I have always loved airplanes ever since I was in grade 1. During elementary, some of my classmates teased me as a “one track-minded guy” because all I knew and talked about were airplanes. I would draw them a lot and live near the airport; I would run out of our house to spot Philippine Airlines aircraft flying over. One of them is the PAL BAC 1-11. How can I forget? It was hella noisy! The take-off noise from below would be loud enough to set car alarms if it were still flying today.
However, I loved its engine notes! It sounded like a jet fighter, and yes, I was amazed by its train of dark smoke from the exhaust as the aircraft took off. I thought it had afterburners, hahaha! I had always wanted to ride on a PAL BAC 1-11 until one day, my father brought me on one of his business trips to Legaspi, and yes, we were to fly on a BAC 1-11! Yeyyyyy!!! I feel bad that I lost some of my photos of that trip except for the one posted above but anyway, picture the scene in your mind.
Excitement to get in a PAL BAC 1-11
The more I got excited after seeing the aircraft at the Manila Domestic Airport (now known as Terminal 4). Beside our aircraft were three more BAC 1-11s, and on the right, most were two PAL Airbus A300s. The plane sat low and had its stairs on the forward section. I was seated near the back area, and of course, it was a must for me to take a window seat! Pushback, and then the engines started roaring. Wait, purring! This thing is quieter than expected! I thought it wasn’t subtle. Well, don’t get me wrong, it is not as soft as today’s A320, but considering how noisy it was on the ground, the BAC-111 was quiet inside. Even if the engines were mounted at the aircraft’s rear, those Rolls Royce engines had a unique sound. The cabin had a 2-3 abreast seating arrangement; if I can recall, I was comfortably snugged on my seat because I was a young boy back then. During that time, PAL also served a big meal during domestic flights, unlike today, where a light snack would do.
Flying close to Mayon Volcano
The flight was smooth, but I was excited for one more thing, exiting from the rear of the aircraft. Yes, the BAC-111 had retractable stairs at the rearmost facing the back. It reminded me of those arresting hooks found on fighter jets, and I don’t know why. Well, maybe because I was very close to those RR Spey engines! Wow! The flight back was unforgettable, too, as shortly after take-off, the pilot flew the aircraft close to the crater of Mayon Volcano, where we could get a very close view of what it looks like on top of the world’s most perfect cone!
Bucket list for me! I finally flew on a BAC-111! All in all, I flew in it only twice before they were retired in exchange for 737s. I don’t know why the BAC appealed to me so much. Maybe because of its rear-mounted engines and T-tail, which reminded me of the RF-101 Voodoo! Nevertheless, this was something I will never forget and one thing I can proudly share with the younger aviators.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
