Every year at Christmas, Carlo and Tonet fly an aerial odyssey. From December 23 to January 4 they did 1,600 nautical miles in 9 days, logging over 20 flight hours. Not bad for a Cessna 152.
They took hundreds of pictures. Thumbnails are click-able. Photos are copyrighted.
On December 27 Carlo and Tonet sat in the airplane, ready for engine start, flight planned for Baguio, in the mountains of northern Luzon. Just then, Baguio tower sent word that bad weather had closed the airport.
They revised their flight plan — a tour of Pinatubo volcano and Zambales instead.
Pinatubo was dormant for 600 years before it’s cataclysmic eruption in 1991, which turned a thousand feet of solid mountain into a massive pycroclastic debris cloud that circled the earth’s troposphere several times. The eruptions smothered Central Luzon in lahar mud and ash, burying several towns and sending walls of lava, mud and lahar rampaging down rivers, submerging farmland and demolishing bridges and highways.
Photo from Thomas Utts. Visit his site for more awesome pictures of the 1991 eruption.
Today, with a thousand feet of its summit missing, Pinatubo is quiet. Carlo, writing his first article since turning 21 in August, is not.
This is supposed to be the year when I officially grow up. Let me see, 21 years old? Check. Apartment? Check. Knowledge of the fine points of beer and good wine? Check. Diploma and job? Getting there. Eats vegetables? Check.
My name is Carlo, and I eat my vegetables without being told to, and this worries me immensely.
Oh yeah, I’m back! 😀
My goodness, am I really twenty-one? I joke with people that I feel about twelve – not that they have trouble noticing. But I notice signs. Subtle ones, like being excited on getting a new cell phone and a new bookshelf for Christmas. A bookshelf! Any self-respecting kid or teenager would wince at the thought. Me, I get excited. Maybe I’m getting older. Or weirder. Both.
Tonet gave me a gorgeous coffee table book on the F-14 Tomcat’s thirty-five year career.
Amazing anecdotes, eye-popping photography.
Yes! I’m a kid on Christmas Day again.
He can be my wingman any time!
“Let’s go flying!” With the exception of a rain-soaked trio of takeoffs and landings with Omni’s Captain R in the right seat, this is my first flight in nearly three months. Tonet, ever generous, insists that I take the left seat.
Of course, he also insists that I file the flight plans. Oh, the burdens of command.
RP-C1513, dignified little lady that she is, steps delicately but surely into the air. I swear, that airplane likes me. The wheels leave the ground, and the skills rush back.
“1513 now airborne!”
We cross the Clark main runways – a first for me – and trim for a hands-off climb over the old Crow Valley bombing range.
I keep a wary eye on the jagged ridges below.
Tonet calls for spiraling climbs to 5,500 feet, then straight and level photo runs over Pinatubo.
My awareness of the aircraft, from pitch to radio to cylinder head temperature, is higher than it has ever been.
God, the view!
Climbing hard to 6,000 feet over the southern flank of Mt. Pinatubo
The lake inside Pinatubo’s crater has a color unlike any I have seen in nature, a brilliant turquoise blue. No photograph I’ve seen quite succeeds at capturing it. I’m hoping Tonet’s ten megapixel Nikon will.
Pinatubo looking south, Subic bay in the distance
The turquoise is a visual shock compared to the imposing gray cliffs flanking the lake on every side.
Flying over Pinatubo caldera, looking west to the South China Sea
We spend a few minutes admiring the volcano that once wrecked much of Luzon, and I find myself hoping it will be at least another six hundred years before this beauty is interrupted and flame-broiled again.
Two volcanos, Mt. Pinatubo and Mt Arayat, Central Luzon, Philippines
Next in this series: Iba and the Hermana islands, Zambales
Fascinating pictures! I can’t wait to see the next set.
LikeLike
Hi Paul, thanks for leaving a comment.
Have I met you? Your email address is very familiar. PFSG forum?
We have literally hundreds of pictures from our flights last month. The challenge is how to get enough pretty ones to post here 🙂
LikeLike
Great pictures,,,
What kind of camera/lens you are using?
Waiting for next in series!
LikeLike
You will laugh.
I use a point and shoot. Nikon P5000. 10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom. No filters, no lenses, no Speedlight.
I don’t use Photoshop — don’t even own it. I use Microsoft Picture Manager or Picassa to crop, cut haze and color correct. Other than that what you see is what I shoot. The Philippines is beautiful from the air.
My camera settings are biased towards underexposure by a third of a stop, to increase color sat, and shutter priority at 1/1000 unless really low light.
I shoot through the closed window too- if I open the window the wind just gets too distracting, and all the charts, approach plates and checklists try to exit the aircraft past my face. Ruins the shot 😀
I’ve thought about digital SLRs a lot, but I need one hand on the yoke. And it becomes tough to shoot self-pictures with a big, bulky SLR.
