The family that came to see me during my short transit decided to take me out on a spin of LA. For fear of losing my flight although six hours later, we decided to drive close to the airport area. I marveled at the line of jets in the air descending into LAX. I was more interested in looking outside the window rather than what they had to say
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
Soon our Captain came on welcoming us aboard. The SQ 744 had also come to life and activity could be seen through it’s many windows as I looked out of mine. We pulled out first and as we now stood parallel to the terminal like the QF jet did, the SQ jet began to push back too. She too was on her way to Taipei but we had the clear lead. As we began our series of turns out of the terminal areas on our way to the South runways I noticed the same EVA 744 I had seen landing earlier in front of us..wow this was going to be a race after all, with the home based EVA AIR clearly taking over our lead. We were now close to the runway, the EVA AIR jet disappearing out of sight on 25R (or was it 25L), but clearly heard as she raced down the LAX runway and the heavy engines lifted her up and away into the night sky. We took our position to begin our own roll down the runway.
The 744 is a huge jet and once the engines began their roar, the overhead bins rattled and shookgently just as all the occupants did as the mammoth beast increased in speed. The cabin lights were dimmed I could see the winglet of the jet, stretched out and upwards in the dark, which looked like a palm held face up bent at the wrist demanding all that saw her go, to stop and take note 8) . I felt a strange feeling in my gut as the wheels lifted off the runway, and the super heavy bird left the ground. So different from the A320 that lifted so lightly and quickly off the tarmac from Toronto. We continued over the waters below and after sometime, turned right and moved in a northerly direction. It was all dark outside and I could see my own face in the glass window as I tried to see the darkwaters below. The cabin service began and the friendly MH Cabin staff moved around the cabin, smiling at every passenger as they began the beverage service. We were having dinner when I noticed we were close to San Francisco when the 744 began to turn left as it began it’s long crossing over the great body of water called the Pacific Ocean. I thought we would continue north fly south of Alaska but it was clear the crossing was going to be from this point , and the map as the flight progressed proved it to be just that. It was going to be one long night flight, and I opened the double folded page of the Malaysia Airlines route map to see the red line connecting Los Angeles with Taipei. Very soon the lights turned out again and I put on my headset and began to watch the movies. Some 6 hours had passed and I recall thinking another 7-8 more to go…!! I think I watched more movies on that flight than I would have seen in six months at a theatre. The In fight selection was not that good, but I had to kill time. Moreover it was not Video on Demand as on some carriers, but the charming and helpful FAs of MH make flying with them worth it. What seemed like a night that would never end, actually did end as the first of dawn appeared as a dark orange line in the blanket of darkness outside. At the same time the galley got active again, even though the FAs were going around with drinks and snacks during the flight, quietly asking those who looked to them in the dark if they needed something, while trying not to wake those who were asleep. The cabin lights came on and the smell of breakfast filled the air. The nocturnal creatures 8O that had slept for the past 8-9 hours stirred out of their blankets and blinked as they made their way to the lavatories. I got nice and ready for breakfast hoping they’d start close to my row. And they did. We were soon approaching the Japanese coastline as the last of the trays were distributed and the quiet cabin came to life with clinking china, crinkling foil and smell of coffee :drink: . It began to get bright outside the cabin but it was a dull grey nonetheless. We were now flying alongside the Japanese coastline and closing in near to Tokyo. The trays cleared and the cabin now alive, the captain came on to say we were soon approaching the Island of Taiwan and would be beginning our descent shortly. The weather was cloudy and there was slight turbulence as we began descending into the airspace of Taipei. We were over the northern tip of the Island nation and the flaps began to descend, the engines quietened and we reduced speed. He continued flying past the Island and then banked to the left circling as he made his way back to the coast. We started coming in lower and bits of Taipei appeared and disappeared through the clouds, as the waves crashed on the shore some thousands of feet below. The wings of the jet would appear and disappear through the clouds too, shaking as the jet descended lower and lower. We were now pretty low when he banked hard to the left, the winglet bending down low to touch the earth, before it came back up as soon as it went down. Within seconds under very dull grey early morning skies, the jet touched down and the overhead bins rattled again as the wheels made contact again with the earth, and the spoilers and reverse thrust were deployed to slow the jet down. We passed two United 777-200s parked away from the terminal area, making me wonder two (?), as we turned to come into the terminal area. We had landed at Taipei’s Chiang Kai Shek airport and passed some EVA AIR & China Airlines planes before parking alongside a Cathay Pacific 777-300. I stared out of my window my jaw wide open as I marveled at the length of the plane that stood in front of me. I could not believe it’s size and it was the first time I ever laid my eyes on a 777-300, and was lucky to be viewing it from so close. It was a long wait inside the terminal that smelled horrid
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
![Twisted Evil :twisted:](./images/smilies/icon_twisted.gif)
Finally the jet stabilized as we broke through the clouds leaving the tops of them outside my cabin window within arms reach, the sun dancing down on them. We continued to climb up to FL330, the clouds now way below us as we progressed South west over the South China sea. Normal activities began in the cabin. It was now all bright and nice outside and it was a relief to finally see the sun again, after what seemed like forever of an unending night. With some fours hours more to go, I asked an FA if I could get a passenger comment form. She said she would be back with one. She returned without one a little later a look of concern on her face as she bent down towards me her hands neatly folded over her thighs as she said to me, “Sir, is everything okay with the service? Did we not meet your expectations”
![Crying or Very Sad :cry:](./images/smilies/icon_cry.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
We were closing in towards the Malaysian coastline in the direction of Kuala Lumpur, our final destination. I definitely wanted to photograph the Petronas Towers from the air if we passed over them on the way to the airport. I caught the attention of a really friendly FA who just wouldn’t stop smiling. He came to me, as I called him and still beamed from left to right
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
and the KLIA Tower passed just over the wingtip as the Pan Pacific hotel passed by too, where I was going to stay during my transit stay in Kuala Lumpur. The beast had reached home, and like a tame animal slowly progressed to the terminal building passing many more Malaysia Airlines tails of B744’s, B-777’s, A330’s and B-737’s. The Impressive KLIA terminal building looked very welcoming it’s fancy layout pleading with us to leave the aircraft soon, like most of us Los Angeles passengers did after the long, long flight. I was in Kuala Lumpursorry this pic is of a plane landing from the south