Manado Indonesia/WAMM Info

[Continuous Ignition]

Howdy,

Can anyone provide me with a link that would allow me to download or view approach plates and/or airport diagrams of Manado's Sam Ratulangi Airport "WAMM"?

I used to fly in there a long time ago as a ride along techie and am trying to recall some of the details of the approach.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated...

[Techman]

Can't give you any specific help, except that I have also been there as a flying spanner. And as far as I remember it was a very tricky place. High ground on both side of the approach, aswell as on the missed approach.

It's been more than 10 years since i've been there, but seems to remember that there was no radar.

Knowing the Indo controllers and the terrrain, all I can say is be careful out there.

[Continuous Ignition]

Thanks for the reply, Techman.

Yes it was quite a thrill going into that airport. My last time (March of 1995 I believe) we were holding over south of the field doing 10 mile legs, but I cant remember the altitude. I wanna say it was 12,000ft and 10NM from the runway. I might have the numbers reversed.

Just as we were about to make another circuit in the hold, we were cleared for the approach. That was something I had ever seen done in a 727 prior to or since.. And I spent most of my ride along years on the old three holer..

That was back in March of 1995 I believe..

[Techman]

Even if you have the numbers reversed, it still says something about the place.

The drivers i my company where actually paid ekstra, when ever they whent to Manado.

I went there in a widebody, and the only advantage with that, is that there are more hosties onboard.;) Plus the lavs have more recreational space.

[Wings]

I used to opersate Fokker 100s into Sam Ratulangi in 1993. We used to do the visual approach which was to fly along the coast until the NDB. If you could see the runway from the NDB you continued and landed. If you couldn't, you did a min radius turn and got out Pretty D*** Quick.
The airport was built during the Second World War by the Japanese. It was built there because it was easy to defend and hard to attack.
Manado has some of the best diving in the world off of Bunakan Island. Pleasant memories of putting out to the island on a motorised dugout canoe, going over the side and not seeing one coca cola can on the bottom anywhere, and more sea life than anywhere except possibly the Red Sea.
If I still have them I will e mail you the Indonesian C.A.A. approach plates for Sam Ratulangi, current in 93.
Cheers
Wings:)

[Continuous Ignition]

Wings,

That would be great!! I would really appreciate it!

I never got a chance to do any diving. We would fly in late in the afternoon and leave early the next morning.

Most times we would stay at The Manado Beach Hotel. It was great hanging out at the pool bar guzzling Bir Bintang.. Man that was good stuff..

Thanks again for the reply...

[Wings]

Got the ILS Rwy 36 plate right here.
Start the approach at 6000'
Descent began at about 16nm from Rwy threshold
Over the 'TDO' VOR (Final Approach Point) at 4700' (12.6 nm)
Over the Outer Marker "SR" NDB (330KHz) at 1765'
Decision Altitude 860' (596' AGL)
3.25% glideslope
Airfield Elevation 264'
MSA within 25 nm 10 000' in all sectors.

[Continuous Ignition]

Wings,

Thanks again for the reply.

That does sound about right. I had the numbers reversed in my earlier post it seems.

We were holding over the VOR so it had to have been 12 NM and 10,000 feet. We were just getting ready to enter the circuit again when we were cleared for the approach to 36.

And they weren't kidding about the MSA being 10,000 ft. That volcano on the right side as you are on the approach to 36 can be pretty well hidden by the clouds and it was every bit of 8000 ft if I remeber correctly.

I vividly remeber the GPWS screaming at us all the way down.. We landed over half way down the runway. I didn't think we were gonna get it stopped in time.

When we landed, we seen that the guys on the ground had scrambled the crash truck as they thought we were toast.

I had always heard that if you could see the runway over the nose on the 727, you could land on it. But I really would have taken their word on that one. I didn't need proof, honest!

Not one I will forget anytime soon. Those were fun times. But now I'm older and I hope a bit wiser, I wouldn't wanna do it again..