Yes it was way back in 2015, but it still goes down as one of my most memorable aircraft type chasing trips and it’s still vivid in my mind. So, while looking through some photos recently, I thought why not make a report.
When I went to live in China for the first time, I quickly snagged all the “low-hanging fruit” in terms of aircraft types and interesting flights (domestic 747-8 & A380, the MA60, etc.), but enjoying the idea of flying on “Made in China” aircraft, I wanted to get a flight on the Harbin Y-12 twin turboprop. It wasn’t easy to find information on possible Y-12 routes in China, as none of the major carriers operate them. I could tell from photos that China Flying Dragon had a large fleet of the type spread across the country, but no route information or any idea of whether they even operated scheduled services.
Eventually, a friend of mine helped me find a Chinese trip report from a local aviation enthusiast who had flown on a scheduled route in Liaoning province several years before. Their route was from Dalian to Changhai Island, about 100km to the northeast, on China Flying Dragon. With no newer information or information about current schedules, I decided to head to Dalian in search of the flight.
I booked a flight from Shanghai Pudong to Dalian on Dalian Airlines, Air China’s joint venture with the local government, which operates in its own livery but under the CA code.
CA8954 – 5 June 2015
Boeing 737-800 / B-5850
Depart: PVG / ATD: 1026
Arrive: DLC / ATA: 1153
Flight time: 1h 27minDuring the flight I sat next to a university student from Dalian around my age who started talking to me and asked why I was going to his hometown. I told him I wanted to fly on a Chinese plane to Changhai Island and asked if he knew the place. He had never heard of it.
I also spotted a Shenzhen Airlines 737 flying below us during the flight.
After landing, I headed straight to the check-in hall to check the departures board. Lo and behold there was a flight to Changhai Island departing in just over two hours. I knew I was going to fly on a Y-12 today.
I went to the ticketing office and tried to convince the ticket agent that a flight to an island she didn’t know on an airline she'd never heard of did indeed exist (using my Chinese which was really lousy at the time). After repeatedly explaining that I wanted to go to Changhai and not Shanghai, her colleague produced an unopened package of China Flying Dragon ticket stock the sight of which brought me great relief. They proceeded to issue me a ticket for 160RMB one way.
I thanked them and proceeded to the ticket counter to receive my handwritten boarding pass (with the destination stamped in ink) and headed to the gate. China Flying Dragon General Aviation used the FD code, although it actually belongs to Thai AirAsia.
Boarding was called and I was joined by one other passenger. I had no information about the return schedule and no idea how or when I would return from Changhai, but I wasn't about to let that stop me from enjoying the flight.
We took a full size Cobus to the remote stand passing traffic including a Korean Air A330 and China Express CRJ.
FD5904 – 5 June 2015
Harbin Y-12E / B-3756
Depart: DLC / STD: 1440 / ATD: 1442
Arrive: CNI / ATA: 1513
Flight time: 31minI took my seat (5A) onboard, but was later asked by a crew member to sit in 1D, which meant I could have a good view of the front office.
A bunch of stuff in the back.
This crew member had a hat that said (I think) China Flying Dragon Training, or something like this and he stood at the cockpit door looking over the pilots’ shoulders for most of the flight including the takeoff and landing. He also was busy trying to kill a bee that was bothering all of us in the cabin before engines were started.
Made in China, indeed! Yay!
A China Rescue medical helicopter preparing on the ramp.
We took off to the West on Runway 28. I always wanted to live in one of these houses overlooking the airport.
We then flew briefly over the Bohai Sea, catching a glimpse of the land reclamation works for Dalian’s new airport (still not opened) that will replace Zhoushuizi Airport, before heading northeast toward Changhai.
En route we passed over the Liaoning coastline and some rocky islands, but visibility was generally poor.
Soon enough, I caught my first glimpse of Changhai Island as we entered the downwind for Runway 17.
Here is a video of the landing and takeoff on the return trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO8VILAGEf4We landed on the short 2625-foot runway and did a 180 for a quick taxi to the terminal.
