan. So chill lang!

Approaching T1, I turned around at the parking lot where I was walking and took this pic of T2 arrivals.

Ah, I even stood for a moment to take this picture of the very short distance between the 2 terminals.

You see that structure at the back (behind the CAAP Office)? That is probably a gangway or already an aerobridge of one of the gates. Thus, it should be easy to connect the two buildings. On foreground, I think they won't be 50 meters apart. To connect them for 'transit passengers' and/or even the 'public' (non-passengers) does not require surgical science! And it should have been done when T2 was built!

Anyway, you already know the drill, right? I breezed thru check-in, went to Mabuhay Lounge, and...

Pushback on time. It took 19 minutes from the gate to takeoff! Anyway, hi and bye Cebu again. At least I was able to leave my labadami. Salamat 'Nong JC for being on time at the departure lobby, as usual!

And then my PAL flight PR2238 was over Camotes Islands again. Oh the white sand beaches!

And there is Danao Lake (of San Francisco, Cebu) again! As we said before, it's formed like a number 8!

Then clouds 'killjoyingly' deprived me of wonderful views to the places below. I think that's Ormoc.

After a mere 21 minutes, here we were by Manlurip Road in Pawing, approaching TAC Runway 36! Yey!

Yehey daw.. parang excited to be back at work? I would definitely suppose so! Para sa bayan. Oh ha?!

So that ends my Taiwan trip. Let's go to a beach next! Miss ko na ang dagat at dalampasigan!

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