My father travelled extensively for his business. One of his journeys, way back in early 70s, was on an Aeroflot flight from Jakarta to Moscow. He told me how a ceiling panel cracked and how a crew member stood on his seat and gaffatapped the crack quite nonchalantly. None of the mainly Russian passengers even paid any attention and the whole operation was completed with as much fuss as if serving someone a drink. A week later he was supposed to fly back… same route, same plane… however he had some misgivings about that plane and instead changed his flight via Paris. Just as well, that plane crashed somewhere enroute. Goes to show… listen to those gut feelings. 😂 Glad to see u survived the experience 😊
Danish I knew 7 years ago loved Aeroflot. Change of plans or expired ticket, no problems, small money to change ticket. He'd been to many African countries.
@@damienomen68 The Aeroflot of 2010s was a very different airline from the Aeroflot of the 70s. Stricter safety culture because otherwise you don't get to fly to Europe.
Great video, thank you. Reminds me of the early eighties when I took a Uganda Airlines 707 from Nairobi to Entebbe. It seemed to be a home-converted, full passenger to combi plane. On this flight passengers were seated in the rear of the empty, curtained off freight area which was acting like an amplified drum. After a very shakey take-off we gained altitude and the guy in the seat ahead of me leant on his arm rest which promptly fell off into the aisle. Unpeturbed a female crew picked up the armrest and, with a few deft taps, refixed it to the seat! I was tempted to enquire if she could do that if a wing fell off but I thought better of it!
not sure about a wing, but a close older relative of mine recalled how when he often was a passenger on the slow and low Ilyushin 18 routes across "the north", they would have the flight engineer occasionally go outside (onto the struts) to clean the icing of the Pitot tubes and such equipment (apparently, wing de-icing was already a thing post 48, but not for the navigational equipment)
Your take off was on runway 34 and not 16 because you can see the old terminal on your side of the cabin. With the turnaround fillet as your marker, you still got quite a lot of spare runway remaining, which is normal for the short hop to Belitung/TanjungPandan. Anyways, Sriwijaya is a ghost of its former self. They were quite good in their first 5 years... ok up till 2015 ish, and they seem to have lost the plot since...
Yep. I feel like Sriwijaya declined after Garuda terminated their partnership. Tbh it was quite decent when they were under the Garuda management. By the time the COVID and Flight 182 incident happened, they declined even further. Sold and returned much of their fleets, worse services, etc.
@@petrolweeb they entered the partnership with Garuda because they had debts. Their decline had started long before the partnership, but the failed partnership just made the decline "more visible"...
safe to say covid and SJ 182 crash is pretty much their downfall and why they probably end up like merpati or batavia in the near future, as in going bankrupt and cease operations (as of writing this in 2023, they're not gone yet, but i'm sure they don't have much time left
I love your patience, and your kindness. Your sarcasm is well earned and far more diplomatic than hurtful. I do not think I could do what you do or handle what you do as well! I know I couldn't take this flight as calmly as you do! God bless you and your many travels!
I’ll be flying Sriwijaya to Tanjung Pandan/Belitung next month! It’s the childhood island of my parents. Pangkalpinang is the capital of the larger sister island, Bangka. It’s amazing to see this route on your channel, Noel! It really is a bit of a backwater but I always enjoy going back. Being lesser known, it’s a hidden gem of an island with amazing seafood, hail-white beaches and sparklingly clear waters.
I'm from the USA but grew up in Riau. These islands are real close to where I grew up, but I never made it out there. BTW- I keep hoping for Noel to fly into Pekan Baru.
Indonesia is a travel adventure on par with australia. You can spend a month or more and still not see everything. When i think of the crowds at Bali, a spring break for young drunk aussies...
Mate, now you’ve told the world about it, it’s not going to stay a backwater hidden gem for long. Your hometown sounds like an awesome place to getaway.
Sounds great but i wouldn't want to die transferring on that plane to get there. They should invest in a better plane and more people would probably go. Also teaching their fellow flight attendants about emergency landings while in flight is not the best thing i have heard for business. I don't think you have to worry about it being overrun so long as they don't improve the planes they fly. It was literally falling apart on the inside which may be even worse on the outside where it is open to more stress and the elements. I would say your gem is safe from invasion of we foreigners .
Unfortunately, my only experience of Indonesia is sailing around the islands on a cruiser, apart from Bali, whose airport we flew from on our way home. I'd love to do the kind of thing you do but, as I'm now in my 70s with coronary issues, I suspect I shall only ever do it vicariously through your channel. Love it
Another airline I have flown with who I had never heard of until when it came to booking. Sriwijaya Air took me from Makassar to Ambon in the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. Enjoy your trip around Indonesia Noel, it's a vast and fascinating archipelago.
Many times, the older planes are a lot more comfortable if they still have an older interior. The newer seat dssigns have much firmer seat cushions that can make long flights rather uncomfortable.
Took me back to flying Cotinenental nonstop from CLE to LAX. Waaaay more comfortable in those planes than my LAX to CLE flights today on Spirit. WAY more comfortable.
