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An Exercise in Waiting: SIN-JAI-DEL-DED on Tigerair and Jet Airways

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  • An Exercise in Waiting: SIN-JAI-DEL-DED on Tigerair and Jet Airways

    (Part 1/7)

    Background: So back in January my parents informed me that my maternal grandparents' would be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary this year, and that plans for the party were already in motion. There was a complication, though -- my unit was going to be in charge of NDP this year, and rumours were swirling that my section would be involved in prep as early as April (i.e. leave would be blocked). As such, my family confirmed their plans to my grandparents beforehand, but we couldn't do so for me. I applied for the leave nonetheless, but it took more than a month for it to go through thanks to a glitch in the system. Thankfully, while preparations did start in April, they won't involve my section until June.

    While waiting for the leave to go through, my family formulated a plan -- if I could travel, then we'd keep my visit a surprise to my grandparents who hadn't seen me for almost 5 years. So, when my application went through, it was time to get going -- stealthily, of course.

    Now, you might be wondering -- what kinda convoluted plan had we come up with? Surely it made more sense to go to DEL directly, and then take a train or a flight from there. However, you know how us Singaporeans are. Money talks, and this route was the cheapest (for a reason, as I'll share with you soon).

    Finally, in this Trip Report you will see some photos that are 4:3, and not 3:2 in aspect ratio. These were shot on my Pixel XL smartphone, as I wanted to test its prowess in shooting something challenging like a Trip Report.

    Flight Details

    Flight Number: TR/TGW 2684
    Departure Airport: Singapore Changi (SIN, WSSS)
    Scheduled Time of Departure: 2055
    Arrival Airport: Jaipur International, Rajasthan (JAI, VIJP)
    Schedule Time of Arrival: 0035
    Cabin Class: Cattle




    So, after taking half-day from camp, we left our house a little later than we'd wanted to at 1835, arriving at the airport at around 1910. The sun was just going down, and I thought the scene looked really nice as a golden glow was cast behind the Terminal 3 building.



    Terminal 2 was pretty busy at the moment, with many flights departing all over the place. Tigerair itself had another flight departing to Trichy scheduled for just after ours.



    As we had no plans to pay the Tigerair check-in prices, our boarding passes were issued in a jiffy, and we proceeded inside after a quick bite at McDonald's. The decor had certainly changed a fair bit since the last time I was there, though I couldn't quite see the beauty in this installation.

    As our gate was F32, it meant that the walk there took barely 2 minutes, and with most of the passengers already in the lounge, we breezed through the final security checks where I could get a good look at the A320 that would be carrying our butts that night.


    Aircraft Information

    Registration: 9V-TRN
    Aircraft: Airbus A320-232(WL)
    Engines: 2x V2500
    Config: Y180
    Delivered: 21 Dec 2013






    There she was, glistening under the lights. She would also be the first time I'd be traveling in an A320 with sharklets, though I knew the experience would hardly be any different for the passenger. While shooting the Airbus though, I was highly impressed with how well my Pixel could do with manual controls. Unfortunately the .dng RAW file was corrupted, which meant I couldn't edit this as well as I'd hoped to.





    After a 20 min delay - we had arrived at the gate at 2025, yet boarding had not commenced - we embarked in the plane at about 2045. There was no way we'd be pushing back on time. I took the time to play around with my Pixel further, and was impressed yet again. However, the light flare was a little more severe than in the first exterior image as the aircraft window was sloped, preventing me from sticking the phone flat to its surface.





    I also used the time to take the customary legroom and seat shots -- both of which I was not impressed with. There wasn't much space ahead of me, though there was a good amount of space below the front seat. I didn't particularly like the colour scheme of the seats either, with the black looking pretty cheap and dull. Surely a dash of yellow here and there would help? Nevertheless, the seats were quite comfortable for the journey, which is where it really counts.



