- Good morning. 5:40 AM in Chengdu.
Today's a very, very special flight.
We're going to fly to the highest airport in the world.
At the airport terminal here at 6 O' clock this is really busy.
Breakfast is served here.
If you like spicy food, you're in the right place.
Sichuan food is known to be oily and spicy
but very, very tasty and yummy as well.
This is rabbit?
- Two different kinds of rabbit; one is very spicy and the other is covered with five different spices.
- A spicy, braised rabbit - this is a whole rabbit here.
- [Server] This is sweet braised duck from Leshan.
- Today, we are going to the world's highest airport,
the highest airport in the world.
The name of that airport is Daocheng Yading.
This is a Chinese name directly translated in to English.
It's in the Western part of China in Sichuan
at 14,472 feet above sea level
and the captain and the flight crew have to wear oxygen masks
to land and take off at that airport.
Are you doing to Daocheng? Do you live there?
Are you Tibetan?
- Yes I am!
- How many times have you travelled to the world’s highest airport?
- Seven or eight times.
- Oh, I see. How do you feel?
- Very nice!
- It's my first time going to a place at such a high altitude, please bless me!
- You'll be fine!
- The world's highest airport challenge, here I come!
Hey, ni hao. - Hi, ni hao.
- [Sam] Hey. - Ni hao.
- [Sam] Hi, ni hao.
- Hello, I am Sichuan Airlines captain Gao Fei
Welcome aboard today’s flight from Chengdu to Daocheng
Our flight time is about 45-50 minutes.
Cruising altitude is 8,400 metres.
Our cruising speed is about 800-900 km/h
because we have about 20 knots of head wind.
- Whare are the main challenges with flying to the world's highest airport?
- We have certain difficulties:
The altitude of Daocheng is 4,411 meters,
it is the world's highest commercial airport.
The main difficulties are due to the terrain around the airport.
The approach is quite straight forward,
we use RNP approach on runway 16
but we use ILS landing on runway 34.
In winter, the Daocheng temperature can be as low as -30 degrees Celsius,
so in the morning, there is often ice on the runway
or low fog and clouds.
So it is a great challenge for pilots
and sometimes we have to decide whether to land there or turn back.
- What if we have one engine failure there?
Can we still be safe and complete the flight?
- It's no problem. We have a special procedure for the failure of one engine.
For many high altitude airports like Daocheng,
we have special procedures in place just in case.
- To fly to such high altitude airports, do the pilots need special training?
- That's right. We have special training.
Pilots need a lot of flying experience.
Our company has three categories of special airport
and pilots get promoted to fly from the lowest category.
Daocheng is in our top airport category.
When flying to Daocheng, we have two captains rather than a flying officer.
- I've heard that you need to wear oxygen masks during critical times.
- At such high altitudes, our company requires us to wear oxygen masks
This is the oxygen mask switch for high altitude landing.
- High altitude landing.
- If the switch is on, the oxygen mask will drop at over 16,000 feet.
If this switch is off, it will drop at over 14,000 feet, cabin altitude.
- [Sam] This is for emergencies with the oxygen supply
but for high altitude airports, they have extra oxygen.
So this is a high altitude checklist
for the special operations at high altitude airports in China.
- It's a special checklist for operation at over 9,200 meters.
The areas highlighted in blue are for high altitude operations only.
Engine generator off, engine pumps off...
Crew oxygen masks, check...
- Well, I think today's flight is going to be so challenging!
- It's no problem, we're very experienced in flying to high altitude airports.
Sichuan airlines flies to many high altitude airports.
- Only sixty passengers today.
Because Daocheng is a tourist place,
I think it gets busier during the summer because it's still pretty cold high up in the mountains at 14,000 feet.
I actually woke up at 2 AM - I was too excited,
I couldn't sleep because... I was also a bit worried about
the high altitude sickness when you go up to such a high altitude
because I've never been this high.
The best moment in the sky for me
is when the plane cruises just above the clouds.
It's always really amazing - I never get tired of that view.
- [Announcement] (Mumbles) This is your captain speaking from the (mumbles).
Thank you for flying with Sichuan Airlines.
(Mumbles) is 3005.
(Mumbles) we're beginning our cruise at over 9200 meters, which is about 38,500 feet
(mumbles), our arrival time at Sichuan will be 20 past 8 this morning
(mumbles) zero, one Celsius degrees.
- [Both] Welcome to the airline of the panda!
- A cute panda, as you can see. - [Sam] Right.
- An aeroplane. - [Sam] Oh yes. I love this - let me have a look.
This is really good. This is cool.
This is like a little soft toy here. I love soft toys.
- A little... - A little panda as well, wow.
- [Flight computer] 300.
200.
100.
50, 40, 30, 20.
Retard! Retard!
- We just landed at the world's highest airport,
number one, Daocheng, at 14,400 feet.
Great landing, captain!
I'm so excited that my hear is beatring faster!
I'm finally here at the world's highest airport - Daocheng Yading.
- [All] Bye and welcome to Daocheng Yading!
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We're just climbing up this hill to see the aeroplane depart.
You can see the whole terminal.
The whole terminal design looks like a UFO or a flying saucer!
I'm so happy - the world's highest airport - I made it here!
- Welcome on board Sichuan Airlines. - [Sam] Hello.
- Please, this way to our warm cabin.
- Hello sir. - Hello, ni hao.
- [Sam] This oxygen bottle, is it for use during the flight?
- Yes, we have three bottles like this for passengers who may need it
and we also have eight oxygen bottles for use by the crew.
- So, there's an oxygen mask here. This is for the passengers.
If they want to have oxygen, then they can take this.
You definitely don't need any entertainment on this flight
because the entertainment is the window view.
- Tashi Delak!
- Tashi Delak means "Hello" in Tibetan, right?
I've heard it in Tibet and Nepal!
- I'm Tibetan!
- You speak so well in Mandarin.
How is your flight?
- Very good!
- [Sam] Bye! - [Man] Bye, You're welcome!
- After four hours, I am now back in Chengdu.
I'm just so happy that I have accomplished the goal
of being at the world's highest airport.