Hehe you just stopped for 40mins at one of Indonesias finest Islands! Spent one week there and saw only one foreign tourist couple and lots of local tourists. K recommend people to go to Pulau Belitung, as the Island is named. Faaaantastic beaches, cool stormes about local author and do NOT skip a trip to the lighthouse Langkouas
Wonderful video as always! I think you're quite brave. After watching the first take off, I had to pause the video and get myself a shot of Crown, LOL! I was on a domestic flight in Wisconsin that had to abort the takeoff for some reason. I was literally in tears until the gentleman sitting next to me, who was an aerospace engineer, explained to me what likely happened. I felt much better after he talked to me about that and was fine when the plane did takeoff attempt #2 and got airborne just fine. Hearing stuff like that calms me down really well. Every video I watch of yours makes me feel more excited and less anxious about resuming flying again. Yeah, I wouldn't mind at all flying on some vintage aircraft, but not if it only had a one star safety rating.
OMG Noel. You're either mad or extremely brave. No wonder you were stuttering trying to pronounce the airline 😉😂 That suave young fella in the bathroom is quite a comedian isn't he 🤣 I enjoy all your reviews, and glad you arrived safely. Thanks for your honesty. Hope you and your family are having fun living in the US.
I think after seeing the other video where there was a warning against pinching the life vests, I'd love to know if the next time you fly on a 1 star safety line, you could see if there is actually a life vest under your seat and the ones next to you if the seats are empty! Because I have a feeling that this plane has around the same percentage of rescue resources per passenger Titanic did. 50/50
The issue with those old airplanes is not chronological age, but number of flight cycles because of pressurization/depressurization and metal fatigue. That was the main factor in that Aloha Airlines incident when about 30 feet of the aircraft skin peeled off like opening a can of soup. Landed safely in Maui but a flight attendant was lost. If that 737-500 was an old Continental Micronesia plane, I wouldn’t want to get on it.
The Aloha 737 was an early 737-200 which had a poor chemical lap joint bonding supplementing the riveting. In this case both were defective and the rivets also installed poorly in numerous patches, with the cracks finally joining up near the top of the fuselage. By tremendous luck, one critical fuselage piece was found lodged into the other engine cowling for investigation. The plane was also the leader of the global 737 fleet in flight cycles.
@Itapirkanmaa2 the comment that Noel mae in his first flight about the seats loose 😅. Some of the passengers lives on that Aloha flight were saved due to the seats being bolted down
I appreciate you taking one for the team. My international travel days are over, but I get the misery vicariously through videos like this. Given the track record of these Indonesian airlines, I'd be steering clear, though.
Courage? I fly them all the time, they are not that all that bad... they don't crash as much anymore. I have flown Aeroscure Cargo too (trying to buy one of their airplanes), I'd much rather fly Sriwijaya! Above all, Indonesian people are so nice, it should be mentioned here.
My former airline we flew retired -300/400s and some first gen -800s doing charter flying. Definitely vintage, some of our planes had steam gauges too, which gave it a classic look. Most still had their old cabins from US air and southwest.
The selfie in front of the plane was a classic 🤣🤣. Some people might think you have a glamorous life, but you're much braver than me. No way could I fly on some of the airlines you do!!
The adventures you take! Please stay safe. Even back in the 1990s when my sister worked at international in Melbourne, we were told to avoid Garuda even then - not much has changed.😊
I once flew on a 80-ish year old aircraft that had no paint left, had enough hours on it that the pilots hands had worn grooves into the steel yoke and it was maintained by a 60 year old dude who only knew "now good" and "no fly" in english. Oh and the last issue in the tech log was dated in the late 1970's.
Love watching your videos, I'm petrified of flying (no idea why, I used to fly a fair bit years ago) so this is the next best thing for me. Keep up the good work.
19:46 "You never know when they're not going to be flying any more." Yeah, could be a few years from now, or right after takeoff due to a faulty auto throttle.
That lounge reminds me of Airberlin's "Exclusive Waiting Areas" or express lounges they had at various German airports, with it just being a fenced off area.
The reason for the mechanical problems that caused the last crash was that the plane wasn’t properly maintained added by a pilots‘ mistake - that’s really alarming. Joel is quite courageous 👍🏻
Our thanks to Boeing, who built a proper aircraft, and to Continental, who performed the last comprehensive maintenance on it. In flight training for the cabin crew, on the use of emergency exits, was amusing. Fly the friendly skies of Risk Airways. Great meal service, too. A cup of water and a cookie. Bless you, Noel, for doing it all with understated British humor. At least the loo was clean.
You are a braver man than i . Seeing those wrecks and them having a one star rating they couldn't pay me to fly on their airline. When you heard the flight attendants teaching others on the plane on emergency landings instead oof them learning it while they were training in the flight attendant school would have been the straw that broke the camels back for me . The plane is literally falling apart as well. I think you said the journey was a one hour flight, it would be one hour too long for me .