    I was quite surprised to find out that the cabin wasn't anywhere near full -- it was so empty that people were getting up and swapping seats so they had full rows of 3 to lie down and sleep through on in the flight.



    Eventually, we did get going at 2134 -- a good 40 minutes after our scheduled time for departure. Apparently there had been a minor glitch with the aircraft. I looked out at the Scoot B788 with a little envy, as the flight had originally launched under their airline, afterwards being transferred to a Tigerair operation. This time, my camera struggled with the scene so badly it could not even take a photo comparable to my phone.



    After a brisk 6 minute taxi, we were at the holding point for runway 20C, however our luck wasn't improving any time soon with regards to delays. We'd been unable to beat the departing EK355 flight to DXB, operated by an A388. This meant a further 4 minute hold to allow the wake vortex turbulence to dissipate.
    Last edited by shikhargpt; 20 May 2017, 10:21 AM.

  • #2
    (Part 2/7)



    While waiting, the company jet bound for Trichy (which had also apparently been delayed from its 2110 timing) had come up behind us. Eventually, though, we finally began inching forward again.

    The takeoff roll was smooth, and we rotated just around South Cross, allowing us a nice view of Terminal 4 from above. It was already being used as a remote parking location, and I even saw a private jet that must have pushed back from one of the gates.



    Soon, we reached our cruising altitude of FL380. As I had already had dinner, I snapped a few pictures of the A320 wing cutting through the night and settled in for a short nap (thanks for the training, SAF).

    Soon we landed, with a smooth touchdown and no reverse thrust used as the turn off was almost at the end of the runway.





    We parked next to an Indigo A320-232, registered as VT-INS. Unfortunately, unlike its lucky passengers, we didn't get to disembark via airstairs (or the airramp in Indigo's case) and so I could get a cleaner shot.



    Being a small airport, it took us no time to reach the immigration area, which housed a weird art installation it seemed. Not quite sure what to make of it.



    We then exited the arrival area and turned around to go to the departure area, where we would now settle in for the night...



    Oh, I did tell you about that, didn't I? In our quest for the cheapest fares, our next flight was all the way in the morning, at 0725. While I could sleep like a baby thanks to the SAF tactical nap (TM), my family would issues, as they'd soon find out.

    Onwards to flight #2!

    Flight Details

    Flight Number: 9W/JAI 2250
    Departure Airport: Jaipur International, Rajasthan (JAI, VIJP)
    Scheduled Time of Departure: 0725
    Arrival Airport: Indira Gandhi International, Delhi (DEL, VIDP)
    Schedule Time of Arrival: 0830
    Cabin Class: Cattle


    I awoke at 0600, having rested well, to find my bleary-eyed family hurrying to get their boarding passes as check-in had commenced. While my sister and father were rather grumpy with the decision to take this long-winded route, my mother was still sticking to her guns and defending her choice to save the money.



    After we'd collected our boarding passes, I went up a small escalator to get a better look at the terminal, which had become extremely busy even from 0400 (as my family told me). Curiously, only a singular coffee shop was open before 0700, which made us question why the airport authorities were missing out on so much potential business.



    Having nothing better to do, we decided to cross the security checkpoint into the transit area, where I got a huge surprise. Parked right in front of me was ET-ALJ, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-360ER(WL). Apparently it had been flying ET688 from Addis Ababa to Delhi when it had to divert here to JAI, where it landed just as I was settling in at 0110.



    At 0630, the B763 eventually departed, continuing on its journey to DEL with a rocket takeoff having utilised less than half the 3500m runway. I'm sure that must have been quite exciting for the Jaipur ground staff, servicing an aircraft that they hardly see.



    In typical Indian fashion, the gate only opened at 0715, where we were bussed out to the singular ATR 72-only gate. On our way there, I spotted a Spicejet Boeing 737-8GJ(WL), registered as VT-SZB looking resplendent with its colour scheme in the morning sunlight.

    Then, I turned my attention to my ride for the morning.

