Last week, after watching a concert and having a drink with a friend, we inadvertently started talking about flying. My friend mentioned having experienced a flight with prolonged turbulence once, which has since led to a fear of flying.

Personally, I prefer to enjoy the flight, Of course, I wouldn’t want to encounter bad weather like Clear Air Turbulence or rapid changes at the tropopause.

After all, humans are land-dwelling creatures, and our eyes are accustomed to viewing the world from the surface. But since we have the opportunity to fly and look down at this world from above, This is in itself a rare opportunity to see countless sights we usually can’t see from the ground. Everyone is willing to travel far and wide, spending time and energy just to glimpse unfamiliar cultures and scenery; Actually, flying in a plane can achieve the same effect.

The plane weaves through the clouds, the sun gradually sets, and the sky and clouds are first dyed golden, Then comes the mysterious blue moment, followed by a sky full of stars, The view outside the window is infinite; it just depends on whether you can appreciate nature’s creation. If you just stare at the in-flight entertainment system watching a movie, or sleep soundly, that would be a real shame.

That day, taking HA457 back to Tokyo, the airport forecast indicated that the weather would gradually deteriorate, with thunderstorms expected; Checking the wind charts again, I saw that the route ahead was basically all headwinds, Therefore, the return route was chosen to go below the wind band, For some reason, the arrival at Haneda Airport was nearly 40 minutes later than scheduled.

It started raining on the way to the airport, and my iPhone even received a local flood warning; the weather conditions were really not good. I found out later that Tropical Depression KILO was approaching; no wonder. After checking in and grabbing a bite at an airport restaurant, the sky was already covered by rain clouds. (The pavilion at the bottom of the photo is located in the Chinese garden inside the airport, which houses a statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, built by the Chinese in Honolulu to commemorate his centennial birth.)

Sitting in the right window seat, I watched the plane get pushed out, taxi along Taxiway Z and A, then enter Taxiway RB, Slowly passing by the C17s and F22 Raptors at Hickam Air Force Base, With thunder and heavy rain, the conditions for photography were truly terrible.

However, after taking off from Runway 8R, I was immediately captivated by the sea of clouds before my eyes, So I kept pressing the shutter of my RX100, recording this rare scenery.

Watching the plane maneuver constantly through the clouds, tropical cumulonimbus clouds are indeed different, High temperature and high humidity, strong updrafts, and the altitude is obviously much higher than what is seen in temperate zones.

After entering the cruise altitude of 38,000 feet, countless large cumulonimbus clouds could be observed over the sea, Rising to the anvil-shaped tops at the tropopause, the height must be around 10,000 meters, truly spectacular.

Usually, the cumulonimbus clouds seen over Tokyo Bay in summer are only about 2,000 to 3,000 meters high, Looking from the ground, they already seem very magnificent, but compared to these huge tropical cumulonimbus clouds, they are truly insignificant.

The plane traveled west at a high speed of Mach 0.81, but still couldn’t catch up with the setting sun, Fortunately, a ray of afterglow shone on the cloud layer, The colorful clouds reflected on the wing were absolutely breathtaking.

Doesn’t the cloud on the right in the photo above look like Mickey Mouse?

The moment of the blue hour has arrived; isn’t appreciating this magnificent natural view a hundred times better than sleeping soundly inside the cabin?

After the meal, the passengers gradually fell asleep. I continued to watch the stars from 11,000 meters. I took out my DSLR and tried to take a dozen shots. Seeing that this one was passable, I went to sleep with peace of mind.

Arrival at Haneda Airport was nearly midnight. The arrival procedure was the uneventful ARLON, and the Approach was ILS Runway 34L. Deplaning with my logbook signed by the entire crew, the summer vacation ended, and I returned to normal work and life.

METAR PHNL 240153Z 05011G20KT 10SM FEW028 SCT048 SCT065 SCT160 31/20 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP144 VCSH NE T03060200 PHNL 240253Z 19006KT 10SM TS FEW026 SCT035CB BKN060 29/25 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP109 OCNL LTGICCC VC N TS N MOV E T02940250 56003 PHNL 240353Z 21006KT 10SM FEW019 SCT027 BKN055 29/25 A2986 RMK AO2 TSE09 SLP109 T02890250 PHNL 240453Z 06013KT 10SM FEW024 SCT042 SCT055 SCT250 28/20 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP146 T02830200

RJTT 241300Z 03013KT 9999 FEW025 BKN040 23/18 Q1010 NOSIG RJTT 241330Z 03016KT 9999 FEW015 BKN040 23/18 Q1010 NOSIG RMK 1CU015 7SC040 A2983 RJTT 241400Z 03016KT 9999 FEW015 BKN045 22/18 Q1010 NOSIG RMK 2CU015 7SC045 A2984

Route KEOLA2 PUPPI CRESP SEGRO NITOT TOMOL B586 SABRI Y873 FITTO Y87 BAFFY Y871 DIIVA Y21 ADDUM

Aircraft N391HA

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