World Flight 2013: Taipei Control...

We have come a far way; we are close to Taiwanese Airspace. Below us the last Islands belonging to Japan.

The last night we spent at a convinient Hotel, 20+ people waited about 2hours, if not longer, for their ordered food. After that experience the hotel was not classified as convinient but as an 'incapable' Hotel.

Below us the East China Sea.

And now we have been refused entry / ordered to leave the particular airspace we are in. Before we departed Naha our flightplan was accepted and we received our clearance. Now that we are in the air over the big ocean they give us trouble. The Japanese air traffic controllers have not organised our onward clearance. All other aircraft behind us are in the same position. Dietmar talking to the controller, 'We refuse to comply....' Them'Stand By'. Then they come back to us with a frequency we must call when we get to a specific airspace boundary.

In the meantime we have a technical problem. Our Left Hand Side fuel gauge does not move, it shows FULL permanently. This has a few consequences, fuel management is going to be very difficult. Every day there is a different difficulty or problem. And I think the flying challenges and the permissions, the clearances etc are high enough, we really do not need technical problems.

Below us the 'South China Sea', we are in radio contact with Manila now, what a difference, one by one she deals with, supplies the pilots with clearances, flight levels etc. Our fuel gauge still shows FULL; it is most certainly not full.

Below us the first pictures of the Phillipines. Rain is hammering down once more. As we approached Clark Field (our airport of entry to the Phillippines) and are cleared to land, another fright, the airspeed dropped right down and as quick as it went, it came up again, all during the last one minute of the instrument approach. We landed in pouring rain.