There are 5 737-500 operating in Canada, 1 by a charter company and 4 by Air North. I've flown aboard 2 of them between Vancouver and Whitehorse. The planes are old (some sport their original equipment, the lav signs are in various languages) but very comfy. Very kind crew and staff and great service though.
Just want to correct you about take off. You were take off from runway 34, facing north. As you can see at 7:06 there was a building with red roof (old terminal) which is on the left side of the plane. Also the plane was lifted near upper taxiway or old turnaround tarmac on the screen.
About the Lift-off at 7:15: Maybe a joke went over my head but I think you got the directions wrong. From what I can tell you took off from the other side of the runway, facing North. You can tell by the little street that goes off from the side and on google maps you can also see the small building from 7:22 when you zoom in enough. :)
I have a fear of flying. I have tried everything, but still, every time I get on a plane, it's a nightmare. Watching your videos has really helped me, and your point of view about flying on these planes was the icing on top.
Great video once again Noel. Not many of these old 500's left and being from Continental that aircraft has quite the history behind it. Thanks for this !
I think that the long take off is a normal thing - the company is avoiding using take off thrust or similar setting in order to avoid extreme fuel consumption. I read somewhere that some much more famous companies do the same. Your flight was also more emply then full, so why not saving some fuel…
I flew with this airline Jakarta-Belitung and back. I had a window seat on the left above the wing. The row infront of me was missing the A seat, so it was bascially x-B-C aisle D-E-F. Worked out good as I could stretch my legs but it was an ancient 737. Not asure if it was the same plane you were on or the one that crashed but beedless to say when I landed back in Jakarta, I almost got down and kissed the tarmac. The flight itself was pretty comfortable from memory. The flights I took were back in 2012/2013.
This plane actually looks quite good in comparison with two B732 that I flew on two separate occasions a decade ago between SCU and HAV. They belonged to Air Global (or the other way around) and were on lease to Aerocaribbean (then a subsidiary of Cubana). They were literally falling apart, both externally and internally, and one of them made headlines a few years later when it crashed immediately after takeoff from Havana (then leased to Cubana), killing all but one person.
7:13 IIRC those big bar like markings are ~1000FT from the end, so you were off the ground that close t o the end of the runway... if I didn't get that wrong, at least.
I never thought I would feel anxious while watching a travel video but here we are. As soon as I saw that jet stairway and the entry galley, I would have said NOPE!
What is interesting, no matter where you fly in the world, is the similarities of the airports, and by that I mean the standardization of the runway markings, the adaption of US/European standards for how airports are laid out (from arrival through departures), and the stores and restaurants that are in them (KFC seems to be everywhere!).... Security, while similar, does appear to be very different around the world ... I noticed you went through 3 checkpoints on this run ... yet I somehow doubt that it was truly effective .... (love how you have been leaving the camera 'on' as it goes through the x-ray lately)..... I can see the subtle differences in the airports though -- and once you walk out those gates onto the street, the differences around the world are stark! Keep on flying sir! Many of us are traveling vicariously through your videos.....
Hi Noel, I have just returned from Thailand doing similar flights. I have often thought you were crazy and now you have confirmed this! Great video and I look forward to the next
Noel, I'm gonna say it again: I need to see a compilation video of every Loo Review you've ever done! Another wonderful video Noel! Happy flying and best to you and yours!
My guy has all the luck on his side… I’m the sort of person that’s so unlucky I could bring down a Qantas flight just by being there… Noel could travel in the passenger seat of a Nissan Micra attached by bits of sellotape to two carrier pigeons and live to tell the tale 😅
I’m a big fan of yours and I love all ur videos Noel. I would love to fly old birds. Did you ever find out why that 737-500 took sooo much runway for take-off?? Also do you have a lot of contact with Paul Lucas? You two are my favorite Av Geeks….
Taking out using most of the runway is not a problem. Must airlines use a derated take off thrust and utilise most of the runway in order to not use engines at maximum capacity. This is in order to try and reduce engine wear and tear. No point in hammering the engines and only using half a runway when you can be gentle on the engines and use all runway available. This is common practice in aviation. On the Airbus A320, we use a procedure of telling the aircraft the outside temperature is a lot higher than is really is. This tells the engine computers that the air outside is thin and don’t bother using as much power as it thinks it’s not suitable. This means engines are not being roasted and promotes engine life.
Very nice video Noel! It’s nice to hear that some of these -500 still flying. Last time I flew on one of these bad boys was back in 1997 with TAESA. You’re not kidding he was smashing to the gate!😂
Nice review! However it looks as if you took off on runway 34 & had at best about 1300 feet of the 'official' runway left as it took off. There is about another 1000 feet with big X X signs and an old threshold sign just visible if you zoom in. But as you say strange that they used idle power for quite a way. Maybe there was a warning about the runway surface?
Agree - My google map guesstimate was about a 1800m ground roll. So subtract the 300m of taxy speed takeoff and I dont think it was too bad for a well used B735 and no doubt a hot day.
