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Early morning in Karachi airport<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Preparing for departure<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Waiting for clearances<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Taxiing for departure<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nClearances received, we started up and called for taxi – Juliet, Echo and then Foxtrot to runway 25L. A moment’s pause at the end of the runway for engine run-ups, and then we were off, accelerating west before taking off and performing a long left turn around to the east on the PUNAM 3A departure, and on towards our flight-planned route. Our climb to FL090 was slow – we were heavy, and the warmer temperatures in this part of the world demanded a slightly shallower, faster climb to aid in engine cooling. It was still much better than when I’d come through in the summer, of course. In the cruise we had to keep the cowl flaps a few notches open now, versus being able to close them completely through Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n
Departure from Karachi<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Early morning over Karachi<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Casual day for my copilot<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Sunrise over Pakistan<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Sunrise over Pakistan<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Hazy skies on the way to Bangladesh<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nForty-five minutes into the flight we passed Hyderabad, and could hear Iraqi airways flight 474 on frequency as they made their way from Guangzhou to Baghdad. Just under an hour later we were entering Indian airspace. We were unable to make contact with Ahmedabad control so, with the Air Defence Clearance loud in the back of my mind, I passed a message via relay by Qatar 8034 to let ATC know our position. Further on, we still couldn’t raise them, so passed our next position report via relay on 121.5 and were handed over to Udaipur approach. <\/p>\n\n\n
Eastern Pakistan<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Mist on the mountains<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Clearer skies in western India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Low cloud over India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Low cloud over India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Central India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Udaipur controller was quite chatty, with many questions – he clearly did not have radar. “What is your distance from Udaipur? What is your radial inbound? What is your ETA? What flight level are you at? What will your routing be?” We answered all to his satisfaction and continued on through his airspace. <\/p>\n\n\n
Although we had not partaken of the “Decent” brand ice-cream on offer the previous day at the Pakistan Air Force Museum, we did help ourselves to some “OK” brand nuts in the cockpit today. As we munched, Udaipur handed us back over to Ahmedabad who we could actually talk to this time, before we were switched once again – this time to Nagpur. They clearly didn’t want to talk to us as they responded to our initial call by telling us to contact Bhopal instead. <\/p>\n\n\n
Cockpit views over India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Central India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Making good progress<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Industry in India<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>A hazy Calcutta<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Calcutta airport<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nFour hours in now, we had burned 55 gallons of fuel, or exactly one barrel. Planey is thirsty in his first hour of flight, with fuel flows at takeoff and in climb exceeding 25 gallons per hour at times. We still had plenty on board, however; my main concern this trip had been having too much fuel, and associated weight, rather than any worries about too little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bhopal were just as keen as Udaipur on regular detailed position reports. They clearly didn’t have radar either, a hypothesis backed up by the fact that we could hear a HiFly airline on frequency being assigned to fly a full DME arc approach instead of simply being radar vectored. We continued on our way, next being handed over to Jabalpur as we watched an Egyptair jet overhaul us on the same track, 30,000 feet above. Jabalpur were working a departing A320, heading our way, and kept them down at 7,000 feet until we had both reported that we’d passed each other.<\/p>\n\n\n
Approaching Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Approaching Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Vessels moored off Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Approaching Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Hordes of boats off Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coasting in at Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Chittagong city<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Chittagong docks<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nJabalpur passed us over to Calcutta, who we’d be talking to all the way until the border with Bangladesh. Ben busied himself making coffee – he had inadvertently discovered that the extremely fierce heat available from Planey’s heating vents could heat a water bottle to very high temperatures, and was now attempting to harness this effect, with surprisingly favourable results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little under seven hours into the flight we started the second transfer from ferry tank to left wing tank. As it pumped I used the Garmin InReach to get the latest weather at Chittagong. The airport was reporting 5 kilometers visibility with few clouds at 1,800 feet – far better than the 400m visibility that had been forecast, and which had had me prepare to divert to Dhaka if the need arose. Despite this improved forecast, it was still very hazy as we crossed Calcutta, with the ground barely in view.<\/p>\n\n\n
Turning on to final at Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Final approach to Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Final approach to Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nNearing Chittagong, we were cleared to descend to 3,500 feet as we began the standard instrument arrival that would lead us to the GPS approach for runway 23. Hordes of boats were visible moored by the city, which is the main port for Bangladesh. The airport came into view as we drew nearer, and I requested to change over to the visual approach to save time. This was approved and we entered a right downwind to land on runway 23.<\/p>\n\n\n
Once again, airport reps were waiting to point us to our parking spot, this time at the very far corner of the apron on stand 10. As we shut down and opened the door I was immediately assaulted by a cloud of mosquitoes, the first time we’d even encountered them on this trip. Thankfully our excellent handling agent, Mohammad, came prepared and quickly dispensed insect repellant to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turning my phone back on, I received an unfortunate update from Captain Jo in Malaysia who was helping out with our Thailand and Malaysia permits. Our next stop was to have been Hat Yai, which we had planned to fly to from Chittagong. The Thai King had now decided he wanted to fly to Hat Yai on the day of our planned arrival and the airport was to be closed to all traffic – not even parking would be allowed. Checking with Mohammad to see if we could leave a day later, the answer was no – usually only one night parking was allowed so three was already a stretch. I decided this was a problem for later.<\/p>\n\n\n
