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Fly Around The World With Me 268 Individual Flights PART THREE |
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TRIP DETAILS: Click here to view a map of the trip. |
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FLIGHT 60: March 13, 2003 - 05:22 Port Hedland Intl, Australia (YPPD) Bali International, Indonesia (WADD) aka (WRRR) It's Thursday, March 13, 2003 and we're heading to Bali International. We'll be flying once again at 17,000 feet. And, even though we have received reports of extremely favorable weather, and 10-15 knot tailwinds, this is a LONG flight. So please make sure you have the mixture and prop settings tweaked just right for maximum fuel economy. We'll be departing just before 06:00 in the morning and we should arrive in Bali, Indonesia about 10:30 local time. FLIGHT 61: March 13, 2003 - 13:46 Bali International, Indonesia (WADD) aka (WRRR) Jakarta, Indonesia (WIII) It was a bit of a hassle getting our flight plan filed, however, we're on our way to Jakarta. It's Thursday, March 13, 2003 at about 13:45 and we'll be flying at 14,000 again on this 530 mile flight that should take about 4 hours, meaning we should arrive about 17:45 local time. FLIGHT 62: March 14, 2003 - 06:58 Jakarta, Indonesia (WIII) Singapore, Singapore (WSAP) It's just before 07:00 in the morning in Jakarta on March 14, 2003. We spent the evening at the Crowne Plaza hotel, had a good rest and now were on our way to Singapore - a 745 km trip. This leg is part of a trip today that will find our final destination to be Phuket, Thailand. We'll be flying again at 14,000 and the weather looks great, although there are reports of thunderstorms in the Singapore area. We should arrive at the Paya Lebar airport around 09:45. We'll grab some brunch, top off the tanks, and press onwards to Phuket International airport in Thailand. FLIGHT 63: March 14, 2003 - 12:07 Singapore, Singapore (WSAP) Phuket, Thailand (VTSP) It's a little after noon hour March 14, 2003 and we are leaving for Phuket, Thailand. We'll be flying at 14,000 and it should take us about 4 hours and 30 minutes to travel this leg of our trip. We'll spend the next couple of days in Phuket. FLIGHT 64: March 16, 2003 - 11:13 Phuket, Thailand (VTSP) Bangkok, Thailand (VTBD) It's Sunday morning about 11:15 on March 16, 2003 and we're on our way to Bangkok. Our flight will be about 3 hours and we'll be cruising at 9,000 feet. We should arrive in Bangkok about 14:30. We'll spend the next couple of days in Bangkok and depart Tuesday morning, March 18, 2003 for Mandalay. FLIGHT 65: March 18, 2003 - 05:45 Bangkok, Thailand (VTBD) Mandalay, Myanmar (aka Burma) (VYMD) It's 05:45 on March 18, 2003 and we're on our way to Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma) and we'll be flying at 14,000. We have already applied for permission to land, fuel and depart from the Director General, Department of Civil Aviation, Yangon International Airport, Mingaladon, P.C. 11021, Yangon from Australia. It's a beautiful morning - not a cloud in the sky. We should have a very nice trip. I figure we should arrive in Mandalay about just before 11:00 local time. FLIGHT 66: March 18, 2003 - 14:14 Mandalay, Myanmar (aka Burma) (VYMD) M.A.Hannan Intl, Chittagong, Bangladesh (VGEG) It's 14:15 on March 18, 2003 and we're departing Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma) and on our way to M.A.Hannan International airport in Chittagong, Bangladesh. We have obtained prior permission from the Chairman Civil Aviation Authority, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kurnitola, Dhaka 1206, Bangladesh, before we left Australia. We'll be flying at 11,000 feet. FLIGHT 67: March 19, 2003 - 10:18 M.A.Hannan Intl, Chittagong, Bangladesh (VGEG) Dhaka, Bangladesh (VGZR) It's Wednesday March 19, 2003 around 10:15 AM. We spent a pleasant evening and night at the Hotel Agrabad in Chittagong. Now we're on our way to Dhaka where we will stop to grab some lunch, top off the tanks and head onwards to Paro, Bhutan where we will spend a day taking in the beauty. We'll will once again be traveling at 14,000 feet. FLIGHT 68: March 19, 2003 - 07:26 Dhaka, Bangladesh (VGZR) Paro, Bhutan (VQPR) It's Wednesday March 19, 2003 around 13:25 and we’re on our way to Paro, Bhutan. There are thunderstorms in the local area, but