Fly With GA B737-800 Next Generation

Tag : Keseharian, Travelling - Asep Haryono | Fly With GA B737-800 Next Generation - Powered by Blogger

In my return flight from Denpasar to Jakarta on 14th April 2011, I had the opportunity to try to fly with Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 NG, flight number 405 destination route from Denpasar-Jakarta.

The NG here is an extension of the Next Generation. This is the second experience with flying with modern facilities like AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) where flying with KLM during the YES 2009 Conference in KL Malaysia is the first one. I hardly remember the number of my flight with Garuda Indonesia since the beginning of 2005 until now.


Most of my flight with the Garuda Indonesia are heading to Denpasar, Bali for attending Consultative meeting held by Kang Guru Indonesia in conjunction with Indonesia Australia Language Foundation (I/A/L/F) and funded by Australian Government or AusAID

Brand New Type
According to the handbook of Garuda Indonesia, an inflight magazine for April 2011 publication, clearly stated that the aircraft of this Boeing 737-800 Next Generation has a distance (range) about 5425 Km, and have a capacity of 12 (twelve) Executive class seats and around 144 (One Hundred Forty-Four) chair seating for Economy class. I was there in the economic class absolutely.

While the cabin crew will be six people and there are two people in the cockpit. While the maximum speed of this Garuda Indonesia 800 NG aircraft is about 853 mph and using the engine LCDM56-7 B machine. The maximum altitude is about 38,000 above sea level. The average time to take from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali to Soekarno Hatta in Jakarta can be reached about 1 hour 25 minutes.

TOUCH SCREEN: This Garuda Personal In-flight Entertainment System with LCD screens at each seat in business class and economy passengers on the Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (14/4). Photos Asep Haryono

From the first hand of constructing the aircraft of this Garuda Indonesia aircraft 737-800 Next Generation has been planned to support the company overall expansion on domestic routes and regional as well. One of the most important facilities I have found from this type of the aircraft is about inflight entertainment services called audio and video on demand (AVOD) entertainment systems offering 25 feature films and 25 audio tracks.

With in-flight entertainment (IFE) like those AVOD by which available in every seat will enable their passengers can watch movies and listen to music during a flight. These wonderful and up-to-date services only found in those aircraft with the type of Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 owned solely by Garuda Indonesia. A good interior with touch-screen LCD televisions at each seat in business class and economy class also available either

New Blue Logo
According to the latest information fro Garuda Indonesia that they have planned to introduce this Boeing 737-800 Next Generation and A330-300/200 as the backbone for short-distance route and middle one as well. On the other hand, the Garuda Indonesia management has introduced another 10 Boeing 777-300 ER for a far distance route starting from 2011.

If you fly with this kind of aircraft, you will certainly see flight attendant brand new outfit for them and also stewardess. Their brand new flight uniform will clearly show the national dress called "kebaya" and Batik with new fashion and style. The pilot and co-pilot is wearing a grey blouse, and strip in blue color just like the logo or form of the aircraft nail. They are looking younger and fresh.

According to the overall development project within Garuda Indonesia confirmed that those brand new type of 737-800 Next-Generation aircraft is also inline with a plan to increase visitors especially from Domestic one exceed 150 percent become 2.072 flight schedules per week, while for international route increasingly three times become 1,222 flight schedule per week by the end of 2014.

Garuda Indonesia also plans to make the Boeing 737-800 Next-Generation aircraft and A330-300/200 as the backbone of the short and medium-haul routes. Besides that Garuda Indonesia will also introduce 10 Boeing 777-300 ER on long-haul flights beginning in 2011 as part of expansion plans in international routes.

Awesome AVOD Facility
On the day I am flying with this NG aircraft, April 14, 2011, I departed from Denpasar to Jakarta after attending activities in Denpasar Bali Indonesia the occasion of Consultative Meeting held by Kang GURU Indonesia. Having landed in Soekarno Hatta International airport, then I will connect directly to Supadio Airport in Pontianak on the same day.

One thing that I feel so special that day was when I was entering the inside body of the aircraft for landing with its GA flight numbered 405 that afternoon, I am able to see a glance view of the outside of the aircraft which showing real blue color. I can smell so fresh air coming from its air conditioner, and I also found all-new seats with blue color too. I thought this is a brand new aircraft in its kind.

