Flying a DC-3 from Ipoh to Taiping:

[Prince of Dzun]

Back in the 1950s Malayan Airways operated a daily DC-3 all stops service between Singapore and Penang. The sector from Ipoh to Taiping was considered as " good fun " and worthy of reminiscence. This is how it was done.
Departure from Ipoh was always to the south using Rw 22. At 600' right turn towards the range of high hills and point the DC-3 at the Taiping Gap. 1200' level off and reduce manifold pressure and rpm, mixtures to auto lean. On entering the Gap tuck the left wing up against the rocks and manoeuvre gently to fly a centre line through the " Vee " (high terrain on each side ) and at the same time try not to alarm the passengers. Mentally prepare for Taiping airfield which is around the corner from the western edge of the Gap. In anticipation set the approach manifold pressure, move the pitch levers to full fine and the mixture controls to auto rich. As the airfield appears call for " quarter flap " and " gear down. " When the gear is locked immediately call for the rest of the flap. Pin the airspeed at 78 kts and the descent rate at 500fpm. (This was important as the landing surface was grass and could be wet, also it was not very long. ) Cross the fence and close the throttles then three point YES THREE POINT the DC-3 gently on the soft grass. Flight time around 9 minutes. Now comes the pleasure of taxying up to a small attap type building with walkways that were covered in beautiful tropical flowers set against a background of high hills. Indeed it was a lovely airfield and all that then remained of the sector was to stand around the DC-3 and take in the flowers and surroundings. Ipoh to Taiping is embedded in my memory as something special and to think I was actually paid to do it.
It is possibly all different now, I suspect the grass is changed to concrete, the attap hut is a sterile building and the flowers are gone. Perhaps someone can tell me how the Ipoh to Taiping sector is flown today.

Prince of Dzun

P.S. Malayan Airways DC-3 policy was for the pilot flying to occupy the left seat. Written check lists were not used, it was all done from memory which allowed rapid calls and response. Nothing was ever missed and the cockpit atomosphere was always (almost always) pleasant and co-operative. A really great outfit and a fitting mother and father to both SIA and MAS.

[The Rage]

:ok: I would have given a lot to be able to fly a DC-3 back then, it sure would have been a lot of fun. Thats real flying not what we have these days. anyway i dont think much has changed in ipoh except for a new terminal and ILS/VOR, runway is still short especially now with jets flying in. Taiping is still a grass strip in the middle of an army base, they use to get the DHC-4 Caribou's from the air force going in, but they have since been retired, so i really wont know what goes on there in terms of aviation. But it is no longer used for civilian use, it has been that way for quite some time. Cheerish the memories coz there wont be anymore like them......, nice post.

[Goldwing2000]

POD your post brings back some great memories.They were still flying the DC-3 back in the 60's and as a youngster we used to go to Penang every holiday and stay at the Lone pine hotel and the only way to get there and avoid the awful road from Ipoh was by flight.I will never forget being on the DC-3 which later gave way to the F-27.We must been on one of the last flights the DC-3 ever operated out of Ipoh and the sight of the DC-3 started my passion for flying which hasn't abated till this day.
Ipoh airport is more or less the same rustic place as it was then with Rwy 04-22 still in place though a little longer with some landings on the 737 a little hairy at times!

[Prince of Dzun]

The Rage and Goldwing 2000:

Thanks for the follow ups. Antoine De Saint Exupery the pioneer French aviator and world acclaimed writer had some views on aviation memories. He thought " memories are invisible wealth ". St Ex also thought that "flying constitutes the dignity of a craft in that it creates a fellowship, binds men together and fashions for them a common language ". This was certainly true for the 1930s and it was also true for the 1950s and the years of Malayan Airways but is it still true for today? I would like to think so but sometimes I wonder !!

Prince of Dzun

[Sultan Ismail]

Prince of Dzun

Ipoh to Taiping

I really enjoyed your post as it brought to life images I have seen around KL. The airport is still in Taiping however I cannot tell you the condition.

It is intended to be a stop on one of my next navex, and having read your post I intend flying it as you described, however in a PA-28, not a DC-3.

I would like to show you the present state of Simpang Airport, it would have been familiar to you, however I cannot master the image posting bit, so you will have to go to this site. (http://www.geocities.com/si_fc/heli3.html)

The photo bottom right was taken on short finals from a C-172, note the displaced threshold, and why!

Lets have some more of your stories, and mebbe we can revisit them.


Sultan Ismail

Edit: Been fiddling with these images, still can't get it right, mutter mutter

[Usman]

Anyone knows of the airstrip in Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor.
Its about 150 yards long alongside a British/Gurkha camp.

Use to watch an Auster landing there in 1953 as a kid.

[The Rage]

great pics sultan, i see this picture of simpang is preety recent. Anyway i understand that old red hangar by the flying club dates back to WWII. The Air Force has done a good job in getting hold of some ex types it used, but they are in a petatic state, left to rust out in the wx, it would be great if they could restore them to flying condition, i dont think it should be that difficult.