After disembarking into the otherwise empty airport, I finally got an idea of the flight schedule from a sign at the check-in desk. Only one flight a day and, surprisingly to me, the aircraft overnights on the island, so I wouldn’t be returning by air that day.
My alternative plan was to go back to the mainland by ferry which I knew departed from the opposite end of the island, so I walked down the hill from the airport to the main road which traverses the island and soon flagged down an empty taxi.
I asked the driver to take me to the ferry terminal and once we got there, he told me that the only ferry of the day already departed and gave me a card with the schedule. I wouldn’t be leaving the island so quickly. He suggested a hotel and we drove back to town situated in the middle of the island, where I checked in, then called the hotel I had booked near Dalian Zhoushuizi Airport to cancel my reservation for that night.
I figured I would take the Y-12 flight back to DLC the next morning, but it meant I wouldn’t have enough time to connect to my originally planned Tianjin Airlines E190 flight DLC-WEH-PVG, so I called Ctrip and changed to a Hainan Airlines flight DLC-WEF-PVG which left a bit later.
With all this settled, I took a stroll around the quiet, clean, and rather picturesque town, even passing a KFD (Kentucky Fried
) for the first time.
The next day it was an early wakeup and check-out then another taxi ride through the crisp morning air back to Changhai Airport.
Again, I bought a ticket on the spot and received a handwritten boarding pass for Dalian. This time the staff was pretty confused with how to write my name. The boarding pass was again issued on Dalian International Airport stock, but a different colour. In fact, this flight operates entirely within the city of Dalian since Changhai is actually a county under the administration of Dalian city.
There were some displays detailing the expansion plans for the airport including lengthening the runway. A man saw me looking a these then gave me a big hardcover book about the development plans for the archipelago including promoting it as a tourism destination and allowing flights with aircraft up to 737 size.
I passed the security check and waited for boarding. This flight had a much better load factor than the previous day.
After boarding, the same crew started up the aircraft and taxied to Runway 17 for departure.
FD5901 – 6 June 2015
Harbin Y-12E / B-3756
Depart: CNI / ATD: 0745
Arrive: DLC / ATA: 0830
Flight time: 45minImmediately after takeoff, a large then-new bridge linking two of the main islands in the Changhai archipelago was visible.
Last glimpses of the airport and Changhai.
Hello Kitty fan for passenger use in the seatback pocket.
This was an interesting sight during the return flight, a temple being built on the mountainside but with the road leading to it absolutely covered in countless tents or sheds.
The return flight was a good bit longer as we flew West well past Dalian and DLC airport before turning around for our approach. We overflew an airbase with some aircraft on display.
Finally, we landed on Runway 10 at Zhoushuizi Airport, taxied to the remote stand and disembarked into a waiting bus.
I still had a few hours before by flight back to Shanghai, so I killed time eating at KFC in the arrivals area. I should have gone to check in earlier though as once I arrived at the counter there were no more window seats available and I was assigned an aisle in the second to last row of the 737-800.
HU7370 – 6 June 2015
Boeing 737-800 / B-5579
Depart: DLC / ATD: 1255
Arrive WEF / ATA: 1340
Flight time: 45min
Depart: WEF / ATD: 1440
Arrive PVG / ATA: 1550
Flight time: 1h 10minThe first leg was the very short flight across the Bohai Strait to Weifang in Shandong province. Passengers continuing to Pudong disembarked and were given a transit boarding card and asked to wait in the terminal.
Upon re-boarding I found there were fewer passengers on this leg, so I was able to slip into the window seat in the last row, which was completely empty.
After another mundane Hainan Airlines flight, we arrived at Pudong Airport.
This air link between Dalian and Changhai has continued to operate with a similar schedule, but in 2021 the route started to be operated by a Cessna Caravan instead of the Y-12. As far as I know, there are currently no scheduled Y-12 routes in China, though China Flying Dragon's newer Y-12Fs have shown up on sporadic services to Mohe and Heihe in Heilongjiang province in the past couple of years.
Thanks for reading!