A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam, USA - GUM/PGUM

[Lord_Manhammer]

After some nice days in Japan at Tokyo-Narita - 21.12.08 and Tokyo-Haneda - 05.12.2008 we take our next Flight to the Island of Guam
On the 12.12.08 with JAL 767-300 (JA8976) FlightNo. JO981
from NRT to GUM.

Guam is more than the Andersen AFB in the North of the Island. For me it was the most Tropical Adventure in my lifetime
How to find Guam:




Guam Fai Fai - Beach


But at first we had an Report about the Won Pat International Airport:

„Where America’s day begins“, the slogan of the tropical island paradise already reveals inferences on its situation: Guam is located directly at the gates of Asia, in the middle of the Pacific and so it is the most eastern area of the USA. The island with about 175,000 inhabitants became especially popular through the Andersen AFB which serves as advanced bomber base. The civil airport, named for the 1st delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives, is well known by Japanese and means for this, the biggest tourist crowd, the gate to a duty-free shopping paradise.

After the airfield had developed as Naval Air Station in WW II it served until 1969 exclusively military purposes. With foundation of Guam International Airport Authority in 1975 and the opening of the first passenger's terminal seven years later the civil traffic accelerated. Finally, in 1995 the military completely withdrew, however, owns till this day far-reaching rights of use. With the opening of the big terminal building in 1998 the airport took its today's shape.









Today A.B. Won Pat is with its more than 6000 employees an important factor of the economic growth on Guam and America’s gate to Asia. The airport acts as hub for Continental and Northwest Airlines in this region, US internal it is on rank 8 of international arrivals. Average 35 flights, 23 of that from Continental arrive at the island daily in three periods (2 am-7 am; 10 am-12 pm; 2 pm-4.30 pm). Twenty-two destinations in seven countries are preferentially served by big aircrafts like Boeing 747 and Airbus 330. In 2007 came 1,171,440 tourists, 80% from Japan, infinitesimal 0.3% from Europe. In addition to that came 190,000 transients and more than 18,000 tons cargo.
The Airport Authority invested $5.8 million in the past years into a new Airfield Lighting System and both runways are equipped with ILS. In spite of the accident of Korean Air in 1997 A.B. Won Pat is deemed to be exceeding safe.
A big problem for the airport is the fact that there’s no division between arrival and departure passengers by structural measures. New regulations, which are necessary since 9/11, are realized circumstantially with movable walls. Especially during rush hour delays happen.





The future of the airport seems extremely positive. In 2009 the runway lengthening up to 12,000ft will make possible direct flights to the US mainland and one year later a modern, 3252m² big, $4 million cargo terminal will open. In view of 8000 marines and their families who will move from Okinawa, Japan to Guam in 2010 Continental wants to expand the capacity of A.B. Won Pat. It is expected that the passenger volume will rise yearly by 2% until 2010. With the highest possible capacity of 5000 passengers per hour the airport should be prepared for this very well.


Groundbreaking of the new CTSI Cargohub


Gouverneur - Guam


How to bulid an Airport...

Airporphotos












An nice overview around Guam Airport. You can cleary see the constructionside at RWY 6L and the taxiways. We are comeing in from the south to land on RWY 6R. JAL 747 JA8088 had to wait during our Landing. Photo was taken from N733SN. (Look here for 1024pix Pic http://flugzeugbilder.de/show.php?id=851226)


Hangar in the East


Hangar in the East for Conti


w/o


The Shorts was inside a hangar at Guam when typhoon "Pongsona" hit.
Now used for Rescue Training N76NF


FAA Tower

Airport Innen:

First Class


First Class


*jam*



Short final

N808NW


N808NW


JA8085 (See also > http://flugzeugbilder.de/show.php?id=826370)



In the new Swiss Cockpit you find Our two side report about the Guam Airport.
Hope you like the Report...





THX to Nicole and Sascha for this Trip!
Photos taken by: Me or Sascha Linkemeyer.

Mfg
Jens

[Basman]

Great report from this remote and unknown (at least for most Europeans) location. Did you try to have a look at Andersen AFB as well?

Just one small comment/question:

so it is the most eastern area of the USA

Isn't it the most western part, instead of eastern?

Bas

[Lord_Manhammer]

Great report from this remote and unknown (at least for most Europeans) location. Did you try to have a look at Andersen AFB as well?

Just one small comment/question:

so it is the most eastern area of the USA

Isn't it the most western part, instead of eastern?

Bas

Hello Bas,

dont forget the international dateline

We try to get on the AFB... after some Mails *silence*
But we stand some Hours in the appron to Andersen.
1x C-130, 1x C-5, 1x C-40 2x KC-135 and 1x B-52 during the night.

[kiwi]

Great report from this remote and unknown (at least for most Europeans) location. Did you try to have a look at Andersen AFB as well?

Just one small comment/question:

so it is the most eastern area of the USA

Isn't it the most western part, instead of eastern?

Bas

Hello Bas,

dont forget the international dateline

We try to get on the AFB... after some Mails *silence*
But we stand some Hours in the appron to Andersen.
1x C-130, 1x C-5, 1x C-40 2x KC-135 and 1x B-52 during the night.

I wouldn't go there if I were you. That whole dateline thingy is pretty complicated.
I'd say (regardless of the dateline) Guam is west of the USA, not east. This is my opinion because the distance to Guam eastbound is muuuuuch further than the distance westbound.

To my knowlegde, east and west only has to do with the position on the map and not with time zones..

[Basman]

To my knowlegde, east and west only has to do with the position on the map and not with time zones..

That was what I was thinking too. I haven't studied the map on this, but if I would have to fly from the US to Guam, I'd take the pacific route out of the west coast, and not all the way over the Atlantic, Europe and Asia.

Bas

[ehusmann]

To my knowlegde, east and west only has to do with the position on the map and not with time zones..

That was what I was thinking too. I haven't studied the map on this, but if I would have to fly from the US to Guam, I'd take the pacific route out of the west coast, and not all the way over the Atlantic, Europe and Asia.

Bas

Just like Japan is the far EAST and not the far west, Guam is in the east and not in the west. But of course, if you keep going east, you end up in the west..... to make it easy

But in any case, it is considered east, because the sun comes up before it comes up in the continental US, not after. Like Jens already mentioned „Where America’s day begins“.

And finally, the earth is divided into two hemisphere, the eastern and the western. One divider is the International Date Line, the other is the Prime Meridian (passing over London). Everything east of the Prime Meridian up to the International Date Line is east, everything west of the Prime Meridian is west. No matter how close it is, Guam is east of the US, but yes, to get from Los Angeles to Guam, you would preferably fly west.... Even funnier is that one island that is officialy divided by the International Date Line, the western part is in the east and the eastern part is in the west......

But regardless of all this, the report is very nice. I had never seen pictures of Guam before. Thanks Jens.

Erwin

[Basman]

Hi Erwin,

Okay, that explains it all....I guess...or does it...well never mind .

Bas