On Flight to Hong Kong with N510HW

here we are, ready for one of the most exciting leg of the journey

Flight plan is on file, Slot confirmed, weather thru TAF and METAR not giving us any problem.

Here we go.

First it is a VFR departure...and we have a shower overhead, but our runway 25 with a right tuen on course will give us a clear path VFR to climb to our altitude.

Ready to go we launch.

Unrestricted climb to FL 340

N510HW crew, always ready and smiling

WZ in Subic

For the pilot you will appreciate the ISA plus 19 temperature, the rate of climb was anemic and at our flight level we were still showing ISA +14..this was for a very slow climb

But we had plenty of fuel and reserve for HKG

Oh Oh, this monster one is in pour path..remember we are at FL340 and this thing is going at least to FL500

The radar did painted the cell very well from far away

and yes we did get a hold clearance at BETTY, with a further clearance at 52 past the hour... about a 25 mn hold while descending at each turn, at least we were in the clear and we could see the airliner below us, doing the same and all of us slowing down to keep fuel

After 4.5 turns we were clear to the Mangoes Intersection. I ask an amend clearance to LIMES to stay clear of the clouds....the airliners behind us did the same

Upon exciting the hold we are ask to maintain 250 KTS minimum until further notice and descend to 5000 feet and 1000 increment following controller instruction

at 5 nm out reduce to 180 KTS, the first set of flaps is 185 its but no restriction on the gear speed. Captain Tanabe-san did managed this very well, no use of speed break and after a little confusion we aimed a 7 left behind a 777, the usual caution for wake turbulence and wind shear was mention