Biggest Aircraft in KLIA

So what is the biggest aircraft to land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL / WMKK)?


The Boeing 747 is one of the biggest aircraft in the world. You can see them everyday.


Airbus A380 is currently the biggest passanger aircraft in the world. Prototype number 1 visited KUL in November 2005. Singapore Airlines send their A380 for training flights here early this year and Malaysia Airlines will receive theirs beginning in 2011.


Cargo aircraft can be bigger. The Antonov 124 has been seen here a few times, delivering oversized cargo.


The biggest aircraft to land in KUL is also the biggest aircraft in the world. It is the one and only Antonov 225 Mriya, delivering a helicopter for LIMA 2007.

The black dugong

As the replacement for the Satria GTi, today I took delivery of a Toyota Vios S.


This car is powered by a 1.5 liter (actually 1497 cubic centimeter) inline 4-cylinder 1NZ-FE engine producing 80 kW/109 ps @ 6000 rpm and 141 nM/14.4 kg-m of torque @ 4200 rpm. It is supposed to be a very fuel-efficient engine. I will post the fuel consumption later once figure is available. Transmission is a 4-speed automatic.

This car will be used mostly for local and short distance driving therefore I don't expect to see amazing fuel consumption figure for this one. But expect to see me around KLIA in this one when I go spotting.


For long distance driving, the Camry will be more appropriate. It is more stable on the highway, and comes with 5 speed auto transmission. And it is equipped with cruise control, which makes driving on the highway much more pleasurable.

Why do I call it black dugong? Obviously because it is black, and the front end reminds me of the dugong. Similar to the Airbus A380, especially this one.

Actually the Vios belongs to my wife; it is of the same color as her first car, a Ford Laser which was used from 1990 until 1992. Registration was CS 8600, I don't know if it is still around.

JOG - KUL flight

(Disclaimer: this post is about a base check, done in a flight simulator for the purpose of pilot training)

The first day.

It was a rainy day in JOG / WARJ (Jogjakarta). MH 856 was about to depart for KUL with ZFW of 49 tonnes. At the prevailing temperature and QNH, with minimum fuel I barely made the maximum takeoff weight, and that is for runway 27 and flap 15. Even with 5 kt headwind for runway 09 the max takeoff weight was below the planned ZFW + minimum fuel, so no choice, really.

After airborne suddenly the GPWS goes "terrain, terrain" so I took evasive action, press TOGA and pull the nose up. Clear of the terrain there was another problem: a military traffic was ahead, slightly below and climbing. Suddenly the TCAS shouted "pull up" which means once again I had to take evasive action while my FO communicates with the ATC. Clear of the conflict I check with the cabin, no injury so we continue with the flight.

Reaching cruise altitude of FL320 we settle down for the flight. Suddenly the master caution lights up. The right aircond pack is having problem. We carried out the non-normal checklist but the problem persists. We end up shutting down the right pack. We are now down to a single pack operation but since the pressurization are maintained, we elect to stay at FL320.

Soon we have another problem. Now the left bleed was having problem. Once again the NNC was carried out, but here is the catch: it calls for shutting down the left bleed and pack, but if we shut down the left pack we'll be unpressurized. And at FL320 if you become unpressurized you'll have to do emergency descend quickly, or else hypoxia will take over. It will be another Helios.

But wait. On the right side we have pack problem. On the left we have bleed problem. The solution? Use the right bleed to power up the left pack. problem averted.

Chugging along past Jakarta, another problem comes along. One of the CSD had high oil temperature. Once again, the NNC. It calls for the CSD to be disconnected. Therefore for another source of electricity we had to start up the APU. Too bad, as soon as it was started the APU had a fault condition. NNC again, and the APU had to be shut down.

With only a single source of electrics remaining, the only thing to do was to land at the nearest suitable airport. Our location was such that CGK / WIII (Jakarta) was the nearest so after checking the weather and finding that it was suitable, we decided to divert there. No problem except while on approach to runway 25L in CGK there was some windshear and strong tailwind; I ended up having to carry out a missed approach and come again on a visual circuit.

