TOKYO - DALIAN - OSAKA - BANGKOK …
Corey and I were scheduled to fly to Beijing with yet another check airman, Chris. There was a change in plans, as Chris was having some passport issues and no other check airmen were available. They cancelled us and put another crew on the flight. Had we known that we were going to have more time between flights, we would have probably taken a train to see some more of the country, perhaps Hiroshima or Mount Fuji.
As it was, Corey and I did go to Osaka Castle. It was a good day trip, and very educational. Although what I saw of Japan emphasized just how crowded it is, I must say that I was very impressed by how clean and efficient it was. I was a bit surprised, however, to see that the railroad schedules and station signs were only in Japanese. I suppose that I had expected there to be both Japanese and English signs. It would have made it a lot easier to find my way around. One night in particular, I had gone downtown with a group of our pilots for dinner, then opted to go back to the hotel alone after eating rather than stay with them for a night on the town. I made it back to the hotel just fine, but I was really having to pay attention to make sure that I got off at the right station.
One of our pilots, Rich, did not fare quite so well. He and his first officer and the check airman they were flying with were supposed to commute from Tokyo to Osaka by train. There was an intermediate stop, and at that point they would need to switch trains. They all three hustled through the station, toting their luggage and trying to make their way through the crowd. The check airman and the first officer got to the train first. Rich had gotten separated from them, but still managed to get to the train, albeit in a different car. Just before departure, the conductor asked them where they were going. “Kansai,” they replied. The station right next to our hotel in Osaka.
“No, no, no!” he shouted. “Wrong train!” He pointed to his watch, indicating that it was time for the train to leave the station. “You go now!” They got off the train and the doors closed. They stood there, helplessly watching as Rich went by. There was nothing they could do to help him, so they went on to Osaka and checked into the hotel. Rich’s train went all the way back to Tokyo, where he had to buy another ticket and try again to get to Osaka.
We flew to Bangkok for a four-day layover, this time with Chris, who had finally gotten his passport issues resolved. It was a long flight that took us out over the Pacific. We flew parallel to the Chinese mainland, overflying several island nations, then came back inland over Vietnam. From there we flew over Cambodia and Laos, then entered Thai airspace. We had to deviate around some thunderstorms over Vietnam. Otherwise, it was a routine flight.
What can you say about Bangkok? It is an impoverished city with a well-earned reputation. I elected to go into the city one day, just to have a look around. I nearly got lost, and only found my way back by retracing my steps. I left with a whole new appreciation for what we have in America.
After four days at the hotel it was time to fly back to Osaka. Again, the flight was uneventful, as we basically retraced our steps. There weren’t nearly as many thunderstorms that day, and we could actually see some of the countries we were flying over. Vietnam in particular was of interest to me. It was beautiful from the air. And peaceful. A few of our pilots had flown in the war, and a couple of them commented that it was much more enjoyable flying over Vietnam when no one was shooting at them.
When we arrived in Osaka, Corey and I were officially signed off for Asian operations, with the exception of Hong Kong, which required a special endorsement. Since we had not gone to Hong Kong, we could not be signed off until we went there with a check airman. At any rate, Corey and I were now officially legal to fly everywhere else in Asia.
We had another trip to Dalian scheduled a couple days after our return from Bangkok. Corey and I got together in my room the day before to do a preflight briefing – something that I’ve never felt the need to do anywhere else. We went over what to expect based upon what we had experienced the first time, including how we would deal with weather and holding instructions, etc. in order to avoid a repeat of the previous goat rope.
We took the bus to the airport on the day of the flight. As we entered the terminal, we saw our mechanics coming out. They informed us that the flight had been cancelled due to a problem with the cargo door. That was all there was for us. We went back to the hotel, and we were officially done.
I flew home the following day and was never able to get an Asian line on my schedule again. Too many senior people were bidding it. Corey was a relatively senior first officer, and he did manage to fly over there for a couple of months.