Parked at Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Refueling in Chittagong<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nThe refuelers pulled up shortly after. The equipment here was yet another step down; a hand pump, and a dirty plastic pipe that didn’t properly fit on to the pipe, leading to a lot of fuel dripping onto the ground. I decided that we’d be using the filter funnel for all fuel transfers here, and it was a good thing I did, as the funnel ended up catching all kinds of debris in it. This was not from the fuel barrels, which were new and sealed, but simply dirt and detritus from the pump and hose. The guys manning the pump were friendly and helpful though, and refueling was completed satisfactorily. Customs and immigration were smooth, and our new company IDs worked wonders when requested!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had been looking forward to Bangladesh for several reasons, and one of these was Captain Tashdique, an A330 captain for a local airline. He had spotted news of our flight on social media and had contacted me offering help and support. The level of assistance he gave was exceptional; as well as organising an amazing rate at the Radisson hotel and making the bookings, he had arranged for a top local plane spotter, Ridowan, to be present for our landing and get some great shots, including the one shown above. Although Captain Tashdique could not be there in person, he continued to offer advice and guidance throughout our stay.<\/p>\n\n\n
Ridowan met us at the airport exit, and arranged an Uber for the three of us to ride to the hotel in. There we ran into a couple of his friends while checking in. For some reason the check-in clerk marked down my nationality as Iranian, but before long we were settled into our rooms and well fed in the hotel restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night Captain Jo and I figured out the new plan; fly to Subang, near Kuala Lumpur, instead of Hat Yai. The flying club there would be happy to help us out. It was good to have things resolved, and I slept a bit better because of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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We were spending three nights in Bangladesh, but the next morning we were up relatively early again for a flight. This time though we’d be riding in the back – a trip on Biman Bangladesh airlines to the capital city of Dhaka. The reason for this was to meet my friend Brishty, a doctor in Dhaka who had added me on social media many years earlier for reasons she professes not to recall, and who I’d been good friends with ever since. We had never met in person, and it seemed silly to visit Bangladesh but not see her!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We took an Uber back to the airport, which was possible now that we had some cash – Uber in Bangladesh don’t accept payment by card. Check-in was extremely quick and soon we were waiting in the lounge for our flight. Our aircraft was coming in from Saudi Arabia, and making a quick stop in Chittagong before continuing to Dhaka. We settled into our seats for the short flight, and resigned ourselves to a lack of views – it was very hazy once again.<\/p>\n\n\n
Biman B777<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Riding in the back for a change<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Arrival at Dhaka<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nThe flight was barely thirty minutes, certainly the shortest of this entire trip. We muddled our way through arrivals, where we were funneled to the immigration desks but then waved through when we showed our boarding passes with “DOMESTIC” stamped on them. Brishty and her friend Tauhid were waiting for us, and we walked a kilometer to a nearby mall to get coffees and plan out the day. First stop would be a famous local store, to browse some traditional souvenirs!<\/p>\n\n\n
Planning the day<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Bangladesh CAA's very glitzy building<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Streets of Dhaka<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Evidence of natural hazards<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nFrom here we found an Uber to take us downtown to Lalbagh Fort. This was not an easy task. Dhaka is a vast city with a population of about 24 million people in the metropolitan area and is widely considered to be the most densely populated urban area in the world. Traffic conditions are best described as “poor”. Drivers would accept the ride, then ask where we were going, and cancel. We solved the problem by using my Uber to call the ride instead, counting on the novelty value of a foreigner overcoming any reluctance to travel downtown. It worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lalbagh Fort, originally known as Fort Aurangabad, started construction in the year 1678, directed by the Mughal prince Muhammad Azam Shah. He was called away 15 months later, and the fort remained unfinished when in 1684 the daughter of the new governor died there. Considering the site unlucky, the governor left the structure incomplete, dedicating part of it as his daughter’s tomb. These days the site features well-manicured gardens, open to the public for a small fee, most of whom seemed to be there to take photos for social media. <\/p>\n\n\n
The street outside Lalbagh Fort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>The Tomb of Pari Bibi (left)<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Lalbagh Fort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Photos at Lalbagh Fort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Ben's first ever selfie<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Lalbagh Fort<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWe wandered around doing much the same thing as them, admiring the grounds and the old structures. By now it was mid-afternoon, and we were all getting quite hungry, so we left the fort again and called a couple of rickshaws to take us to a restaurant. Ben and I were told to keep out of sight until a price had been agreed, to avoid the foreigner premium. The rickshaw ride was nothing if not thrilling, with the riders managing to squeeze them through impossibly tight gaps. Brishty was quite concerned that I was going to fall out, but I managed to keep my place and we arrived safely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chosen restaurant was Sultan’s Dine, and the main dish was Kacchi, a mutton biryani where the meat is introduced raw to the rice and they’re cooked together. Not being particularly adventurous, I opted for a chicken version. All was excellent and now that we were thoroughly stuffed, we called up another couple of rickshaws for our final stop of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n
Riding the rickshaw with Dr Brishty<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Rickshaw riding in Dhaka<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Dinner in Dhaka<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWe started at the Central Shaheed Minar, a national memorial dedicated to Bengali Language Movement activists killed during protests in 1952. Bangladesh has an even more complex recent history than does Pakistan. At the time of Indian partition, the region was designated East Pakistan, becoming the most populous province in the new nation of Pakistan. Poor treatment of the region by the government in Pakistan meant that Bengali nationalism and independence movements prospered. Pakistans attempts to eliminate the independence movement, involving what became a genocide of Bengalis, ultimately led to the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. After initially supporting the separatists, a pre-emptive strike by Pakistan on the Indian Air Force led to India joining forces with Bangladesh to liberate the new nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More recently, in July 2024, there had been mass uprisings in Bangladesh against the government after the government responded to student protests with mass killings. This was made all the more real when we learned that friends of Brishty and Tauhid had been lost. The prime minister, dogged by allegations of extreme corruption, was forced to flee the country. Strangely, the niece of the prime minister was a senior member of the UK government and has been similarly forced to step down due to apparent involvement in her Aunt’s activities – I’m not sure I can understand why a direct relative of a corrupt foreign head of state was allowed to hold a senior UK government role in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n