[Sultan Ismail]

Usman

Kuala Kubu Airstrip

Can you give me some co-ordinates on the strip, particularly in relation to the railway line or station. At 150m it won't exactly stand out, however I do fly along the line occasionally, and I would certainly like to look for that strip.

The Sungei Selangor is flooding at the moment as part of the new Kuala Kubu Dam project so the strip may vanish in the near future. Depending on its location.

The Rage

The Air Force Museum is interesting, although what motivates them to keep it going I do not know. All of the aircraft are not far from being brought back to flying condition, from the Bulldog to the A-4 Skyhawk, and doesn't that Grumman look like a fish out of water :D

I,ll takes some pics this weekend and post on the above site.

BTW are you in KL?


Sultan Ismail

[Prince of Dzun]

Sultan Ismail:
Thanks for the kind words and especially thanks for the picture of old Simpang Airport. I remember that approach very very well and by the look of the airport buildings and hard standings things have hardly changed much in 45 years. I can't quite make out the embankment at the southern end of the runway but I guess it is still there. That embankment was marked with large red and white crosses and was something to think about. It always seemed to be looking at you when lining up for take off. Of course the best thing to do was to ignore it.

Your nom de plume of "Sultan" reminded me of the present Sultan of Brunei's father. I spent a six month period posted from Malayan Airways to their feeder service in Labuan (Borneo Airways) flying the DH-89A Rapide and a frequent passenger was the elder Sultan. I recall he did not appear to travel with body guards and dressed as just another passenger.
However, there was one small difference because he always requested two side by side seats and he would put his revolver on the seat next to him. I wonder if the present Sultan knows his father was content to look after himself.

Prince of Dzun

P.S. When you take that PA-28 through the Taiping Gap think of me. Don't forget to put the wing up against the hills but watch out for power lines as they are everywhere these days. Things change so be careful.

[Usman]

Sultan Ismail:

Unfortunately KKB airstrip is gone years ago, overgrown by some buildings.

It was located as you enter KKB town on left of the road, near the entrance to the Police Staff College.

Anyone knows about the strip at Cameron Highland.

[Sultan Ismail]

Cameron Highlands

Usman

The strip you refer to can be seen here. (http://www.wingsoverasia.com/gallery/album17)

Haven't tried it myself but I am told it is not too difficult, mebbe!! Requires PPR from Boh Tea who own the plantation.

There is another site with more pics, but I have lost the URL, I'll post here if it comes to light.

Thanks for update on KKB.

Sultan Ismail

[The Rage]

It seems you have a good number of pic's, i can see that u have been around. Anyway do u have your own plane or does it belong to a club? maybe i could get a ride with u someday? Its been along while since ive flown a light plane. By the way , there used to be a Cessna 310 in subang. Does anyone know who owns it or if they rent it out, or if it was the one that went down north of subang not to long ago. How in the devil do u put a plane down in camerons, it looks tricky with that slope?

[Usman]

Sultan thanks for the great sites.

There are many other air strips not listed like Sitiawan,Bidor and Grik and one near PJ somewhere near Old Klang Road belonging to Boustead if anyone knows where that is.

Anyone knows about the strip at Fort Tapong in Perak I think or Pahang.

Its a one way in, definately no room for Go Around as a 90 degree hill slope at about 1000 feet faces the end of the landing run of about 500 feet.

Be careful about the one in Segamat or Mersing, when it rains it get soggy and you might not be able to complete your take-off run or worse ends in nose dig-in.

[Sultan Ismail]

Usman

I can report that Sitiawan, Bidor and G(e)rik are still active, however Sitiawan is out of bounds at the moment with long grass.

Bidor has been active recently with para jumps and shooting for some Malaysian feature film.

Take your point about Mersing and Segamat, another one of my Navex's planned for later this year, out of the rainy season.

I am currently doing a heleicopter familiarisation course, and the concentration required for that has kept me away from the fixed wing, however that will soon be over and the navex can start again.

The PJ airstrip sounds interesting, will ask around and maybe go look for it during a heli lesson.


The Rage

Should have come back to you earlier, please let me know your contact details via PM, you are very welcome to come along on my trips, when they resume.

I would like the company, somebody has to take the pictures!

I normally fly over a weekend using aircraft owned or leased by the Selangor Flying Club.


Sultan Ismail

[satumare]

I have been reading PPRUNE threads for many a years without registering.
Somehow in the FAR EAST threads,a lot of character bashing and murder attempts but this topic is somehow refreshing.Probably in any dark side,there is still hope fot the sun to shine.
Keep the GA stories rolling in.

[Usman]

Well in aviation there are a varied form of operations than just putting on the autopilot at 400 feet and pinching the stew bottom, which some people avocate.