I would think as a pilot yourself, you would be anxious on some of these aircraft. I flew Continental from George Bush all of the time when I lived in The Woodlands. It was always the small planes that had a 2 seat row & a 1 seat row. I really enjoyed flying on them. I really liked your commercial as you do those very well & it was funny. The hotel looked very nice & I wonder if you eat in your hotel or somewhere else....Looking forward to your next adventure!!!
I have to think about the poor crews who have to fly on these rustbuckets several times a day. For them, crashing is not so much a matter of "if" but more of a "when" .
Travelled Java, Bali, Lombok by bicycle. I love Indonesia.. the people, food, landscape, diversity... However, the only times I have truly felt close to death were on large and small ferries crossing Bali to Lombok and Lombok to Gili's. Safely was not the main aim. Got bad lungs from breathing in leaded petrol fumes on the road too. Best time of my life.
Get 20% OFF + Free Shipping with code PHILIPS at mnscpd.com/NoelPhilips #manscapedpartner
Noel, you should consider flying on Afghan airlines. Perhaps Kam Air would be a good one. It would make for an interesting video.
you sense of humour keeps bringing me back.
First things first: Do a thorough bed bugs check.
Still expensive
"They only have one 735, they did have 2 but they crashed the other one" best quote I've ever heard on this channel.
confidence much? It certainly make you reconsider your airline choice
Almost lost my coffee when he said that 🤣
They had 15 B735,9 transfered to Nam Air,1 Crashed,4 Stored,1 active.
@@Raditya_Aviation and we all know how good nam air is.
😭
My father travelled extensively for his business. One of his journeys, way back in early 70s, was on an Aeroflot flight from Jakarta to Moscow. He told me how a ceiling panel cracked and how a crew member stood on his seat and gaffatapped the crack quite nonchalantly. None of the mainly Russian passengers even paid any attention and the whole operation was completed with as much fuss as if serving someone a drink. A week later he was supposed to fly back… same route, same plane… however he had some misgivings about that plane and instead changed his flight via Paris. Just as well, that plane crashed somewhere enroute. Goes to show… listen to those gut feelings. 😂
Glad to see u survived the experience 😊
Ceiling panels don't matter as long as they don't fall on someone.
Danish I knew 7 years ago loved Aeroflot. Change of plans or expired ticket, no problems, small money to change ticket. He'd been to many African countries.
Gaffer tape was more than intuition alerting him it was clear sign of neglected maintainabce
Did anyone die
@@damienomen68 The Aeroflot of 2010s was a very different airline from the Aeroflot of the 70s. Stricter safety culture because otherwise you don't get to fly to Europe.
1st: “We have a youtuber on board”
Cpt: “okay, let’s do the long take off joke.”
Nah, it's company policy: "we pay for entire runway, we use entire runway."
@TacticalMoonstone right it's a fuel-saving thing 😅
Great video, thank you. Reminds me of the early eighties when I took a Uganda Airlines 707 from Nairobi to Entebbe. It seemed to be a home-converted, full passenger to combi plane. On this flight passengers were seated in the rear of the empty, curtained off freight area which was acting like an amplified drum. After a very shakey take-off we gained altitude and the guy in the seat ahead of me leant on his arm rest which promptly fell off into the aisle. Unpeturbed a female crew picked up the armrest and, with a few deft taps, refixed it to the seat! I was tempted to enquire if she could do that if a wing fell off but I thought better of it!
not sure about a wing, but a close older relative of mine recalled how
when he often was a passenger on the slow and low Ilyushin 18 routes across "the north", they would have the flight engineer occasionally go outside (onto the struts) to clean the icing of the Pitot tubes and such equipment (apparently, wing de-icing was already a thing post 48, but not for the navigational equipment)
Omg
😂
Nothing like aviation DIY
My God, he survived lion air, and Sriwijaya air. Noel must think he’s invincible now.
dont jinx it damnit
No bro... you must believe fate and God always protect you all... always pray to many place...
@@dana.q2447 udah berapa kali ya gw ketemu li
he's crazy for flying on these sketchy airlines LOL
Ressurect Adam Air lol
their work philosophy is nobody can leave a bad review if you just crash hard enough
Your take off was on runway 34 and not 16 because you can see the old terminal on your side of the cabin. With the turnaround fillet as your marker, you still got quite a lot of spare runway remaining, which is normal for the short hop to Belitung/TanjungPandan.
Anyways, Sriwijaya is a ghost of its former self. They were quite good in their first 5 years... ok up till 2015 ish, and they seem to have lost the plot since...
Yep. I feel like Sriwijaya declined after Garuda terminated their partnership. Tbh it was quite decent when they were under the Garuda management. By the time the COVID and Flight 182 incident happened, they declined even further. Sold and returned much of their fleets, worse services, etc.
@@petrolweeb they entered the partnership with Garuda because they had debts. Their decline had started long before the partnership, but the failed partnership just made the decline "more visible"...
safe to say covid and SJ 182 crash is pretty much their downfall and why they probably end up like merpati or batavia in the near future, as in going bankrupt and cease operations (as of writing this in 2023, they're not gone yet, but i'm sure they don't have much time left
Pak @GerryAirways from indoflyer?
