A Riot Of Colours for Malaysia Airlines A380

A water-canon salute greeted the A380 bearing Malaysia Airlines' new all-blue premium livery (the honour of wearing this livery goes exclusively to the A380 flagship fleet) on 28 June 2012 when it arrived from Toulouse.

The air at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was humid and mostly still, except for the little gust of winds that provided infrequent but temporary relief. Gate C17 was filling up with passengers booked to fly to London onboard Malaysia Airlines inaugural A380 flight, guests, staff, media representatives ... just about everyone except the photographers who would rather "risk being cooked" on the ramp.

Sitting majestically on the ramp, MAS' first Airbus A380 (registered 9M-MNA) looked like she was being given a cosmetic make-over as whimsical lines in a riot of colours "painted" the aircraft as if it was a canvas for an artist on steroid. At no two separate moments is the aircraft exactly alike ... and like the other photographers present, I could not help but continue firing away with my camera in a furious effort to capture every possible variation.

Choreographed by an external event management company, the light show was part of the send-off that Malaysia Airlines was giving to its new flagship, the Airbus A380 on its maiden flight to London-Heathrow. With only one aircraft delivered, only three weekly services will be operated and a second aircraft will make a daily frequency an achievable goal.

Credit goes to the planners and the management of MAS for holding back loading of the aircraft's cargo load but ultimately, the ground staff had no choice but to commence loading in order to ensure a punctual departure. As soon as this was achieved, they wasted no time in closing the cargo door and the perspiration-soaked photographers once again regain their trigger-happy character.

By now, the light patterns projected on the aircraft have changed into dots with a huge variety of colours. Such a projection is not new - at the ceremony in Toulouse to mark the delivery of Qantas' first A380, a similar light show was staged. On that occasion, the complicated patters did not sit particularly well especially on the tail. MAS and the events planners had the good sense to leave most of the tail free from the projected light and the blue "wau" logo of the airline sat prominently and bathed in white light.

One of the photographers' chief concern revolved around the availability of sufficient intensity of light when the aircraft pushes back. A Thai Airways International aircraft which taxied by early clearly showed us that lighting was going to be a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Just as the A380 was about to be pushed back, a magical moment happened when the ramp and the aircraft were suddenly awashed in a beautiful pure white light - the kind of light that photographers conducting night-shoot can only fantasise about.

From that moment on, there was nothing to stop everyone on the ramp and in the gate holdroom from capturing the retreating aircraft with the mobile phones, cameras, iPads and every conceivable device. There was also a palpable swelling of pride among all the staff members present. I sensed a new hope swelling as Malaysia Airlines sends off its first A380 to one of its most important destination, London. After all the negative news of recent times, this was a new beginning accompanied by a new resolve and energy. I relished the energy around me and soaked in this positivity.

By the time this blog comes online, the inaugural Malaysia Airlines A380 flight to London-Heathrow has already arrived in its destinations and there is no doubt that around the airfield, hoardes of spotters and photographers would have pointed their cameras at this gorgeous bird and recorded its approach and landing. And there certainly is yet another ceremony on the ramp and in the arrival hall.

Well done Malaysia Airlines ... I wish you a bright new future ahead and if the brilliant light show at KLIA is anything to go by, you are already on the way there.

A Glorious Day for Malaysia Airlines

It was a day of great anticipation and the early morning rain and threatening dark clouds were a reason for some trepidation. This day - 30 May 2012 - is the culmination of a long wait for the Airbus A380 to be finally delivered to Malaysia Airlines. Perhaps it was a lot of positive thinking, and then again, perhaps it was the collective willpower of the many Malaysia Airlines staff members who had gathered in front of Hangar 6 (and certainly elsewhere around Kuala Lumpur International Airport) - an hour or so before the 1530hrs arrival of 9M-MNA, the skies cleared and the sun revealed its full glory.

At 1528hrs, the unmistakable shape of the A380 appeared in the sky south of the airport - heading toward runway 32R but with undercarriages stowed. A low level flypast was in progress and MAS staff who had earlier mistakenly cheered the landing of an Emirates A380 on runway 32L once again became excited.