it is not raining. We'll arrive in Paro mid afternoon, local time - because we'll be going through a time zone shift and gaining an hour. We'll be flying a 17,000 feet and once we get out of the local area, the weather and the rest of the flight should be smooth and easy. We'll spend a day in Paro taking in the beauty. We have reservations at the beautiful Kichu Resort that lies in the land of the Forbidden Kingdom. FLIGHT 69: March 20, 2003 - 11:35 Paro, Bhutan (VQPR) Tumlingtar, Nepal (VNTR) Fly Around The World. We had a wonderful time in Paro. It's just coming up on 11:30 on Thursday, March 20, 2003 and we're leaving lovely Paro, Bhutan (the Forbidden Kingdom) for Tumlingtar, Nepal - a tiny airstrip with a magnificent view. We'll be flying at 16,000 feet for this flight. We should arrive in Tumlingtar a little after 13:00 local time. Don't try to cheat this takeoff - you're going to need all of the runway you can get, since you'll be staring at a WALL at the end of the strip! So - take it easy captain! FLIGHT 70: March 20, 2003 - 15:30 Tumlingtar, Nepal (VNTR) Kathmandu, Nepal (VNKT) We're traveling from this tiny part of paradise called Tumlingtar to Kathmandu, Nepal. We'll arrive in Kathmandu a little after 17:00 and enjoy a fantastic view on approach. We're going to spend the night in Kathmandu at the Godavari Village Resort, have a nice rest and blast off early in the morning for Bhopal, India. FLIGHT 71: March 21, 2003 - 05:46 Kathmandu, Nepal (VNKT) Bhopal, India (VABP) We spent last night in Kathmandu at the Godavari Village Resort. Wow - what a fantastic place! It's dawn on Friday, March 21, 2003 and we're on out way to Bhopal, India. We'll be flying at 16,000 feet. However, we've gotten reports of 35-40 kt winds that'll hit right-on-the-nose! So, our ground speed won't be much better than our air speed. If these winds prevail for the entire trip, we will probably arrive in Bhopal around 10:30, or so. So, let's hop in our wild stallion and hit the skys! FLIGHT 72: March 21, 2003 - 13:52 Bhopal, India (VABP) Hyderabad, India (VOHY) It's Friday, March 21, 2003 and we just arrived from Nepal a few hours ago. We've filled our stomachs, now let's top off the tanks and carry onwards to Hyderabad, where we have made reservation to stay a couple of nights at the Viceroy hotel. Since the prevailing winds are right on the nose, we might just as well fly at 8,500, since we'll gain the same ground speed on our trip. It's just coming up on 14:00 and our flying time to Hyderabad should be about 2 hours and 45 minutes. FLIGHT 73: March 23, 2003 - 08:49 Hyderabad, India (VOHY) Katunayake (Colombo) International Airport, Sri Lanka (VCBI) It's Sunday March 23, 2003 and we spent a great couple of days and evenings at the Viceroy hotel in Hyderabad, It's now about 8:45 in the morning and we're on our way to Katunayake (Colombo) Sri Lanka. It's about a 615 nm trip. It's a great day for flying and we'll be doing so at about 13,000 feet. We should arrive in Sri Lanka about 13:30. Except for some reported choppy air on approach to Colombo, it should be a smooth flight. FLIGHT 74: March 23, 2003 - 16:10 Katunayake (Colombo) International Airport, Sri Lanka (VCBI) Male, Maldives (VRMM) It's about 16:00 on Sunday, March 23, 2003 and we're off to the lovely Maldives. This ought to be a pretty nice flight, once again at 14.000 feet. Along the way (if the low level clouds remain) we should see a spectacular sunset. We'll arrive in Male around at 18:30 and spend a few days there. We'll be staying at the awesome Baros Island resort on Kaafu, North Male' atoll. FLIGHT 75: March 28, 2003 - 06:52 Male, Maldives (VRMM) Belguam, India (VABM) Well yesterday (March 27) was my birthday and we spent it in paradise! The past five days were very relaxing and enjoyable. It's now Friday March 28, 2003 about 7:00 AM and it's time to bid adieu. We'll be heading north to Belgaum, India - about a 4 and 1/2 hour flight. However, we'll arrive in Belguam about 12:30 local time since there will be a one hour time shift (we lose an hour). We ought to have a very enjoyable trip - the skies are clear, the wind is minimal and we're ready to get airborne. So, let's hop into our wild mustang, top off the tanks, climb to 150 and settle back with the junk-food we’ve stowed! FLIGHT 76: March 28, 2003 - 15:16 Belgaum, India (VABM) Chhatrapati Shivaji