Alrighty, time for penultimate Leg 8!
I’ll depart from Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand (VTBD) and land in Changdi Airport in Singapore (WSSS). The flight is about 800 nm.
This time, I’m exploring an aircraft I’ve been wanting to fly for some time: the Bombardier Q400 Dash 8 by Majestic! I see them land and takeoff from CYUL all the time, therefore I just couldn’t not try it out. I read Q400 documentation in diagonal, and after a good hour or two of scribbling notes I feel I’m ready. I spawn on the tarmac, plug in ground power, start my IRS alignment and begin to plug data into the FMC.
I also open the door (SHIFT+E for those who don’t remember) since I need to talk to the ground crew and tell him to remove the landing gear locking pins. That’s done through the “DATA → Services” menu of the FMC. I hear the passengers board the plane and the flight assistant greet everyone. I load up a good 12000 lbs of fuel, with about 70 passengers.
The FMC is quite different from anything I’ve seen from Boeing or Airbus, which makes me look for stuff for a good 15 minutes. As I turn on the tower frequency on COM1 and turn on the TCAS system, I am pleasantly surprised to hear classical music and a greeting message from the Majestic team through the radio. Nice easter egg! I fire up the APU and start my engines. The sound of the PW150A turboprop is truly jaw-dropping.
Taxiing is uneventful. As I reach the runway threshold, I make sure everything is set. Flaps at takeoff? Check. Takeoff trim? Check… Safety lever unlocked from the throttles? Check. Condition levers to Max? Oooh, almost forgot that one. Check.
As I throttle up, the Q400 accelerates nicely and climbs superbly.
See ya, Bangkok!
I won’t miss you and your invisible airport!
I climb up to 25000 ft and enter cruise without much trouble. It seems like what I’ve learned with the CRJ finally paid off!
As I cross the Gulf of Thailand, I marvel at the beauty of this cockpit. Majestic really did a great job with it.
The shores of Malaysia, at last! I’ve been flying for almost two hours already.
The sound design of this aircraft is remarkable. The engines sound exactly like what I hear every morning when I watch them takeoff. The Packs are also really noisy.
Still tracking my flight plan. So far so good.
There is Kelantan, home to some of the most ancient archaeological discoveries in Malaysia, including several prehistoric aboriginal settlements.
Crossing through stormy clouds. Thankfully, my icing protection systems are on and functioning well.
Now, time to take the STAR to Changdi Airport, Singapore.
Diving into the cloud layer. There’s minor turbulence.
I use my VNAV PATH planning, which generates a smooth descent. My speed is managed with gentle throttle inputs.
According to the STAR chart for the ILS of Runway 02L, I need to start my final approach from 3500 ft.
One last turn…
On final approach.
Localizer is captured, glide slope is good.
Making a few last ajustments.
Wow, Singapore is actually a much bigger city than I thought.
At roughly 1000 ft, I disconnect the autopilot and land manually.
The landing is qutie smooth.
As i set my thrust reversers to MAX REV, I’m surprised to see the Q400 come to an almost full stop! This aircraft can really land on a dime.
I didn’t even take half the runway. Great, now I have to slooowly taxi half the runway in front of everyone.
And there it is, Changdi Airport!
I hear my pilot talk through the intercom “Good afternoon everyone, welcome to destination.” It’s a really nice touch by Majestic. I genuinely felt like I had carried actual passengers safely to their vacation spot. Cool!
All right, now there’s just one last leg to do: Singapore-Christmas Island. I feel so far from home already…