    Comment


    • #3
      (Part 3/7)

      Aircraft Information

      Registration: VT-JCP
      Aircraft: ATR 72-500
      Engines: 2x PW100/150
      Config: Y68
      Delivered: 18 Dec 2008








      The aircraft we'd be boarding was an ancient one given how many cycles it must carry out in a single day. Flying hour long shuttle flights with minimal downtime must be hell on the airframe.



      Nearby was the airport fire station, which looked well prepared for any emergency that could occur here.



      With one last look, I boarded the aircraft.

      Now, while on the ground I had been horrified to see how quickly the ground staff cleaned the aircraft. I say "horrified", because I actually mean "cleaned". In and out within 5 minutes -- you can't get any proper cleaning done like that! And inside the cabin, it showed.





      The seats were tattered so badly I couldn't bring myself to take photographs, the windows were so badly scratched it felt like you were severely myopic, and even the window shades were broken.



      The amount of legroom on offer was poor, though at the time I felt it was on par on the kind of aircraft we were flying (it could be so much better, though, unbeknownst to me).



      On our starboard side, though, there was a very interesting aircraft parked -- VT-SAI, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Supreme Airlines. It connects "tier-2 and tier-3 cities of India", and their aircraft seat 8 to 9 people.



      To my surprise, the aircraft is pretty luxurious even though the scratched windows of the ATR made it seem ramshackle. Above is the actual interior of the aircraft, and the exterior is also usually kept in pristine condition. Colour me impressed.



      This was my first time in a turboprop aircraft, and as the engines started up, I was amazed at how noisy they were (although I was seated right next to them).

      We soon taxied for takeoff, not even bothering to back-taxi all the way and instead just performing a junction takeoff. The ride was actually extremely bumpy, but I had decided to shoot the ATR takeoff and landings with my Pixel, and its magical Electronic Image Stabilisation completely masked any bumps along the way. Have a look!

      (I promise the videos are true 1080p/60, it's just the dirty windows make it seem from 2004.)

      Comment


      • #4
        (Part 4/7)





        Dirty as the windows were, it was still very interesting to see the underside of the wing for once, instead of the topside for turbojet aircraft.



        I even took out my phone to have a little fun with the rolling shutter effect. Rolling shutter is a method of image capture in which a still picture (in a still camera) or each frame of a video (in a video camera) is captured not by taking a snapshot of the entire scene at single instant in time but rather by scanning across the scene rapidly, either vertically or horizontally.

        As such, when shooting objects like a propeller, the smear of each blade is caused by the propeller rotating at the same or near the same speed that the frame is read by the camera as it scans the frame. Neat, huh?





        In a while, we were served some breakfast, which consisted of a KitKat bar, tamarind candy, water, and a stuffed chicken bun (which was decent).



        Soon we flew over what I think were the Alwar Mountains, which gave a very nice backdrop to our flight. A shame the window wasn't clean for a clearer shot.

        Contrary to my expectations, our landing was actually really smoothly done, and the reverse thrust was pretty strong but controlled too. As we rolled out on the runway, I saw a Kalitta Boeing 744F in the distance (visible at 06:33).



        We disembarked at a standard gate next to VT-JLF, a JetKonnect liveried company B738, but thanks to the ATR's design, we had to use the in-built airstairs anyway. Perfectly fine by me.



        We then boarded a bus, and proceeded to inside the terminal building, where we would do... you guessed it, more waiting! 3 hours of it, in fact. This meant that we would have flown for less time than we'd be waiting on the ground (8 hours vs 10 hours). Ah, what we do for money!

        Flight Details

        Flight Number: 9W/JAI 2827
        Departure Airport: Indira Gandhi International, Delhi (DEL, VIDP)
        Scheduled Time of Departure: 1205
        Arrival Airport: Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand (DED, VIDN)
        Schedule Time of Arrival: 1310
        Cabin Class: Cattle




        On our way to the transit hall we saw the classic Hast-Mudra sculptures, which I've always loved to see.