Landing was uneventful except just before I turn off the runway the nosewheel collapsed. Do I need to evacuate? Evacuation is not a risk-free action after all, after checking with tower that there is no fire or immediate danger, I decided not to evacuate but disembark using the stairs instead.



Day 2

At JOG again. Again, another heavy takeoff with strong crosswind. Flap 15, runway 09.

My first attempt to takeoff, I was approaching V1 when my FO calls "Engine Failure". Feels the aircraft veers to the right. I calls "Abort", close the thrust levers, disengaged the autothrottles, deploy the speedbrakes and maximum braking. Managed to have aircraft under control and stop before the end of the runway.

2nd attempt. This time the engines were fine, up to V1 at least. There was about 10 kt difference between V1 and Vr, and that is when the left engine fails. Too late to abort, I have to continue the takeoff. Aircraft managed to climb but very slowly; the right engine is not giving any thrust at all. As previously discussed for engine failure procedures, we followed the escape route. At 6.7 DME to JOG VOR, we turn to a left heading of 225. This escape route will bring us away from the high terrains around the airport and bring us over the sea. It took the eternity to get to 600 ft RA, where the engine failure recognition was carried out. Yes, the right engine has seized. So we shut it down, using the NNC as the guide.

Check out he weather at JOG, it was marginal. Plus the glide slope was unserviceable. But we didn't have much choice; we climbed to 4000 ft and join the holding pattern at 8.0 DME JOG, radial 276. We carried out the checklist applicable for a single engine landing. Ready, we carried out the LOC DME approach for runway 09.

The rain must be getting heavier because as we descend towards MDA, nothing can be seen outside. At the MDA of 750 ft, still nothing so a missed approach was carried out. A single engine missed approach. At 1500 ft we turn left, head towards the JOG VOR, and from there proceed to the 8 DME holding fix again. Again, more checklists. Entering the holding pattern, we were told by ATC that the weather was improving and the glideslope was serviceable again. So we carried out the ILS approach. I sighted he runway just above minima so the single engine landing was carried out successfully.

So we were back at Yogyakarta again, and then it was my first officer's turn to go through all those all over again.

Between June and December of this year, all B734 pilots flying for Malaysia Airlines will go through the same situation at JOG. Most will make it.

And I will have to go through something similar every 6 months for the rest of my career.

Last day with the GTi

Today (Thursday July 10th) we drove the GTi to Bandar Seri Permaisuri, Cheras for bank settlement as well as handing over the car to the new owner. The car was sold for RM 36k, of which RM 18k was for bank loan settlement. The rest will be the down payment for the Vios.



The car is now with its new owner, Hj. Zakaria of Terengganu. Most likely it will be registered for his son. Anyway I think they will be a very good owner, better than I've ever been.

Here Hj Zakaria is getting into the car, and this is my last sight of WKR 734.

We took the train home.

The end of an era.

Tomorrow my Satria GTi will be handed to the new owner. With it, an era of motoring is coming to a close.

I've always believe there are 3 general type of car for a normal person: a big family car, an economical small car and a fun sporty car.

Since 1999 we've been a 2-car family. At that time we had the Proton Putra and a Perodua Kancil, for a sporty type and an economical one. In 2003 we changed to a Waja for the family type, as the kids get bigger, and the Satria GTi for a sporty type.


Now the family car is getting bigger, in the shape of a Toyota Camry. But it is nor as nimble nor economical for short sectors, therefore I'm getting a Vios as the second car. But I can't afford to keep the Satria GTi, financially as well as parking space and utilization. After all, 2 cars are already under utilized; with 3 cars one might not get started for days.


The only thing is there will be no more sporty car for me, and no more manual transmission car as both the Vios and the Camry are automatics. No more high-revving spirited driving; something that I rarely do anyway even with the Satria GTi.

Well, I'm getting old....

D-8 Summit

While the developed nations are having their G-8 summit in Japan, there is a D-8 summit here in Kuala Lumpur. D-8 comprises eight developing Muslim nations -- Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. It was set up in 1997 as an economic alliance with the objective of improving the position of Muslim developing countries in the global world economy through the diversification of their economies by creating new opportunities via increased trade relations. In the process, they hope to improve the standard of living of their people.