@@mohakhk1859 that is correct.
So cool those old Continental 737s are still flying! I grew up flying on them!
Indeed, you never know when they won’t be flying anymore - but hopefully they won’t stop flying en route!
Amen to that, Yaron. 🙏
Exacdtly my thoughts when he said that :D.
He is really really lucky he is still alive. They have crashes almost daily and western news don’t even mention it. Capitalism over life’s
I love your patience, and your kindness. Your sarcasm is well earned and far more diplomatic than hurtful. I do not think I could do what you do or handle what you do as well! I know I couldn't take this flight as calmly as you do! God bless you and your many travels!
I’ll be flying Sriwijaya to Tanjung Pandan/Belitung next month! It’s the childhood island of my parents. Pangkalpinang is the capital of the larger sister island, Bangka. It’s amazing to see this route on your channel, Noel! It really is a bit of a backwater but I always enjoy going back. Being lesser known, it’s a hidden gem of an island with amazing seafood, hail-white beaches and sparklingly clear waters.
I'm from the USA but grew up in Riau. These islands are real close to where I grew up, but I never made it out there. BTW- I keep hoping for Noel to fly into Pekan Baru.
Indonesia is a travel adventure on par with australia. You can spend a month or more and still not see everything.
When i think of the crowds at Bali, a spring break for young drunk aussies...
Mate, now you’ve told the world about it, it’s not going to stay a backwater hidden gem for long. Your hometown sounds like an awesome place to getaway.
Sounds great but i wouldn't want to die transferring on that plane to get there. They should invest in a better plane and more people would probably go. Also teaching their fellow flight attendants about emergency landings while in flight is not the best thing i have heard for business. I don't think you have to worry about it being overrun so long as they don't improve the planes they fly. It was literally falling apart on the inside which may be even worse on the outside where it is open to more stress and the elements. I would say your gem is safe from invasion of we foreigners .
I want to go!
Unfortunately, my only experience of Indonesia is sailing around the islands on a cruiser, apart from Bali, whose airport we flew from on our way home. I'd love to do the kind of thing you do but, as I'm now in my 70s with coronary issues, I suspect I shall only ever do it vicariously through your channel. Love it
You sailed around on a cruiser? As in cruise ship or a cruiser warship?
I won’t stop saying it. But this channel is extremely underrated
Another airline I have flown with who I had never heard of until when it came to booking. Sriwijaya Air took me from Makassar to Ambon in the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. Enjoy your trip around Indonesia Noel, it's a vast and fascinating archipelago.
Thanks for sharing
Gotta love Noel for going on such obscure adventures!!!
The safety hazard started with the lounge, drinking that water before a flight might give you lots of time to do a loo rewiew
If the water didn't, the spicy rice definitely would!
Many times, the older planes are a lot more comfortable if they still have an older interior. The newer seat dssigns have much firmer seat cushions that can make long flights rather uncomfortable.
I'll take an old 757 over a brand new A-321 any day, for example.
Yeah big and comfy not thin and cost cutting
Something about all those rips and tears in the fabric - has more give... just watch out that you don't get poked in the butt by a worn spring.
I agree. Old interior has spacious ample in seating configuration.
Took me back to flying Cotinenental nonstop from CLE to LAX. Waaaay more comfortable in those planes than my LAX to CLE flights today on Spirit. WAY more comfortable.
Hehe you just stopped for 40mins at one of Indonesias finest Islands! Spent one week there and saw only one foreign tourist couple and lots of local tourists. K recommend people to go to Pulau Belitung, as the Island is named. Faaaantastic beaches, cool stormes about local author and do NOT skip a trip to the lighthouse Langkouas
Btw we flew from Jakarta by Garuda Indonesia and they are always fantastic!
Wonderful video as always! I think you're quite brave. After watching the first take off, I had to pause the video and get myself a shot of Crown, LOL! I was on a domestic flight in Wisconsin that had to abort the takeoff for some reason. I was literally in tears until the gentleman sitting next to me, who was an aerospace engineer, explained to me what likely happened. I felt much better after he talked to me about that and was fine when the plane did takeoff attempt #2 and got airborne just fine. Hearing stuff like that calms me down really well. Every video I watch of yours makes me feel more excited and less anxious about resuming flying again. Yeah, I wouldn't mind at all flying on some vintage aircraft, but not if it only had a one star safety rating.
OMG Noel. You're either mad or extremely brave. No wonder you were stuttering trying to pronounce the airline 😉😂
That suave young fella in the bathroom is quite a comedian isn't he 🤣
I enjoy all your reviews, and glad you arrived safely. Thanks for your honesty.
Hope you and your family are having fun living in the US.
In Spanish we say, "Tu si tienes huevos, Noel" lol
@@acatic80 🤣 🤣🤣I don't speak Spanish so had to Google 🤣
13:12 We like well-worn planes, don't we? A bit like me, old and knackered.
Then...