If the approaching A380 appeared rather plain, it is because it was only adorned in the as yet incomplete new livery of Malaysia Airlines. As the A380 grew in size and its engines are now barely audible, cheers and clapping - and perhaps a few wolf whistles - rang out. By now, the A380 was gleaming and resplendent in its pristine paintwork fresh from Finkenwerder.

As the A380 disappeared in the direction of the city, many were left wondering if it would land on runway 32L in front of the hangar. It did not as air traffic controllers recleared it for another landing approach to runway 32R - much to the disappointment of the energetic and vibrant social media team from MAS and the invited aviation enthusiasts who were perched up high on a metal platform.

Any lingering disappointment remaining was quickly banished when the A380 crossed the airfield and approached the hangar. Excited staff members who obviously had the most desirable access on the ramp quickly made their way to the edge of the taxyway to welcome the new flagship of Malaysia Airlines.

As the A380 made a left turn and revealed its side profile, gasp of admiration and excitement were audible - various staff members have earlier commented how long they have waited for this day. Even as certain elements of the new livery were still missing, the A380 still looked extremely smart and updated. The kite (wau) logo is now rendered in blue on the tail and the airline's title was similarly applied onto the forward fuselage.

Another right turn and with about 200m of final taxying, the A380 was now staring at the gathered crowd - nose-on and majestic. Those Rolls Royce engines are huge ... but amazingly silent.

After what seemed like infinity, the aircraft came to a halt and very quickly, the ground engineers were already tending to it. The engines were shut down, after having been running for the last 12 hours or more after taking off from Toulouse Blagnac Airport the previous night.

With VIPs, senior management and pilots of Malaysia Airlines onboard, many were keen to see them emerge and perhaps congratulate them on the successful delivery flight. Many more including me were probably envious - and I could not help wondering what it is like to be on a delivery flight with an entire aircraft to just a small select group of privileged passengers! The passenger steps were quickly positioned and the aircraft door opened. This was the signal for many in the crowd to swarm the A380, for everyone wanted to come close to touch, feel and mostly admire this new giant.

Positioned in front of the hangar (which had the airline's recognisable blue/red kite logo on its facade), it was clear that the airline's corporate identity was in transition. The markings that will subsequently be applied on the rear half of the fuselage (and possibly on the engine nacelles) remained a closely guarded secret - even as a blue design was previously revealed. It seems more surprises may yet be in the offing. Don't aviation photographers like us love surprises like this?

    

After much close scrutiny and inspection, what do the staff members think? There was no need to guess ... they were jumping for joy! Even an invited aviation enthusiast - the very affable Jonathan Kong - could not resist doing the same.

Yet another staff member stood rooted to the ramp, admiring the gleaming A380 through a pair of sunglasses - no doubt reflecting on what's to come as it enters service on the London-Heathrow route on 1 July and subsequently also to Sydney, Australia.

9M-MNA current stay in KUL will be brief, long enough to do some ground duties, earn its certification by the relevant authorities, undertake a joyride flight on 5 June before heading back to Toulouse and Finkenwerder-Hamburg for the hitherto secret portion of its new corporate identity and livery as well as a cabin re-configuration. During this period, the Premium Economy seats onboard will be replaced by regular Economy Class seats ... and come 30 June, the events that marked this day will once again be repeated ... when the already much loved 9M-MNA will return in full glory - with its complete livery.

Watch this space!

Farewell Tribute to the Queen of the Skies

For many, it would seem improbable that there are no Boeing 747s in the Singapore Airlines fleet - or perhaps more accurately, no more BIGTOPs and MEGATOPs. For these brandings for the B747-300s and B747-400s respectively have become household names even to those disinclined towards aviation. Yet, in less than 24 hours, SIA would have sent its last B747-400 - 9V-SPQ (the 1,289th B747 off the production line) into retirement ... but not before operating a pair of commemorative flights to Hong Kong and back.