        As we proceeded further after the security checkpoint, we encountered a series of statues depicting the Surya Namaskar in Yoga, a series of positions designed to provide a good cardiovascular workout to warm up your body. The name means "Sun Salutation", an apt description as you can see.



        As I walked on the travelator, I noticed that to my left was a very nice and lush view of a part of the airport compound featuring the other half of Terminal 3. Take the smog away and this wouldn't have looked out of place in Singapore too!



        The gate was actually a bus pickup which would take us to our remote stand, so we opted to stay above until it was time to board, and lounge on the undulating lie-flat chairs. I took this opportunity to do some spotting. The first aircraft I saw was a standard Jet Airways B738, registered VT-JLE.

        Comment


        • #5
          (Part 5/7)



          As I got closer, though, I noticed a peculiar sight behind the 737.



          This, my friends, is a Bombardier CRJ-200, registered VT-ZOA. It belongs to a brand new airline, Zoom Air that began operations only in February of this year with this CRJ leased from CRJ Aircraft Leasing, Dublin. VT-ZOA is one of two jets owned by the airline, the other being VT-ZOC.



          The control tower, despite the smog, still looked pretty good.



          As I charged my phone and camera, Vistara's first A320-232(WL), VT-TTB, pulled into the stand the Jet Airways B738 had vacated, causing me to scramble to put the battery back inside and snap the shot.



          In what felt like the blink of an eye, it was time to proceed to boarding, and as I proceeded to the gate, I saw VT-ESF taxi by, a 24 year-old Air India A320 taxi by. This was doubly special, because it had the Star Alliance livery, as well as the rare double-bogie configuration. Indian Airlines had used its first 31 A320-200s with double-bogie main landing gear for airfields with poor runway condition which a single-bogie main gear could not manage.



          With a final shot to take in all the airfield activity, I finally made my way down, only to be annoyed to find out that our flight had been delayed by 30 min because it allegedly was still on its way back from Dehradun.



          As such, it was to my utter surprise (and dismay) to find out that the aircraft I'd be boarding would be the same one that had ferried me here -- VT-JCP.



          Bad luck, it seems. As we queued to board the same aircraft, I decided to have a look around.



          My first target was another company ATR 72-500, VT-JCJ, taxiing out, but my second one was far more interesting.



          What I was looking at was a rare Dassault Falcon 7X, registered here as VT-FCN. It's a rather unpopular aircraft thanks to its third engine, which burns fuel most businessmen would rather not spend money on, and has extremely low wingtips meaning that crosswind landings and takeoffs are extremely challenging.



          Soon we were on board and off, but even though my seat had changed, the dirtiness of the window hadn't.

          This time, though, the takeoff was far more violent. There were constant rudder corrections as we barreled down the runway, and the aircraft was wobbling far more than it had on the previous flight. It seemed that these pilot(s) weren't as skilled as the previous pair, if they weren't the same.

          The same food as the breakfast was served to us, despite it being lunchtime, yet my hunger meant I ate it all again anyway.



          Soon we flew over the Uttarakhand Mountain Range, which was an even better sight to behold than the Alwar Mountains.

          As was to be expected, we landed 30 minutes past schedule, with a bumpy ride all the way down and even on the ground. It seems that winds weren't favourable that day.

          Comment


          • #6
            (Part 6/7)



            It was a 10 second taxi to the stand, and we parked yet again next to a company B738, registered VT-JBR.



            Disembarking, I looked around upon the majesty of the mountains, finally without the filthy ATR window in front of me.



            It was then that I noticed that the ramp was also occupied by three Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopters, operated by the Uttarakhand Airlift division.







            Two of them were uncovered, while one was still partially under wraps.



            As I walked the short 200m distance to the terminal building, one of them started its engines, and was soon taxiing for departure.



            This was not before an Indigo Airbus A320 had arrived, however, hot on our heels from Delhi.





            Taking a final look at the two Jet Airways aircraft, I decided it was time to get inside.





