More Information About the Flight Here: My regular viewers/subscribers will already know this, but I want to start with this because this video is likely to bring in a lot of new viewers. I try to keep my videos as pure as possible. No commentary, music, text on screen, fancy edits, etc. I want people watching my videos to have as close to the real experience as possible, without physically being there themselves. So, that’s why I put any information you might want to know in the description or in a pinned comment, like this. That said, here are timestamps with a lot of information about the flight that is relevant depending on what’s happening in the video. If anyone has any other questions about the flight or what you see, please leave a comment, and I will answer it. Join me on United Airlines flight 154, the world renowned Pacific island hopper, as we depart Pohnpei, of the Federated States of Micronesia for Weno, more commonly referred to as Chuuk, also of Micronesia. This is the fifth of six flight segments that make up the famous flight. Join me next Saturday at 10:00am central for the final segment of the historic flight, as we head for the US island territory of Guam. Stops along the way include Majuro and Kwajalein of the Marshall Islands, and Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Chuuk of the Federated States of Micronesia. Due to Covid restrictions still in place in the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, passengers are prohibited from departing the aircraft at the stops. This is why the only shots you see at the airport are from inside the cabin. This has been a bucket list flight for me for many years now, and I'm very excited to be able to take everyone along with me on this journey. You can view the previous three segments of this journey here: HNL-MAJ - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-80mRlkJP6VI.html MAJ-KWA - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BXOPHYbMo3M.html KWA-KSA - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y3Zn7G9KdSI.html KSA-PNI - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VhNQhdKmbko.html And be sure to join me next Saturday, for the final leg of the famous United Airlines Pacific island hopper. 0:04-1:29 - We rejoin the famous Pacific island hopper after having had a 40 minute stopover in Pohnpei, of the Federated States of Micronesia. Pohnpei is one of the four states that make up the Federated States of Micronesia. Pohnpei is home to Palikir, the capital of Micronesia, and is also home to several other larger cities. Pohnpei is the largest island in Micronesia at nearly 129 sq mi. The highest point is 2,566 feet above sea level and the island has a population of roughly 37,000. It is the second most populous state in Micronesia. In addition to all of that, Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on Earth. Annual rainfall on the island can pass 300 inches per year. However, that is at certain higher elevations. The average on the island is around 170 inches per year. To put that into perspective, the wettest city in the United States is Hilo, on the island of Hawaii. Hilo also has a tropical rain forest climate and receives around 160 inches of rain per year. Seattle, another famously rainy city in the US, averages around 40 inches of rain per year. So, don’t be to upset about the weather in this video. It’s likely what you’d see on most trips into Pohnpei, as it rains every day. In this portion of the video we see various shots of the island, facilities, and ground crew servicing the aircraft. At 0:00:11 the stunning rock formations we saw on approach are visible behind a hangar and airport beacon. At 0:00:31 the fueling operation can be seen. In addition, a United employee appears to be recording me. At least that was it looks like. In reality, he was recording the entire ground operation. I must assume the reasoning, but my best guess is that it was being done as a station audit. Likely it was being recorded to show a United auditor later, or it may have been live. Due to strict Covid restrictions, Micronesia is still difficult to access. My best guess is that someone from United’s safety department was watching the operation, or was going to be shown the video later, to make sure everything was running the way United expects. It’s also possible it was being done for training reasons. Regardless of the reasons, this practice wasn’t being done at any of the other stops, so it was likely I just happened to be there on the one day this was happening. At 0:00:59 and 0:01:22, two aircraft belonging to Caroline Islands Air are visible. One of the things I love most about visiting places like Pohnpei is seeing aircraft and airlines you’d never see anywhere else. It was difficult to find information on Caroline Islands Air, but they supposedly have a fleet of around six aircraft. It is a charter airline that was founded in 1995 and they serve around nine airports throughout Micronesia. Despite Covid, it does appear the airline is still operating. Anyways, only around 5 passengers join us on at this stop, and no one disembarked. There are now 10-15 passengers total for our next leg of the journey to Weno, the last of three stops in the Federated States of Micronesia on this famous flight. 1:30-2:49 - Here are just a few shots to set the scene again. In case anyone is joining us for the first time on this segment. It’s the same 18-year-old 737 that we’ve been on the whole time. As I’ve mentioned on the previous legs, if you like almonds, you’d be in heaven on this flight. You could have as many almonds as you could stomach. Remember, a full meal was served on the first leg of the flight, so it’s not just almonds for the whole 15 hours. As you’ll see next week, a full meal is also served on the last leg of the flight. So, if you’re insane like me, and you’re taking the entire 15+ hour trip, you get two meals. 