On the upper deck of the first two B747-200Bs was the Raffles Lounge, the exclusive domain of well-heeled First Class passengers.

More than 38 years ago on 1 October 1973, SIA's first B747-200B appropriately registered 9V-SIA operated the airline's first Jumbo Jet service to Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo. The Singapore Airlines Farewell B747 flights - appropriately numbered SQ747 (Singapore to Hong Kong) and SQ748 (Hong Kong to Singapore) partially re-enacts that first commercial service. That SIA decided to pump in some pomp and pageantry into the retirement of the B747 - the first time it has ever done when retiring an aircraft type - speaks volume of the Jumbo Jet's contribution to the development of SIA from a new brand in 1973 to the highly decorated and recognised airline that it is today.

A Boeing 747-400 in former livery touches down at Singapore Changi Airport after a long overnight flight from Paris-CDG.

Aviation enthusiasts from around the world have once again found the perfect excuse to get themselves to either Singapore or Hong Kong - to join SIA in celebrating more than 38 years of sterling service by the B747. Many will have personal stories of great flying experiences on the SIA B747 and wanted to have one final hurrah on it ... and most would feel more than a tinge of sadness as the reality sets in that the B747 chapter is truly closed at SIA.

The 1000th Boeing 747 off the Boeing production line - registered 9V-SMU - was delivered to Singapore Airlines with appropriate markings alluding to its pedigree.

I too would be on both flights - nothing could have stopped me from being there - and besides recording the celebrations and sentiments of others on the flight, I will have my own personal reflection ... and I will remember that day in September 1981 when I flew for the first time ever (OK, I was a late starter) on a commercial plane (an SIA B747-200B 9V-SQH) to Zurich via Colombo and Dubai. I fell in love with the B747 then and that feeling has intensified and grown richer in the last three decades.

During the Asian Financial Crisis of 1998, SIA took the bold step to roll out new First, Raffles and Economy Class products, and painted a pair of B747-400s in this stunning "Tropical Megatop" livery.

To the people at Boeing, thank you for producing such a beautiful airplane and for convincing SIA's then Chairman J.Y. Pillay and Managing Director Lim Chin Beng that the B747 was the better choice vis-a-vis the DC-10. Thank you to both gentlemen and to SIA's Board for the foresight to place your trust in this mammoth (it was then, compared to the B707). And last but not least, thank you to Joe F. Sutter and "The Incredibles" at Boeing for designing this aviation icon - the one and only Queen of the Skies.

To mark its membership at Star Alliance, SIA painted this B747-400 (9V-SPP) in a modified Star Alliance livery.

SIA deployed the final B747-400 (9V-SPQ) to the SIngapore Airshow 2012 on 16 February where it announced the Thank You B747 Commemorative Flights the following day.

I will not bid the B747 goodbye - as I still believe that someday, SIA will see the sense in the B747-8 Intercontinental and order it. Boeing - if you could do it in 1972 when you convinced SIA to order its first two B747-200Bs, you could do it again.

A Famous Dragon

During the recent Singapore Airshow 2012, another dragon - this time a rather famous one - descended on our mortal world. Owned by kung-fu actor Jackie Chan, the Embraer Legacy 650 was auspiciously painted in a bright crimson and imperial yellow. In a fusion of cultures, the chinese word for "dragon" had the first name of its famous owner embedded in it. Registered equally auspiciously as N688JC, the Legacy 650 which had a stylised dragon emblazoned on its fuselage arrived on 12 Feb in the last light offered by a post-downpour sunset.

This being the year of the water dragon, the Legacy 650 was totally in its elements the next day when the Singapore Airshow site took a major drenching ...

Throughout the trade days of the airshow, this private jet proved to be a popular one for visitors - especially considering the amount of publicity generated in the media about its pedigree ownership. This must have been one of the most photographed tail in the entire show.

By the time the show was opened to public on Saturday (18 February), many of the day's earliest visitors must have been disappointed to find their famous target missing ... but a little later in the morning, those with a sharp pair of "dragon eyes" would have caught sight of it flying over the show site.