18:28 There's a very handsome, young, suave fellow.
I think after seeing the other video where there was a warning against pinching the life vests, I'd love to know if the next time you fly on a 1 star safety line, you could see if there is actually a life vest under your seat and the ones next to you if the seats are empty! Because I have a feeling that this plane has around the same percentage of rescue resources per passenger Titanic did. 50/50
The issue with those old airplanes is not chronological age, but number of flight cycles because of pressurization/depressurization and metal fatigue. That was the main factor in that Aloha Airlines incident when about 30 feet of the aircraft skin peeled off like opening a can of soup. Landed safely in Maui but a flight attendant was lost. If that 737-500 was an old Continental Micronesia plane, I wouldn’t want to get on it.
The Aloha 737 was an early 737-200 which had a poor chemical lap joint bonding supplementing the riveting. In this case both were defective and the rivets also installed poorly in numerous patches, with the cracks finally joining up near the top of the fuselage. By tremendous luck, one critical fuselage piece was found lodged into the other engine cowling for investigation. The plane was also the leader of the global 737 fleet in flight cycles.
@Itapirkanmaa2 the comment that Noel mae in his first flight about the seats loose 😅. Some of the passengers lives on that Aloha flight were saved due to the seats being bolted down
Was the flight attendant ever found?
@@ChocManus I've read they speculated the rails that keep the seats in place were the final part keeping the airframe together.
@@jaiboregio No.
You are a very brave man, no Indonesian person I know would fly on this airline.
I will be flying this with my family next month! Pulang kampung XD
@@shonen84 you are a brave man.
I appreciate you taking one for the team. My international travel days are over, but I get the misery vicariously through videos like this. Given the track record of these Indonesian airlines, I'd be steering clear, though.
In Indonesia fly Garuda, its LCC Citilink or Air Asia Indonesia. Lion Air at a pinch.
Takes a lot of courage to fly these airlines Noel 🤣. We certainly appreciate your efforts
Many thanks!
Flying on Aerosucre would be the ultimate test of courage.
@@TheUtuber99989% chance of injury
Courage? I fly them all the time, they are not that all that bad... they don't crash as much anymore. I have flown Aeroscure Cargo too (trying to buy one of their airplanes), I'd much rather fly Sriwijaya! Above all, Indonesian people are so nice, it should be mentioned here.
@@jp1892why would you mentioned the people while you're insulting their airlines? 😂
My former airline we flew retired -300/400s and some first gen -800s doing charter flying. Definitely vintage, some of our planes had steam gauges too, which gave it a classic look. Most still had their old cabins from US air and southwest.
Often the only saving grace is if the pilot kills you, he probably also kills himself.
The selfie in front of the plane was a classic 🤣🤣. Some people might think you have a glamorous life, but you're much braver than me. No way could I fly on some of the airlines you do!!
The adventures you take! Please stay safe. Even back in the 1990s when my sister worked at international in Melbourne, we were told to avoid Garuda even then - not much has changed.😊
Garuda actually an excellent airline now lol, there’s a few indonesian airlines that aren’t too bad… these airlines hes reviewing though 😂😂
I once flew on a 80-ish year old aircraft that had no paint left, had enough hours on it that the pilots hands had worn grooves into the steel yoke and it was maintained by a 60 year old dude who only knew "now good" and "no fly" in english. Oh and the last issue in the tech log was dated in the late 1970's.
Were you flying on a DC 3 or something. Seriously tell me more I'm intrigued.
reminds me flying on the first 737 built, from Ontario CA. to LAX. It was surprising the seat back info card provided this fact.....
Love watching your videos, I'm petrified of flying (no idea why, I used to fly a fair bit years ago) so this is the next best thing for me. Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Are you scared that you will die in a plane crash
19:46 "You never know when they're not going to be flying any more."
Yeah, could be a few years from now, or right after takeoff due to a faulty auto throttle.
You’re a brave man Noel…i dont know what was more dangerous, your flight or your walk from the plane to the terminal.
That lounge reminds me of Airberlin's "Exclusive Waiting Areas" or express lounges they had at various German airports, with it just being a fenced off area.
Didn't they at least have a coffee machine there? 🤣
They did.
You didn’t die, that’s the most important thing!
So great to see a time capsule like that! I love the 737-500 and the shortest versions of most airliners in general.
The reason for the mechanical problems that caused the last crash was that the plane wasn’t properly maintained added by a pilots‘ mistake - that’s really alarming. Joel is quite courageous 👍🏻
Noel you brave ! You da man!
You don’t have to risk yourself for us. We still love you !!
Our thanks to Boeing, who built a proper aircraft, and to Continental, who performed the last comprehensive maintenance on it. In flight training for the cabin crew, on the use of emergency exits, was amusing. Fly the friendly skies of Risk Airways. Great meal service, too. A cup of water and a cookie. Bless you, Noel, for doing it all with understated British humor. At least the loo was clean.
You are defintely one of a kind Noel, I enjoy all this adventures on these nostalgic planes
We pay for whole runway, we use whole runway.