This is an example of the meals I ate during the flight. Nasi Goreng,
And yes a glass of orange as my fave drink
Indonesian food always in my mind each time flying with Garuda Indonesia
Photo by Asep Haryono

CONTROL  : On Boeing 737-800 Next Generation, the navigation controller interface for economy-class entertainment device located on the armrest of the chair. Photo by Asep Haryono

ENTERTAINMENT: Inside cabin the air craft of Boeing 737-800 Next Generation from Denpasar - Jakarta (14/4) with AVOD facilities
All LCD systems have not been switched on. Foto Asep Haryono

I think my guessing is absolutely wrong. This is a normal aircraft from Garuda Indonesia, and they just complete the aircraft with those AVOD facilities in every seat inside the aircraft. Those audio and video on demand (AVOD) facilities are intended to serve all passengers inside the aircraft during the flight. Those entertainment systems in the aircraft were really sophisticated and easy to use to watch movies and listen to music during the flight.

On economy class, the navigation controller interface for economy-class entertainment device located on the armrest of the chair has two main functions namely as a tool to adjust the sound volume by pressing the UP and DOWN on the control volume. Whereas the other function is as a means for the exchange of interactive channels to show (Air shows).

When I tried this AVOD facility while sitting position to find the touch screen (touch screen) that has not been activated. Sometime after the air, then the facility AVOD at every seat is activated, then I can immediately see on their screen the front page (homepage) for in-flight entertainment (IFE) appears on the screen in front of me.

The way the operation was quite easy. We do not need to open the manual operation of the AVOD, because all its features are presented on the front page (homepage) AVOD at every seat it can use the options available languages. Indonesian and English. To facilitate a new understanding of my very first attempt at B737-800 Next Generation, I chose option Indonesian.

In some times, the flight safety instruction can be represented by a video.
You can watch the video while seated. Photo by Asep Haryono

This is a short video displaying AVOD in the aircraft. Video recorded by me.
Video by Asep Haryono

Music And Movies

You can simply touch the screen in front of us and choose the category of entertainment files that we want to enjoy during the flight. Those features located on the main feature AVOD this type B737-800 Next Generation which consists of several main categories.

Those categories included Magazine Rack, Kid Worlds, Travel Info, Cultural Surveys, Feature Updates, Games and Audio. In addition there also other channels to select such as New Release, Music Video, Video Destination, and other interesting stuff.

As for the AIRBUS A330-200 series of business classes and series executive-class, Boeing 737-800 NG using the hand set is shaped like an oval-shaped mobile device with a panel of the control panel inside the instrument. Their hand set is used by passengers to navigate the entertainment system during flight. Those applications are designed to use a control device in a vertical position.

You will find this kind of inside Magazine for free. The magazine is for every route in Garuda Indonesia air crafts.
You can take them home. Photo by Asep Haryono

I have had a little problem when using those AVOD control panels which quite brand new for me, but I am able to read and follow their manual instructions displayed on the LCD screen. The time loading of a movie, for example, are quite longer than usual.

The ability of those loading) might be boring sometimes. This problem can happen due to its synergy with aircraft navigation systems. You, the passengers, should be patient to wait a few seconds for the AVOD to load the video and music that we choose.

Because of the distance from Denpasar to Jakarta that day only lasts 1 hour 25 minutes, so I did not get many opportunities to try all features of the AVOD, but I have tried some features on the AVOD especially listening for local music and a small video of Indonesian movies. I have located some short videos for other Indonesian tourist destinations too.

When my fingers touch the screen and operate the Destination Video, I can see that the content in the form of a collection of Destination Video clips destination famous tourist destinations in Indonesia such as Mataram (Lombok), and so forth. Audio features while the choice of music can I hear the excellent sound quality.

Wonderful Experiences
When I am trying to select one of the local songs of Indonesia, unfortunately, I am not able to listen to the song I want. What I mean is I am not able to change or select the song I want to listen to. All songs have been provided simultaneously, and you can only listen to the songs in orderly format from track one, track two and many others until it finishes.

This AVOD facilities I found in this aircraft NG series, will be different when I am using the same AVOD during my flight with KLM on a flight to Jakarta - Kuala Lumpur last November 2009. The AVOD of KLM air craft can be selected with our own choice especially for the Video and Movie Music category we can choose according to our tastes. If you want to watch the latest movies, classic movies, action movies, horror movies and comedy movies we can choose with ease.

 

The air craft just landed at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.
Photo by Asep Haryono

| also was trying to watch a movie from the many options available on the screen, unfortunately again, I am not able to use the selection due to the flight time is a very short one. Based on these facts, then I I am moving from the menu to try out a game. One of my favorite games to fill up the spare time during the flight is the Sudoku game.

I wish I could get another chance to fly again with this kind of Boeing 737-800 Next Generation for a long long trip for example. I wish I could write another detailed review in the future. As for closing this posting, I really hope that feature AVOD in the B737-800 Next Generation can further be improved again in order to provide the best services for their passenger especially on the content selection and choice of music videos and films. (Asep Haryono)