Intl Mumbai (Bombay), India The Belgaum Airport recently became operational for passenger services with the advent of VISA Airways introducing services from Belgaum to Mumbai. So, we decided to help the local tourism industry by stopping over and having a leisurely lunch. We've arrived just past noon, it's now a little after 15:00 and we're looking at about a 2 hour flight to Mumbai (Bombay). We'll be cruising at 12,000 all the way and it looks like a great day to fly! We’ve made reservations at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai and we'll be staying for a few days. Why? Because we can! To heck with the expense. We need to get spoiled once in a while! FLIGHT 77: April 1, 2003 - 07:18 Chhatrapati Shivaji Intl Mumbai (Bombay), India (VABB) Delhi, India (VIDP) It’s April 1, 2003 about 7:15 in the morning and we’re off to Delhi. This is about a 600 nm flight and we’ll be cruising at 11,000 feet so it ought to take about 6 and a half hours to get there. There is moderate rainfall in the area with light winds. We do have reports of choppy air between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. We should arrive in Delhi around 13:45 with thunderstorms in the area. FLIGHT 78: April 2, 2003 - 06:46 Delhi, India (VIDP) Chacklala Intl, Islamabad (OPRN) It’s April 2, 2003 about 6:45 in the morning and we’re on our way to Chacklala Intl airport in Islamabad, Pakistan where we will spend a couple of evenings. We'll be flying at 12,000 feet. FLIGHT 79: April 3, 2003 - 07:52 Chacklala Intl, Islamabad (OPRN) Kabul, Afghanistan (OAKB) It’s April 3, 2003 about 7:55 in the morning and we’re leaving Islamabad for Kabul, Afghanistan with our final destination for today being the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. The weather looks great! It’s about 200 nm to Kabul, so we should arrive just before 10:00 where we can drop in for a celebrated and renowned Afghan coffee, then head on north to Dushanbe, Tajikistan. We’ll be fighting 20-25 kt winds smack on the nose from 295. We’ll be passing over Peshawar, Pakistan and Jalalabad, Afghanastan. The view of the mountains is incredible on approach! FLIGHT 80: April 3, 2003 - 12:32 Kabul, Afghanistan (OAKB) Dushanbe, Tajikistan (UTDD) It’s April 3, 2003 a little after noon and we’re heading for Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with our final destination for today being the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. The weather looks great! However, there are reports of thunderstorms in the Dushanbe area. Our trip will be about 240 nm almost due north. We should arrive about 14:45 where we can top off the tanks and head onwards to Osh. We’ll be passing over Peshawar, Pakistan and Jalalabad, Afghanastan. We will be flying over some very high mountain terrain on this leg of our trip. FLIGHT 81: April 4, 2003 - 12:14 Dushanbe, Tajikistan (UTDD) Osh, Kyrgyzstan (UAFO) Well, best laid plans for our trip to Osh yesterday. It was a pretty rough landing with gusty winds so we elected to stay in Dushanbe and actually spent a lovely evening at the Tadzhikistan Hotel. It’s April 4, 2003 about 12:15 and we’re finally heading for Osh in Kyrgyzstan. The weather is even worse but we need to move on. Incidentally, don’t dilly-dally around getting to our flight level of 17,000, there are some formidable mountains ahead! We should arrive about 14:15 local time where we have made reservations to stay at the Issyk Kul hotel. FLIGHT 82: April 8, 2003 - 07:11 Osh, Kyrgyzstan (UAFO) Almaty, Kazakhstan (UAAA) We’ve spent the last four days in Osh. What a great place to visit if you’re into climbing! It’s now April 8, 2002 about 7:15 and we’ll be cruising at 17,000 feet over the mountains to Almaty, Kazakhstan. We should arrive about 10:15 local time because we're on a one hour time-shift. We've got reservations at the Hyatt Regency Almaty - a really nice hotel located in the central business district of the city. Almaty is a newly developing district, the business center and capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Once again, don’t mess around getting to your cruising altitude, there are serious mountains ahead! Let’s rock! FLIGHT 83: April 12, 2003 - 09:57 Almaty, Kazakhstan (UAAA) Balkhash, Kazakhstan (UAAH) It’s Saturday, April 12, 2003 just coming up on 10:00 in the morning and we’ve decided to take a