SWISSAIR MD11 HBIWB SEOUL (SEL) ZURICH
SEPTEMBER 3, 1996

Vacation time ! In September 1996 I travelled with my wife and daughter for three weeks to Switzerland, Turkey and Bulgaria. For me it was my first trip to Bulgaria, visiting the Black Sea resort of Nessebar and Sozopol again, after 24 years. Planning to film flights on board Balkan Bulgarian Airlines AN24, I was very excited to capture these Soviet Classics on film, before they disappear for good. This video features the flight onboard Swissair MD11 HBIWB "Graubünden" from old SeoulKimpo Airport to Zurich, a long flight, more than 12 and a half hours, because the airspace on the direct route between Seoul and Beijing the "Olympic Route" could not be used. All flights to Europe were directed to the South, to Shanghai and then all the way up North to Beijing and then over Mongolia onward to Russia.
I hope you get an idea of the inflight feeling onboard Business Class on a longhaul flight onboard Swissair almost 20 years ago.

This was the second flight filmed with my "new" SHARP video camera, the first camera using digital recording technology.
Digital technology was a revolution in videography compared to the analog memory recording at that time. However I quickly learned to regret my decision to buy this SHARP camera. Frequent breakdowns, scene ruptures, problems with dust on the video head soon persuaded me to exchange this camera with a far more advanced model from SONY, two years later.

History of MD11 HBIWB

Airframe 48444 was manufactured 1991 and delivered to Swissair, registered HBIWB and named “Graubünden”, March 30, 1991.
After the liquidation of Swissair, HBIWB was transferred to Swiss International Airlines on March 31, 2002. HBIWB was sold to Varig, Brazil, registered PPVTF, October, 2003. This aircraft was converted into a freighter and operated for Federal Express, registered N625FE, owned by Central Air Leasing, after September 28, 2004. This aircraft operated for Transmile Air Services, Malaysia, and was registered 9MTGP on April 26, 2005. Her new operator Federal Express registered her N644FE on January 18, 2011. N644FE has been reported stored at Victorville (VCV), California, November 8, 2014.

Enjoy with me the Sights & Sounds of Classic Aviation.
Thank you for watching my channel.

Flight details

Flight : SR 177
Date : Tuesday, September 3, 1996
Aircraft : MD11
Registration : HBIWB
Name : Graubünden
Later registrations :
PPVTF (Varig)
N625FE (Federal Express)
9MTGP (Transmile Air Services, Malaysia)
N644FE (Federal Express)
Built : 1991
From : Seoul (SEL)
To : Zurich (ZRH)
Take off : 12.00 h (0300 UTC)
Touch down : 17.33 h (1533 UTC)
Flying time : 12 hours 33 minutes
Flying distance : 11.079 km
Altitude : 10.700 / 11.300 / 11.100 m
Speed : 870 / 916 km/h
Flight Captain : Kaufmann Mr.
Maitre de Cabin : Bischoff Mr. (Cabin Trainer)
Cabin Crew : Zentner Mrs.
Cabin Crew : Kim, S Ms.