            The terminal building was small, but efficient and clean. With no check-in baggage, we just strolled right out.

            Comment


            • #7
              (Part 7/7)



              Outside was a nice sculpture of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, though the fountain jets lay dormant.



              Behind it was a tall flagpole with the Indian flag flying proudly.



              As we left on the taxi, I took one final shot of the terminal building, before turning my thoughts to the surprise I was going to be giving to my grandparents.

              Hope you liked this trip report, and I’ll be posting the TR about the return leg in a couple of days. My return journey was slightly better, though still pretty convoluted, plus it’s got some great scenes that I really want to share. Hope you’re looking forward to it, and thanks for reading!

              Comment


              • #8
                You took some really really stunning pictures there. I was continuously in awe.
                You are such a talent you should take this up professionally. .

                As someone with a design background, I can tell you have a superb sense of composition and know how to create drama, tension, and attention.

                That pic of Ethiopian flight from the side - I was in awe. It was a majestic frame.

                Awesome. I am truly enjoying your report.
                And all the previous ones too. They are all a visual treat.
                Keep it coming please

                Btw, did you enter the Supreme Airlines cabin? I have been wanting to take their flights since last winter but have not managed the opportunity yet. Is that really the cabin for real because I have been wondering if their website is showing something else. You know that they charge about INR3500 ($70 approx) right? If that's the real cabin, then wow. Truly truly good value,

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by SQueeze View Post
                  You took some really really stunning pictures there. I was continuously in awe.
                  You are such a talent you should take this up professionally. .

                  As someone with a design background, I can tell you have a superb sense of composition and know how to create drama, tension, and attention.

                  That pic of Ethiopian flight from the side - I was in awe. It was a majestic frame.

                  Awesome. I am truly enjoying your report.
                  And all the previous ones too. They are all a visual treat.
                  Keep it coming please

                  Btw, did you enter the Supreme Airlines cabin? I have been wanting to take their flights since last winter but have not managed the opportunity yet. Is that really the cabin for real because I have been wondering if their website is showing something else. You know that they charge about INR3500 ($70 approx) right? If that's the real cabin, then wow. Truly truly good value,
                  Thanks a lot for the compliments on my photography!

                  Unfortunately, I didn't enter the cabin myself, so I can't say for sure. I couldn't see that well through the dirty ATR windows either, but according to this "Trip Report" it does seem like that really is the cabin.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks for a wonderful TR, shikargpt! Great that you could make it to your grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary! Must have been a great celebration!

                    Very nice pics and commentary as well.

                    I used to travel to India very frequently, and still go there, but not as often as before. Always used to fly Jet on domestic sectors in India, although these days I fly more AI as well. Most of my Jet sectors were on 737's but I did also get to check out their ATR on at least one occasion, and was quite impressed with the cabin and overall experience.

                    Have fun working on NDP. Many rehearsals etc but the end result is worth it!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by yflyer View Post
                      Thanks for a wonderful TR, shikargpt! Great that you could make it to your grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary! Must have been a great celebration!

                      Very nice pics and commentary as well.

                      I used to travel to India very frequently, and still go there, but not as often as before. Always used to fly Jet on domestic sectors in India, although these days I fly more AI as well. Most of my Jet sectors were on 737's but I did also get to check out their ATR on at least one occasion, and was quite impressed with the cabin and overall experience.

                      Have fun working on NDP. Many rehearsals etc but the end result is worth it!

                      Thank you yflyer! It really was a fun celebration. I have really nothing good to say about Jet's ATRs, unfortunately, however I did only fly on one airframe so I've no idea if they have a good product on offer at all. However I doubt seat pitch/width has changed, and that is something that I was disappointed in as well, not just the maintenance of the cabin.

                      Storeman only tho haha, I guess it'll still be fun to watch the rehearsals though!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Wow great trip report shikhargpt. Keep it coming

                        Comment

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