side trip and fly over to Balkhash and spend the next couple of evenings on the lake at the suggestions made by the locals. It’s about a 230 nm trip almost due north, so we should arrive a little after noon. We’ll cruise on over the lake at an altitude of 8,000 feet. Then, Monday morning we’ll fly directly to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. FLIGHT 84: April 14, 2003 - 06:14 Balkhash, Kazakhstan (UAAH) Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UTTT) We’ve spent the last couple of days in Balkhash on the lake. What a fantastic place! The people were so friendly. It’s now just about 6:15 AM on April 14, 2003 and we’re moving onwards to Uzbekistan. Our flying time will be about 4:15 and we should arrive in Tashkent about 9:30 local time, since we gain an hour due to the time shift. We’ll be cruising at 10,000 feet. FLIGHT 85: April 14, 2003 - 13:18 Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UTTT) Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (UTAA) We arrived in Tashkent a little after 9:30 after a great flight over some unbelievably beautiful terrain. We grabbed some grub, topped off the tanks and now we’re heading onwards to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan at an altitude of 12,000. It’s a little past 13:15 and our flying time should be about 5:30. We should arrive in Ashgabat about 17:45 taking into account another time-shift. We’ll spend the night there and head on to Azerbaijan the next morning. FLIGHT 86: April 15, 2003 - 07:23 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (UTAA) Baku, Azerbaijan (UBBB) We arrived in Ashgabat yesterday in the late afternoon after a long and uneventful trip. The approach in to Ashgabat over the Caspian Sea was impressive – and never-ending. We spent a great evening at the Sheraton Grand Turkmen Hotel. It’s located in the heart of the city, very close to all the bazaars, and it’s only about 6 miles from the airport. It’s just coming up on 7:30 and we’re on our way to Baku, Azerbaijan. We’ll be flying (once again) at 12,000 feet and we should arrive about 11:00. Let’s rock! FLIGHT 87: April 15, 2003 - 15:24 Baku, Azerbaijan (UBBB) Kars, Turkey (LTCF) Well, as much as we'd like to spend more time in Azerbaijan, we really have to get moving on! So, it's just after 15:00 and we're heading on out to Kars, Turkey. We'll be flying at 16,000 feet and we'll arrive late afternoon local time, taking advantage of a one-hour time shift. FLIGHT 88: April 15, 2003 - 19:17 Kars, Turkey (LTCF) Locini Airport, Tbilisi, Georgia (UGGG) Our final destination for today is Tbilisi, Georgia. We’ve had a few cups of coffee and it’s off to Georgia at 11,000 feet. It’s a short flight. There will be thunderstorms in the area, however there are no reports of precipitation in Tbilisi. We’ll spend the next few days in Georgia resting up and exploring the area. FLIGHT 89: April 18, 2003 - 09:38 Locini Airport, Tbilisi, Georgia (UGGG) Gumrak Airport, Volgograd, Russia (URWW) Despite the wars and fires which caused innumerable changes in the topography of Tbilisi, the old part of the city still retains much of its original layout - a spider's web of narrow winding streets and alleyways. We visited the Queen Daredzhan's Palace, built in 1776 for the wife of King Irakli II and the cupolas of the sulphur baths. It's a great place to visit! But, leave we must. So we’re off to Volgograd then on to Moscow. It’s Friday April 18, 2003 and it’s just coming up on 9:30. Volgograd is 425 nm due north, so our flight plan will take us right over the Caucasus mountain range, just east of Vladikavkaz and in to Volgograd. We should arrive about 13:00 local time. Once again, keep in mind that the Russian ATC have little patience with small aircraft, so get it right the first time! FLIGHT 90: April 18, 2003 - 15:44 Gumrak Airport, Volgograd, Russia (URWW) Moscow, Russia (UUDD) We dropped in to Volgograd just long enough to clear customs, grab some food, top off the tanks and continue on to Moscow, pursuant to our previously filed flight plan with the Russian government before we left California. It’s now about 15:45 and we’re on our way to Moscow. Our trip will be about 500 nm and we should arrive about 20:30. We’ll spend the next 10 days in Moscow. Click here to view a map of the trip. |
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