Exactly!
5:05 the one last picture your family can remember you by
I love Noel, especially when he is on dangerous and crappy airlines. I am fed up of all the first and business class reviews. Noel, you're a hero !
You are a braver man than i . Seeing those wrecks and them having a one star rating they couldn't pay me to fly on their airline. When you heard the flight attendants teaching others on the plane on emergency landings instead oof them learning it while they were training in the flight attendant school would have been the straw that broke the camels back for me . The plane is literally falling apart as well. I think you said the journey was a one hour flight, it would be one hour too long for me .
Noel! Please stop sending us though the scanner we’re getting radiated😂
I love your videos, you‘re so brave!!😄👏 love from switzerland🇨🇭
There are 5 737-500 operating in Canada, 1 by a charter company and 4 by Air North. I've flown aboard 2 of them between Vancouver and Whitehorse.
The planes are old (some sport their original equipment, the lav signs are in various languages) but very comfy. Very kind crew and staff and great service though.
Your videos just get better and better. Hugs from Texas.
Thank you!
Damn, Sriwijaya Air was once of the largest airlines in Indonesia. Sad to see they have fallen so far out of grace.
Thank you, Noil. Great way to start my day.
Just want to correct you about take off. You were take off from runway 34, facing north. As you can see at 7:06 there was a building with red roof (old terminal) which is on the left side of the plane. Also the plane was lifted near upper taxiway or old turnaround tarmac on the screen.
Yeah I noticed that he should have seen the terminal if he took off to the south.
good to know I was not the only one investigating that part😂
About the Lift-off at 7:15:
Maybe a joke went over my head but I think you got the directions wrong. From what I can tell you took off from the other side of the runway, facing North. You can tell by the little street that goes off from the side and on google maps you can also see the small building from 7:22 when you zoom in enough. :)
Well done Noel, you have more courage than a lot of us. 👏👏👏 I hope you weren’t too hungry.
I have a fear of flying. I have tried everything, but still, every time I get on a plane, it's a nightmare. Watching your videos has really helped me, and your point of view about flying on these planes was the icing on top.
Great video once again Noel. Not many of these old 500's left and being from Continental that aircraft has quite the history behind it. Thanks for this !
Glad you enjoyed it.
You’re a brave brave man
I think that the long take off is a normal thing - the company is avoiding using take off thrust or similar setting in order to avoid extreme fuel consumption. I read somewhere that some much more famous companies do the same. Your flight was also more emply then full, so why not saving some fuel…
Selfies on airlines like this are a must. If you camera, phone whatever survive your loved ones can see your last selfie
I'd imagine, even with those low safety ratings, you're still statistically likely to walk off at the other end.
Far far far more dangerous on the roads there
True. But the chances of his death are about one permille. It’s really really dangerous there
@@howmathematicianscreatemat9226 Really 0.1%? Yikes.
Always safer then driving.
I flew with this airline Jakarta-Belitung and back. I had a window seat on the left above the wing. The row infront of me was missing the A seat, so it was bascially x-B-C aisle D-E-F. Worked out good as I could stretch my legs but it was an ancient 737. Not asure if it was the same plane you were on or the one that crashed but beedless to say when I landed back in Jakarta, I almost got down and kissed the tarmac. The flight itself was pretty comfortable from memory. The flights I took were back in 2012/2013.
My rules whenever flying domestics in Indonesia is clear. Only fly Garuda. Maybe Batik or Citilink if I'm in a pinch.😄
You are a brave brave man 🙏
Your bravery and calmness is beyond me, I would have 3 jack daniels and 4 Valium just to get on that plane
Thank you for sharing your trip here.
Thanks for watching!
This plane actually looks quite good in comparison with two B732 that I flew on two separate occasions a decade ago between SCU and HAV. They belonged to Air Global (or the other way around) and were on lease to Aerocaribbean (then a subsidiary of Cubana). They were literally falling apart, both externally and internally, and one of them made headlines a few years later when it crashed immediately after takeoff from Havana (then leased to Cubana), killing all but one person.
7:13 IIRC those big bar like markings are ~1000FT from the end, so you were off the ground that close t o the end of the runway... if I didn't get that wrong, at least.
I never thought I would feel anxious while watching a travel video but here we are. As soon as I saw that jet stairway and the entry galley, I would have said NOPE!
Another great video Noel glad you are doing well
Thanks Josh!
What is interesting, no matter where you fly in the world, is the similarities of the airports, and by that I mean the standardization of the runway markings, the adaption of US/European standards for how airports are laid out (from arrival through departures), and the stores and restaurants that are in them (KFC seems to be everywhere!).... Security, while similar, does appear to be very different around the world ... I noticed you went through 3 checkpoints on this run ... yet I somehow doubt that it was truly effective .... (love how you have been leaving the camera 'on' as it goes through the x-ray lately)..... I can see the subtle differences in the airports though -- and once you walk out those gates onto the street, the differences around the world are stark! Keep on flying sir! Many of us are traveling vicariously through your videos.....
