After the First Day

Today was my first day at work at Busuanga. It was a time for adjustment for me since the job here is different from the one I have before in Busuanga. It was also a day of bloopers since it was my first time to work in an advisory airport. As you all know Busuanga Airport is an uncontrolled aerodrome. It means that aircraft here are not provided ATC clearance. The big difference for us ATC’s is that we don’t have liability if something happens to an aircraft in an uncontrolled aerodrome.
I woke up at about 5am since work here is from 6am to 5pm. The view from the cab where I sleep since it’s the only air-conditioned room here is magnificent. You could see the fog coming down from the mountains. When I was in Manila all you would see is smog not fog because of the traffic around the airport. I just took a quick shower and reported for duty after on the cab where I slept.
The first plane I controlled was RPC 798, a BE18 which I remember always reports having engine vibrations when I was in Manila Tower. After RPC 798 landed it was off to breakfast downstairs which Marlon, the ATP personnel cooked. It was sausage and noodles. I have trouble adjusting but after an hour I got the hang of it and the procedures involve in handing off airplanes and advising Manila Radio of the Arrivals and Departures. All in all we just have 5 scheduled flights, a very farfetched number from the 650 a day in Manila.
Mario formerly of Manila Radar also arrived today and I got the cargo I sent here ahead of me since I wasn’t able to get it when I got here yesterday since PAL’s office is closed for the day already. After a brief talk with Sir Tony back at the cab we headed to the Airport Manager’s office to introduce ourselves to the staff and logged in. After exchanging small talk we headed to the office for lunch. This time it was chicken adobo which Jojo, another ATP personnel assigned here cooked. It was also my first to get in and out of the Terminal without someone batting an eyelash unlike in Manila that all I could go to at the Terminals is the toilet.
After lunch it was back to work which is more talk than work. I started reading a book of Dale Brown titled Warrior Class. He was the same author who wrote The Flight of The Old Dog. The job was a routine the whole day and most of the traffic is over flights. We just got through the day exchanging small talk and Sir Tony telling us what to see here in Busuanga.
We closed the airport at 5pm and went on a brief walk on the ranch to the waterfalls nearby where from what we gathered from Sir Tony, people go there during the weekends to have a picnic. We decided to go back there on Saturday on our day off so that we could have a dip in the cool water of the falls. Dinner was served when we got back. Since the three of us are not so adept at cooking. We just cooked sardines and corned beef. After dinner is the usual DVD time and me on my laptop writing this blog and trying to upload using the crappy Globe Tattoo.
Till the next blog..