I’ve used Nikons all my life, so don’t get me started… .
Next in series tonight or tomorrow morning 🙂
LikeLike
LOL…
Seriously, pics are good and that’s what matters!
LikeLike
Hello Tonet,
I don’t think we’ve met but I learned about your blog over at the PFSG Forums where I lurk a lot. I’m not a simmer but I’m very interested in airplanes and flying, and it’s the only Pinoy community I know that deals with Philippine general and commercial aviation.
I tried to register with my email address at PFSG once but was unsuccessful. Don’t know why.
I take a lot of pictures myself and in as much as I prefer shooting with a DSLR whenever possible, I make do with what’s on hand, even if it happens to be a phone camera. What really matters is how good your picture is, not what you used to take it with.
I’m going to check out your latest entry now. 🙂
LikeLike
Wow, What a great picture?
I’m so excited for the next….
LikeLike
Hi Marielle, welcome to Flying in Crosswinds!
Yup, more pictures soon! We’ll interrupt the ‘travelogue’ on Central and Northern Luzon to report pn the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Lots of great pictures there, especially from our photographer friends.
Stay tuned… .
.
LikeLike
Paul, nice pics. Originally from the U.S. Midwest, I was stationed at VRC-50 IN ’91 when Pinatubo erupted. This was one experience I will never forget, nor do I wish to relive, lol. Again, nice pics. Bravo Zulu dude.
LikeLike
wow, pinatubo looks magnificent from above! i’ve only seen it from the perspective of a mountain climber but im sure flight has its own brand of adventure and visual treats.
cool!
LikeLike
Hi Gideon. thanks for dropping by Flying in Crosswinds.
Yes, the crater is very photogenic, especially from the air. Omni aviation offers scenic aerial tours of Pinatubo. I don’t remember how much it is, but it’s reasonable.
You’re a mountain climber in the Philippines? That’s another activity I’ve always admired but never really tried, aside from a Makiling climb that I did with my sons. That was fun.
🙂
.
LikeLike
NpakaganDa suPer And yan pinag aaRaln nMin Noh=}
LikeLike
Maraming salamat, no! 🙂
.
LikeLike
I love the aerial shots.. 🙂 Amazing!!!
I trekked Mt. Pinatubo with my fellow mountaineers last Oct 4, 2008 and celebrated my 25th birthday there the next day (Oct 5, 2008). The view from the campsite’s awesome, but the aerial view’s majestic!!!
I’m glad to share the photo’s taken from the ground 🙂
http://skdeleon.multiply.com/photos/album/75/Mt._Pinatubo
LikeLike
Sheila! Welcome to Flying in Crosswinds! Thanks for posting a comment.
Hey, those are great pictures! Incredible terrain, ‘di ba? And you had some weather, too.
When are you going to post pictures of your hot air balloon ride? 😀
Thanks for visiting!
.
LikeLike
hey thanks!!!
already posted the hot air balloon pics and videos from the hot air balloon ride and ofcourse the Cessna152 Ride as well.. 🙂
check out my multiply site, here’s the link:
http://skdeleon.multiply.com
🙂
LikeLike
Haha!! There were EIGHT of you in that basket??
In your picture #82, I can see myself as one of the 28,000 dots who went to the Fiesta that day.
I can also see my airplane.
You landed in Porac? The kids look enchanted. Foreigners pouring down from the sky!
It’s a little strange seeing Carlo and 1513 in someone else’s Multiply site.
You really went flying during the Fiesta, huh! Hot air balloon, balloon bursting, 1513. So you’ll be jumping next year, I guess… .
One of these days I’ll quit being the Air Boss and just participate in the Fiesta.
😀
.
LikeLike
…sikat na nga ang tonet and carlo tandem. but before you quit, can you take me for an aerial acrobat? hahaha…I would love to get my glasses off during the roll.
LikeLike
An aileron roll is a zero-G manuever, so that wouldn’t do the trick of taking your glasses off. What you really want to do is a bunt or extended inverted flight. Lots of negative G, blood rushing up to your head, headset lifting off, glasses flying into space… 😀
Like Luke Skywalker going into the Death Star’s trench. Sure, we can do that!
.
LikeLike
7 lang kami sa basket 🙂 i can’t remember the names of my balloonmates except for Edmund and Derek-the pilot (with English names) it’s hard to remember Indian names.. though i have their email address (but their penmanship’s giving me headache as well / failed to send links of our photos).
Landed in Porac (with kids running and waiving at us) Grabe ang saya! Imagine their happiness na makakita ng hot air balloon landing sa kalsada nila, what more yung gladness ko na makasakay diba?.. Para akong bata!!! ahahaha.
We had free breakfast at Derek’s uncle daw (Pinoy naman) in Porac.