Visitors on the next public day on Sunday were not so lucky ... all they have perhaps were the press-cuttings they may have kept from the past week's dailies.

The Dreamliner Has Landed.

The long-awaited and much anticipated arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner could not have happened on a more beautiful day. The sun shone bright and the clouds in the sky were white and puffy ... and at 1421 hrs, the third prototype B787-8 (ZA003 / N787BX) landed on Singapore Changi Airport's runway 02R ... marking the start of its Singapore debut. Thanks to superb arrangements by the wonderful Boeing / ICON International teams and the military, a group of media photographers were ferried to the runway (which normally is out of bound) ahead of the Dreamliner's arrival.

It touched down near the southern end of the 9000 feet runway ... and rolled quietly and smoothly to the end.

For an airplane this size and whose two engines look so sturdy and impressive, the quietness of the landing is incredible. Even with thrust reversers deployed, no ear plugs were needed. She gently taxied to the left of runway 02L and there, ground crews were already on standby to tow it to the Changi Exihibition Centre. After a short while, towing commenced - with all the incoming VIPs and Boeing officials onboard ...

With great care, the Dreamliner - with its VIPs still onboard - was eased into position on the static display ramp.

Meanwhile, the flying display practice went on ... and the Royal Australian Air Force's Roulettes aerobatic team was there to bid the Dreamliner and key Boeing officials and staff a warm welcome. All these could not have happened on a more beautiful day. The sun was absolutely brilliant and puffy cumulus clouds floated lazily across the sky. Lots more are in store for the Dreamliner ... tomorrow, a media conference will be followed by a tour onboard for the media. Watch this space.

Recovering ... but Japan still needs your help!

Today, my friend Yvonne from Ecuador sent me a link to a video segment on youtube ... http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SS-sWdAQsYg&vq=medium and after watching it, I can only marvel at the strength, humility, dignity and resolve of the Japanese people. I felt all the pains of those weeks immediately following Japan's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters of March 2011 ... and these pains came back as I watched the video. But the video ended with so much gratitude for all the help Japan received - note that many more countries gave aid and relief than those highlighted - and also with a message of hope.

Today, as the affected Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan slowly embarks on the road to recover, a lot more is needed. And the very first thing that one could do is to seriously consider taking your holiday in Japan, especially if it also includes some parts of the Tohoku region.

I toured the Tohoku region in April 2006 and had the joy of meeting one of  the most wonderful tour guide I have ever come across - Michiko-san. She hails from Sendai ... and after the quake, I tried contacting her but to no avail. I pray all the time for Michiko-san's safety and well-bring ... and hope some day to hear that she is safe.

I have thought of waiting till March 2012 to post this ... but Yvonne's e-mail and video-link just made me decide to do this now. Who knows what could happen to throw my plans to post this in March in disarray. I just have to embrace my own committment to live life now.

Gambatte Japan!!! And to those outside, don't forget that many Japanese still need your help.

Start Dreaming

Once again, the palpable excitement brought on by the Singapore Airshow is gaining intensity ... and the single airplane most responsible for that must surely be the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Five of these are already in service with All Nippon Airways, but for the rest of the world, the opportunity to see a B787 test aircraft in the flesh is a treat in itself and a window to the future of civil air travel.

Beyond the obvious aerodynamic sleek lines of the aircraft and the curvy wingtips that flex significantly when the aircraft is taking off, landing or in flight, the cabin boasts a whole slew of technological and design features that promise a whole new flying experience in the near future. Japan Airlines will deploy its own Dreamliners on the Singapore route starting September and our very own Singapore Airlines has twenty of these on order. Singapore's hub location will certainly mean that Dreamliners of many different liveries will in no time be a common sight and popular choice of air transportation.

Eight days from today on 11 February 2012, the Boeing 787 DREAM)LINER will touch down on Singapore's soil for the first time ever. We've waited long for this, but this is a dream worth waiting for.