In all the different types of landings I had experienced (except for carrier deck) the strips types is the most challanging as there is sometimes no room for error, you simply had to put it on the dime, with 600 feet landing run and no option for a go-around.

Its no sweat to do an autoland at minimum visibility, but landing at Cameron or the old Tioman strip always put me in perspirations.

[Sultan Ismail]

Flying an Eagle 150B from Ipoh to Taiping

Or how I spent 1,300 Malaysian Ringgits on a Nasi Goreng

And so it was after reading the Prince of Dzun marvellous story, that we set off last Sunday to retrace his footsteps, or is that flight steps.

The aircraft is a brand new Eagle 150B manufactured at CTRM in Malacca, a 2 seater with canard wings and a 125hp TCM motor. Cruising at 115 kts this baby is no DC-3.

Start up was 10am local at Simpang Airport, Kuala Lumpur and then airborne at 10.10 with a right hand turnout to 1500 feet, our cruising altitude for the rest of the flight. As we turned right the amazing shape of the Malaysia Telekom Tower came into view, rising to about 1200 feet and representing an emerging bamboo shoot. Amazingly there is a helipad sticking out from the side of the building at about 800 feet.

And then we were at 1500 feet in the cruise and coming upto the Petronas Twin Towers, that we are allowed so close to these towers never fails to amaze me, but this is Malaysia.

45 minutes later and we were taxying off 04 and upto the Ipoh terminal building. Sat on the apron and updated the log, detailed our intentions to the Tower and back to the holding point for 22. At this point that row of hills to our right looked pretty daunting, but clearance was given to Taiping, cleared to 3000 feet and below, that seemed about right because I didn’t start my turn until 800 feet, and certainly needed 1500 to safely clear the hills. Almost immediately the town of Kuala Kangsar came into view, strategically located at the entrance to the Taiping Gap sitting on the West Bank of the Sungei Kangsar.

The hills on the left of the gap peak out at 5300 feet, on the right about 4500 feet, and the cloudbase was about 1800 feet, so softly softly into the Gap we flew watching out for power lines and other aerial obstacles. The cement factory went past on the right side of the gap, and a couple of 132 KV lines swept down the left handside, and then came that right turn to Taiping.

The field has changed since the Prince of Dzun flew here in DC-3’s, there is concrete on the field. Taiping has by far the largest run up pads I have seen at any rural airfield in Malaysia, Australia or South Africa, they are the size of a football pitch.

First of all a precautionary circuit at 300 feet to check for animals, pot holes and preoccupied lovers. Check that, a herd of cows on the right of the landing threshold, and a motorcyclist clearing my proposed touchdown point. Check the DI, runway heading 35, and round we came for a landing, managing to get onto the pad and hard on the brakes before we bounced onto the grass. I’m not really a grass person.

The taxy to the airport terminal took quite a while, Taiping is a very big airfield, and it is well maintained, did I say well? At the point on the runway where one turns towards the terminal, there is a clump of tall grass, this conceals the airport well! God help you if you put a wheel in there.

I have given a link here (http://www.geocities.com/si_fc/Taiping.html) to some photographs of the terminal, I hope the Prince of Dzun will recognise them.


The visit of the Eagle was the main event on Sunday, by the time we had abluted and taken the photos a large crowd had gathered around the terminal. Needless to say we laid on a full preflight inspection, professionally climbed over the side of the aircraft, fixed our harnesses and headsets, called “clear prop” and were on our way.


Now comes the 1300 ringgit nasi goreng. Lunch was 20 minutes away at Pangkor Island, we did a straight in approach to 20 after a traffic advisory from Ipoh Tower, and a call to local traffic, and parked up by the terminal building.

5 minutes later we were on the beach under a palm tree and nasi goreng and a teh tarik had been ordered.

The rest of the trip was the usual coastal route between the islands, overhead Kuala Selangor, turning at Kapar inbound to Subang the old International airport (before KLIA). As we went through the Subang overhead Tower called and asked our aircraft type, he probably looked up and thought we were going backwards.

5 minutes later and we were finals for 22 Simpang, a marvellous day, a marvellous flight, inspired by a marvellous story.

General aviation is alive in Malaysia.

Sultan Ismail

[Prince of Dzun]

Sultan Ismail:
NIce story, pleased you flew the Taiping Gap just as it was flown in the days of the DC-3. As I read the description of your flight I wondered where the years had gone since I looked at that gap in the hills. I contacted an old colleague recently who also flew for Malayan Airways and he confirmed for me that the lowest level we flew through the gap was about 1100'. I remember this put rocks on three sides of the DC-3. Left side, right side and belly -!! Your photographs show the same control tower as I remember but as the buildings are a little indistinct I can't be sure if they are the same but the general outline looks as if they are. Sorry to hear about the concrete because that was not there in my days. You should have landed over it because I'm sure you could have put that eagle onto the grass so softly that it wouldn't have known it had landed. Take care. Regards,

Prince of Dzun