United Passenger Brutality Brings Back Memories

Instead of waiting several days for a U.S. military flight, I opted to go by the newly-reestablished Philippine Airlines. It had just resumed daily service throughout the island nation. As I boarded at the now-named Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I should have had a clue as to what I was in for. With the civilian airline yet to receive new aircraft, the flight was on a beat-up two-engine plane that had spent ragged, stained and the aisles full of trash. That was the best of it. Most of the passengers were farmers returning to their newly-liberated homes, and many brought animals with them. My two-hour flight companions included bleating sheep, calves, pigs and chickens. The aisles were full of running, jumping, coupling and other animal sounds, smells and sights. Several times I had to fight off some pecking roosters, and four or five hungry goats when I was attempting to eat a candy bar. After two days on Mindanau, I was lucky to snag a ride on a Navy PBY Catalina bomber returning to Manila. Instead of sharing my seat with goats and pigs, I spent the entire flight curled up alone in one of the machine gun mounts. For info about today’s very modern airline service in the Philippines, go to www.philippineairlines.com