Indonesia send in a Garuda A330 as the presidential plane, while Iran and Pakistan send in their VIP aircraft as well.

Pakistani A310.

Iranian B707.

As usual I am not interested in the meeting itself, but those aircraft are rare indeed.

Happy 3rd Birthday MalaysianWings

Our aviation forum MalaysianWings recently celebrates our third anniversary. There was a meeting / spotting session on Saturday 28th of June in KLIA and ATC tower visit on Monday June 30th.

I was unable to attend the spotting session on Saturday as I was in BKI that day, but was able to join the tower visit. It was an nice thing to be up there and seeing those people I talk to all the time through the aircraft radio. Thanks DCA for the oportunity.

For further comments and picture log in to the MalaysianWings forum......

My car for sale

After over 5 years it is time to get refreshed. My Proton Satria GTi is now for sale.



I am asking for RM40k for this 2003 model. It was a second car, with only 42000 km on the odometer. It is generally in good condition.

I'm getting a more practical second car, a Toyota Vios to supplement the Toyota Camry.




Note: SOLD! Looks like the car will move to Terengganu....

Malaysia Airlines to replace the B737-400 with B737-800

It was reported quite a few months ago that MH will replace the B734 with B738, with the B739 as a possible option.

A good move. For us spotters, there will be more variety as AirAsia (AK) has over 100 A320 on order, with almost 40 delivered. Also, that closed the possibilities of AK trying to sell their surplus A320 to MH. Given their political connection, that has always been a possibility, and f that happens someone will make a tidy sum of money, at taxpayer and MHs employees and passangers' expenses, of course.

MH used to wet-lease 2 B738 from Travel Services in 2006 as their long-range narrow-body program. The lease lasts only for about 3 months. The aircraft were OK-TVC and OK-TVD.

Anyway, many airlines has been operating the B738 to KUL.

This is a Hong Kong Airlines B738, photographed in KUL this morning. Over the years I've photographed quite a number of this type, in KUL as well as in other stations. This is my collection of B738 on Airliners.net.

Click here for more info on the B738.

Malaysia Airlines B737 seats

They used to look like this for business class. Then they changed to the purple seats and now they're changing again to bright red seats.

For the economy class, the classy-looking greenish seats is being progressively changed to a mixture of colors.

Some people lik it. I don't. What do you think?

Of fuel price and related items

So petrol price has been increased to RM2.70 per liter.

Is it fair? Depends. Not in the current situation. Actually I don't mind paying market rate for petrol. The problem is that I don't pay market rate for cars, the tax is too high and the road tax is just plain illogical.

If I have my way, I'd go with a token amount of tax for cars, maybe 10% of the selling price. Road tax should be abolished and replaced by fuel tax. Our current road tax is not fair because it is based on engine capacity. I'd say it better be based on fuel consumption. So those who use more petrol should pay more, not those who happens to have a "big" capacity engine. A fuel guzzler should pay more, not subsidized more. Those who owns big capacity-engined cars are not necessarily rich and those driving cars below 2000 cc are not necessarily of lower income. Compare between a 10 years old Camry or Accord against Mercedes-Benz C200K or BMW 318i.

Of similar note, the RM625 rebate given by the government for cars below 2000 cc (or 2500 cc for pickups) is one of the most unfair and stupid decision made by the current government recently. Again, poor people drive a MB C200K, rich men drive a Camry 2.2?

Somebody must be sleeping.....

Intro

Something about myself.

My name is Mohamad Radzi Desa. I am a B737 pilot with Malaysia Airlines, being a captain on the B737-400 fleet since 2000. Yes, it has been a long time but I still enjoy the hectic life of the B737. I would like to go to a widebody fleet but....

A330: I don't like the flight pattern.
B777: No vacancy.
B747: Nice fleet for now, but in a few years it will be a purely cargo fleet. Been there once (on the B742), and once is enough.

My hobby is photography. Namely, aviation and macro photography. I am not good at photographing people.

For aviation photos, you can see my works at Airliners.net and Jetphotos.net. My macro works can be seen at Flickr.

That's all for now.....