That was such a ride.. $150 worth it! sobra 🙂 Derek promised to give me a free hot air balloon ride next year 🙂 hihihihi
How can you see your plane? I can’t even remember san nakapark.. ahahahaha
I’ll be flying this year!!! I swear… will try ultra light 🙂 next year JUMP!!!! whoooohooooo!!! Thanks for the encouragement 🙂
I guess you’ll be showing your aerobatic stunts with Meynard Halili (love to meet him in person) when you quit as Air Boss, Supremo!!! heh heh heh!!
LikeLike
now i’m lost with all the flying jargons. hahahaha. all i know that’s certain though is that there won’t be a gap of adrenalin rush during the duration of that maneuver.
LikeLike
Hey, Dad. You’ll have enough to worry about next year, so next Feb, sit back, relax, and enjoy the Fiesta – I’ll take care of the air bossing. 😉 Thanks for getting me into this – it’s been an amazing ride.
Sheila, your posts remind me of why my flying career and this blog exist – the joy of flying. Thank you so much for sharing it with me! I look forward to taking you up sometime soon.
Cris, you are in for a treat! The world looks extremely interesting when you’re inverted. 😀
Blessings!
Carlo
LikeLike
Hey, Air Bossing 2010, put me in for the balloon bursting event. You’ll get me into the Finals, right 😉
I’ll be the guy in the white Cessna with all the shredded balloons hanging from the wings.
Howling with laughter on 118.70.
Better reserve lots of kill marking stickers.
Save time and etch my name on the trophy now.
The Navy pilots can fight for second place.
Let’s go flying!!
— Dad
LikeLike
Carlo,
It really looks like it. 2 more months and I’ll be bumming around for a while as I concentrate (at least try to) on continuing my education.
By that time, I should have more time to enjoy things which I haven’t done…hopefully, one of it is being upside down while inside an airplane – with either one of you as a pilot.
LikeLike
[…] Mount Pinatubo, Zambales Flying in Crosswinds […]
LikeLike
See you sir Tonet on next year balloon bursting! I’ll bet Naval aviators can do more than 2nd place…hahaha =)
It seems Carlo will do most of the job of air boss…and you sir Tonet will enjoy the rest of the fiesta.
Happy flying sirs! Fly Navy!
LikeLike
Sir Dencio!!
Thanks for visiting Flying in Crosswinds! I bet Naval Aviators can do MUCH better than 2nd place, because I’ve seen them for the past 3 years, sir! Wala ba tayong open house diyan sa Naval Air Group, sir, balita ko masay daw mga tao diyan…!
Yes sir, Carlo will do a lot of the air bossing, and we are thinking of having more than one air boss next year, sir! Baka puwede ka, shoot sa balde na ang Navy sa balloon burst!
Thanks for visiting here, and thanks for your comments!
LikeLike
I’m looking forward to the challenge – and to seeing NAG show their stuff! Go Navy!!! 😀
LikeLike
nice pictures
LikeLike
Wow… these pictures are simply stunning.
Honestly, I am not at all excited about our planned Pinatubo Christmas Climb this December, but after seeing these shots, I’m now looking forward in seeing if this is exactly what awaits our destination and view when we camp.
I was really looking for pics from Mr. Google and these stood out. I am looking for some material I could potentially use for our Poster/ID Climb design for the said event. Having said that, I am asking permission if I could use some of the shots – of course Photo credits to be given accordingly.
Thank you very much!!
More Flights!! 🙂
LikeLike
Nienna, thank you for visiting Flying in Crosswinds! Yes, you may use the shots, provided you credit them to Flying in Crosswinds, and post them unedited (you can crop them).
When are you climbing Pinatubo? People I have talked to who have climbed Pinatubo have all raved about the experience. I’m sure you will have a fantastic time!
Sorry for the late reply, but I was traveling. I trust it’s not too late for you to compose your poster.
Thanks for your wish for “More Flights!” Never got that greeting before! 🙂
Tonet
LikeLike
A few only get to do what you and Carlo do!!! Amazing photos by two amazing men….and a trip to remember. I’m sure Carlo appreciates all this with you…one VERY lucky kid.
LikeLike
Our best bonding happens in the cockpit. Carlo is a far more conservative pilot than I am — he keeps me out of trouble. Sometimes when we are headed for weather, he just looks and me and say, “Dad.”
“Alright, Carl, we’re turning back.”
Today he and I took off from a short grass runway, made even shorter and softer by muddy patches. He refused to do it without me, even though the airplane would have been lighter and more capable without my, er, weight. He wanted a co-pilot in the cockpit to coach him on takeoff and landing. He flew very well today, with a technique that squeezes all the performance from the airplane.
He didn’t need the coaching. He just wanted to share his birthday flight with me 🙂
Thanks for visiting Flying in Crosswinds, Lindy.
LikeLike