Hi Noel,
I have just returned from Thailand doing similar flights.
I have often thought you were crazy and now you have confirmed this!
Great video and I look forward to the next
One wonders what the root reason for the lack of concern for safety with some airlines is like.
Good on you for taking one for the team.
Thanks for visit Pangkal Pinang and Tanjung Pandan ....
4:03 that announcement sounded like really loud fly buzzing at first... 😂
Another brilliant video! Recently watched a couple of TH-cam documentaries about the 2021 737-500 crash, a real tragedy through industrial negligence
One star safety rating. This guy has balls. I've subscribed and the videos are great, particularly for remote routes.
Thank you, glad you enjoy them!
Blimey! I thought I had flown on some tired old airliners in my time, but Noel has found some real "Jurassics" nice video!
Noel, I'm gonna say it again: I need to see a compilation video of every Loo Review you've ever done!
Another wonderful video Noel! Happy flying and best to you and yours!
Just two words.......extremely brave!
My guy has all the luck on his side… I’m the sort of person that’s so unlucky I could bring down a Qantas flight just by being there…
Noel could travel in the passenger seat of a Nissan Micra attached by bits of sellotape to two carrier pigeons and live to tell the tale 😅
Entertaining you made my evening and and I love your sense of humour and irony🤗🤗
I’m a big fan of yours and I love all ur videos Noel. I would love to fly old birds. Did you ever find out why that 737-500 took sooo much runway for take-off?? Also do you have a lot of contact with Paul Lucas? You two are my favorite Av Geeks….
Top video Noel. Love the tongue in cheek comments. 👏👍👍👍👍👍
I love your content Noel so relaxing and easy to watch, I feel like you’re a close friend of mine even though we’ve never met😁
Wow, thank you!
Taking out using most of the runway is not a problem. Must airlines use a derated take off thrust and utilise most of the runway in order to not use engines at maximum capacity. This is in order to try and reduce engine wear and tear. No point in hammering the engines and only using half a runway when you can be gentle on the engines and use all runway available. This is common practice in aviation. On the Airbus A320, we use a procedure of telling the aircraft the outside temperature is a lot higher than is really is. This tells the engine computers that the air outside is thin and don’t bother using as much power as it thinks it’s not suitable. This means engines are not being roasted and promotes engine life.
You had guts to fly on this airplane
New to the channel, I’m a musician and travel a lot and watching you has literally helped my fear of flying. Thank you, keep being a badass!
Thank you, glad it helped. Welcome aboard!
Very nice video Noel! It’s nice to hear that some of these -500 still flying. Last time I flew on one of these bad boys was back in 1997 with TAESA. You’re not kidding he was smashing to the gate!😂
Hi Noel, thanks for always bringing us diverse contents..including your sponsors!
My pleasure!
Odds are crazy I know.. but Noel risking his life for all of us deserves an award
Oh my god my hometown! Took this airline a couple times when i was little and that short runway brings me back!
When you said that you didn’t know how long the flight was going to take, I immediately thought “an hour if we get there, less if we don’t”. 😂😅😅
Sounds like the Indonesian equivalent of the "Grace L. Ferguson Airline & Storm Door Company". Safe travels!
Haha! Thank you!
Nice review! However it looks as if you took off on runway 34 & had at best about 1300 feet of the 'official' runway left as it took off. There is about another 1000 feet with big X X signs and an old threshold sign just visible if you zoom in. But as you say strange that they used idle power for quite a way. Maybe there was a warning about the runway surface?
Agree - My google map guesstimate was about a 1800m ground roll. So subtract the 300m of taxy speed takeoff and I dont think it was too bad for a well used B735 and no doubt a hot day.
Love your videos Noel been watching for a number of years now keep up the great work
Awesome! Thank you!
I would think as a pilot yourself, you would be anxious on some of these aircraft. I flew Continental from George Bush all of the time when I lived in The Woodlands. It was always the small planes that had a 2 seat row & a 1 seat row. I really enjoyed flying on them. I really liked your commercial as you do those very well & it was funny. The hotel looked very nice & I wonder if you eat in your hotel or somewhere else....Looking forward to your next adventure!!!
I didn’t know he was a pilot! Cool!
maybe you should highlight
How much cost $/miles
Due to market can’t afford expansive plane
They need use old plane
This is well beyond courageous. This must be ranked under the “balls of steel” category. There’s no way I’m flying on this thing.
I have to think about the poor crews who have to fly on these rustbuckets several times a day. For them, crashing is not so much a matter of "if" but more of a "when" .
Just recently came across your YT channel - love your videos. You are either fearless, or insane! 😜Either way, you make me smile. TY🥰
Awesome! Thank you!
Travelled Java, Bali, Lombok by bicycle. I love Indonesia.. the people, food, landscape, diversity... However, the only times I have truly felt close to death were on large and small ferries crossing Bali to Lombok and Lombok to Gili's. Safely was not the main aim. Got bad lungs from breathing in leaded petrol fumes on the road too. Best time of my life.