Every Christmas, Carlo and I miss some family reunions to fly beyond our Central Luzon backyard. I figure that if I get a heart attack and lose my Class II medical, then I can go to all the family reunions.
Last December’s plan:
1. Baguio to scavenge childhood memories
2. Beaches. La Union!
3. Stunning coastline to Vigan, Ilocos Sur
4. Home for New year
We’ve done this for two years now. Four days together, talking about [...]
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Posted in Flight, tagged Baguio, Cessna 152, Mountain Flying on January 20, 2009, Tuesday | 8 Comments »
Every Christmas, Carlo and I venture gingerly out of our Central Luzon backyard. We journey to Northern Luzon — 500-mile round trips, 4 or 5 days out-of-base, no maintenance facilities, no mechanics. In our Cessna 152.
This akin to going on a culinary tour to India without Diatabs. The psychological horror exceeds the actual peril. [...]
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The days sped by too fast. One day I arrived in Manila for my annual home leave, my 73rd and last airline flight in 2008.
Just 3 weeks later, I was back on an airline flight to Bangkok.
In between, one of our best Yuletide Seasons ever.
Christmas mass at the Ateneo was nostalgic — the Church of the Gesu was decorated with a creche and photos commemorating the old Padre [...]
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The Philippine Flight Simmers Group is one of the best communities on aviation in the Philippines. There are aviation enthusiasts of all ages, from pre-teens to retirees, and also a lot of active pilots on the Forum, from all over the world. PFSG deserves an article by itself, really.
PFSG’s Kevin and Iyoy, friends who actually care [...]
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It’s fitting to end the Baguio series with this departure story. It could have been our last flight at Baguio — “the departed”.
It turns out Carlo shot a video. The “scary video” I’ve promised here. After I saw it , I became a believer — there is no lift at Loakan.
[...]
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The Mansion House is the Philippine version of Camp David.
Ironically, this Presidential retreat in Baguio is used most during the cool Christmas holidays.
When the President spends Christmas week there, a gaggle of Presidential aircraft descends onto Loakan airport.
During these Yuletide deployments, Loakan, with its runway edged by cliffs and ravines, looks even more like an aircraft carrier.
Helicopters crowd the tiny ramp. [...]
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We had Carlo’s birthday lunch at Mario’s, on South Drive.
They used to have Dagwood’s corned beef and cabbage on the menu, but no longer.
I still get their lentejas con chorizo, and Carlo never passes on their classic gambas. They have a packed dessert cart, too.
The HS748 crashed because the flight crew followed the wrong river. It led to [...]
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Posted in Flight, tagged Baguio, Loakan airport, Mountain Flying on September 10, 2008, Wednesday | 4 Comments »
There used to be a disco (remember those?) in Baguio called Spirits. Not sure if it’s still around.
Until last month, Asian Spirit operated flights to Baguio 4 times a week. The inbound flight, call sign Spirit 760, arrived at 1050.
The outbound Spirit 761 left at 1110. NAMC YS-11s and De Haviland Dash 7s.
The flights are no [...]
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My earliest Baguio memories are of annual vacations as a child.
Kiddie trikes and sailboats at Burnham. Real fog. Panicky asthma attacks from the cold. Star Cafe congee, Good Shepherd strawberries. Mario’s.
At night, My Dad parked his 1948 Chevy at the safest spot in town — City Hall police station. Then he stealthily pocketed the distributor rotor (remember those?) to [...]
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It’s time to share our explorations beyond our Central Luzon backyard. Easily the best place to fly to in Luzon is Baguio, high up in the Cordilleras, the summer capital of the Philippines.
Baguio’s Loakan Airport is intimidating. High density altitudes, forbidding terrain and a lack of lift due to the black hole in the sky that spews anti-matter, ghosts, [...]
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