2:50-12:33 - We’re now looking out the window once again, as we get ready to begin our journey towards Chuuk. As I mentioned above, we were joined by 5 or so new passengers on this leg, and this is where we get to listen to the safety briefing for the fifth time. As I mentioned on the previous segments, it makes no difference either way, as it’s FAA regulation that the safety briefing is played before every segment, no matter if anyone new joined the flight. At 4:27, unlike on the previous stopovers, we get a push back at Pohnpei due to the small ramp. On the previous stops, we simply turned out. Like the last segment, we actually got a full waving farewell from the ground crew here as well, but you can’t see it as they were lined up where the camera couldn’t see them. 12:34-16:50 - We finish our short taxi to the runway, and we’re now entering runway 27 for a short back taxi to line up on runway 09. At 6,000 feet, this runway is 1,500 feet shorter than the world famous “short” runway at SXM on the Island of Sint Maarten. For reference, the reef runway at HNL, where we began our journey, is 12,000 feet long. And as I just referenced, the world-renowned runway at Sint Maarten in the Caribbean is 7,500 feet long. So, we’re already 1,500 feet shorter than a world-renowned “short” runway. 16:51-18:38 - As power is applied to the CFM engines, we begin our powerful takeoff roll. We’re airborne in less than 30 seconds and soon we’re beginning a left turn. And just like that, it’s the last time we’ll see land before arriving in Chuuk. Due to the storm system that’s engulfing Micronesia, we will even lose sight of the Pacific Ocean for a short time, but I’m happy to report that we shortly leave the storm system behind, and this is last we’ll see of it on this trip. This leg, between PNI-TKK, is 438 miles as the crow flies. It is the longest of the four hops, not counting the two end cap flights from HNL-MAJ or TKK-GUM. 18:39-38:21 - There’s not much to see on the cruise potion of this flight. Most of the flight is spent inside a soupy mess of clouds. But, as I just mentioned, we’ll soon break out of this storm system and we’ll be leaving it behind us for the rest of the trip. 38:22-38:39 - Anyone interested in some more almonds? The onboard service for this short flight can be seen at this point. 38:40-45:34 - Just like that, we break out of the storm system that has engulfed the famous flight for the last two segments. Blue sky, the vast Pacific Ocean, and beautiful clouds are now visible! During the rest of this video, we’ll be treated to some of the most beautiful flying conditions I’ve ever experienced. There’s just something amazing about flying just after a storm has passed. The air is clear, everything is crisp, and things just have a glow to them. 45:35-1:00:40 - We finish the cruise portion of this flight with significantly better views than we’ve had the last couple of segments.
1:00:41-1:16:37 - We are now descending into Chuuk. Chuuk State is one of four states that make up the Federated States of Micronesia. Chuuk is the most populous state in Micronesia with roughly 50,000 residents. I need to make a brief correction from my last video. I stated that Pohnpei was the most populous state in Micronesia. That was an error on my part. Pohnpei is the second most populous state in Micronesia with roughly 35,000 residents. The main population center of Chuuk State is the Chuuk Lagoon, a large archipelago with mountainous islands surrounded by a string of islets on a barrier reef. The two major geographical and dialectic divisions of the Chuuk Lagoon are Faichuuk, the western islands, and Namoneas, the eastern islands. Chuuk State also includes several more sparsely populated "outer island" groups, including the Mortlock Islands to the southeast, the Hall Islands to the north, Namonuito Atoll to the northwest, and the Pattiw Region to west. The Pattiw Region is of particular interest in that it has some of the most traditional islands in the Pacific and is culturally related to the outer islands of Yap. Yap, is the only state in Micronesia that the Pacific island hopper doesn’t stop at. 1:68:38-1:20:07 - We are now on final approach to runway 04 at Chuuk International Airport. At 6,000 feet long, it matches the length of the runway we left in Pohnpei. Chuuk is visible for the first time here. 1:20:08-1:20:53 - As we touchdown on runway 04, we are treated to some great views of the island, it’s lush rain forest climate, and once again, like all stops on the Pacific island hopper, an ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) apparatus is visible at 1:20:10. Due to the short runways along the route, ARFF trucks are required to stand by during the arrival, and by the aircraft for 15 minutes after arrival, to make sure there are no brake fires. 1:20:54-1:26:01 - We’re now back taxiing on runway 22, heading towards the terminal. With the Pacific Ocean just feet away, we’re treated to views of Pisiras, Falos, and other small islands in the distance. Luckily, unlike the previous segments, we are now out of the storm that had engulfed us during the previous stops. We make our way to our parking spot and begin our 40-minute stopover without the windows fogging up! 1:26:02-1:27:38 - Here we see various shots of the island, terminal, and ground crew servicing the aircraft. At 1:26:33 the terminal at Chuuk International Airport is visible. At 1:26:43 some of the lush vegetation that engulfs the whole island can be seen. At 1:27:09 some of the refueling operation can be seen. The aircraft was at least hooked up to a fueling station at every stop of the journey. Whether we took fuel at every stop, I don’t know, but it was available, nonetheless. The video ends with another cabin shot before any new passengers join the flight. More passengers would join us at this stop than any other stop, even Honolulu. In total, probably 15 passengers would board the flight in Chuuk, and would make the total number of passengers roughly 30 for our final segment to Guam. Join me again next Saturday at 10:00am central, as we finish our journey across the Pacific, as we take the last of six legs that make up the United Airline Pacific Island Hopper.
This is a descendant of the old Air Micronesia. A Continental subsidiary that was disestablished after the United merger. There was also a cargo airline, based out of Wichita, that once ran these routes, mainly hauling fish. I worked there as a dispatcher before the internet age, and it was quite a task sending flight plans over there. I don't think these United routes are self-supporting, and they receive some sort of EAS like subsidy,
Gotta love these pilots who come in low over the water giving every impression they're going to do a Sully right up until the last 15 seconds or so. Exciting stuff!
Thanks for watching guys. To Zach's point, yes this was the airport where a 737 had problems in 2018. I believe it was a relatively light fight with only like 45 passengers. Sadly one died, but the rest were quickly rescued.
A couple more questions about these trips...Do your same pilots fly you the whole trip? Is there a relief pilot and a dedicated crew seat in first class? Does United still have channel 9 if so did it work? Lastly, how warn out did you feel after this adventure? 😄 Looking forward to next week's flight, Guam is a fun airport to land at IMO!!!
No, there are two sets of pilots on every flight. The first set flies the leg from HNL-MAJ. The other set flies the remaining 5 legs. That seems uneven haha, but it's not when you look at the time the first segment is, vs. how much time the last 5 segments are. The first segment from HNL-MAJ, taxi times and all, is about 6 hours. The remaining 5 segments, taxi times and all, is probably 8 hours. So, legally, they have to have two full sets of cockpit crew, as the flight is blocked for around 16 hours, and the FAA only allows pilots to work 10 hours without rest. Pilots can take a 2 hour extension if they feel able and competent, but even with that, this flight is longer than one cockpit crew can legally fly. So, two full sets of pilots on every flight. As for the cabin crew, it's the same crew for the entire flight. Typically, I think you'd have a flight attendant dedicated to first class, just like on any other flight, but there were only 1 or 2 people who were ever in first class, so the lead flight attendant, purser, whatever United calls them, was back in the main cabin quite a bit. This flight is technically longer than the 14 hour duty time that flight attendants are allowed by the FAA. However, Untied has an exemption from the FAA for this specific flight and the FAA allows the flight attendants to work the whole flight. Around 16 hours. Of course, a lot of that time is spent on the ground at stops. Where the flight attendants aren't "not working" but there's not much going on. The flight attendants were all really nice and friendly on this flight. They'd sit and chat with us and each other during the stops. So, that's probably a big reason why the FAA allows them an exemption on this flight. As for channel 9, I honestly didn't even think to check haha. Which is a bummer. I wish I had checked that. And last, I was dead tired by the end of the day. Those United crews are superheroes haha. Especially the flight attendants. That would be a long day for someone who didn't just sit and watch TV and the views outside all day.
I will definitely watch a whole duration of last segment coming next Saturday. Definitely the descent/landing because I want to see what it is like to fly into Guam and how different it is compared into flying in Honolulu or an major airport in Hawaii.
I would love to see the Kwajaleins,my dad was stationed on Guam, Anderson AFB, we went over on a ship from SF port, docked at Kwajalein to stretch our legs.Tbe flying fish were so awesome to watch.I guess I missed the flight into GUAM.
It’s so weird that I barley see you get any turbulence while on a plane if not any, anyways what’s an airline you would recommend that is the safest to fly
Keep in mind that I'm using iPhones to film. The iPhone 13 Pro now, which has amazing stabilization. A lot of the minor, to even moderate turbulence, can be washed out by the camera being so steady. The best thing to do is watch the winglet and the engine. The more they're bouncing around, the more turbulent it is. In the end, it's mainly my camera equipment smoothing the overall picture out that makes it look like I'm always on super smooth flights. As for safe airlines, they're all really safe. Flying in general is the safest form of travel, no question about it. Any of the major US carriers are extremely safe. Only one person has died on mainline US commercial airline flights since 9/11 and that was on a Southwest flight where the engine had an unconfined failure and one person in the cabin, sadly, died. There are thousands and thousands of flights in the US every day. And there are millions of people who fly in the US everyday. So, one person who lost their life is a tragedy, but one person in a decade... That's safety numbers you're never going to get on any other form of travel. Anyways, thanks for watching my friend!
Great fly! Have you heard DHL cango plane, which is Boeing 757-200, crashed, turned 180, and split in two at Costa Rica airport? The crew was unhurt but one of the member was in medical as precation.
I can't blame people though. I wouldn't travel somewhere where I can't get off the plane let alone visit the island. After all, only locals can leave the plane if it is their destination. Although these flights are beautiful not gonna lie.
