Philippine Airlines: Remembering the Papal Flight with Pope Francis

Although it has been one-week since Pope Francis departed the Philippines, his presence is still felt in the hearts of Filipinos all over the country. For the crew of the Philippine Airlines aircraft that brought the Holy Father back to Rome, the experience was a taste of heaven.

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The Papal flight, often referred to as "Shepherd One," departed Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 10:12am on Monday, January 19. It departed Villamor Airbase slightly later than its originally scheduled departure of 10:00am. The Pope was bid farewell by a number of dignitaries including President Aquino and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

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Pope Francis boarded the aircraft at 9:49am. He was seen carrying a small black bag as he ascended the stairs to the aircraft. Prior to entering the aircraft, he bowed and gave a brief wave, as those on the ground waved back to him. As the aircraft sat on the tarmac, Pope Francis could be seen waving from his seat through the aircraft's window.

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The crew of the Philippine Airlines A340-300 aircraft was led by Captain Manuel Antonio Tamayo, PAL's Vice President of Flight Operations. He was at the controls of the Papal flight to Rome Ciampino, assisted by Captain Ruel Isaac, and First Officers Anthony Atendido and Wilfredo Valencia. Captain Isaac is the Deputy Chief Pilot of PAL's A340-300 division.

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The cabin crew were led by Flight Purser Jeanette Perez, accompanied by flight attendants, Aryc Obeso, Evangeline Recio, Lorenza Sarza, Jacquiline Burgos, Rowena Clemente, Ruby Carlo Manzano, Michael Macaraeg, Francis Aduna, Jan Mara Corteza, and Millicent Reyes. Most of the crew were hand picked by PAL management but some were chosen through a raffle draw.

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The fourteen hour flight to Italy was a special charter with the Philippine government as there are no direct flights between the Philippines and Italy. According to Tamayo, this was the first time that he had ever flown the leader of the Catholic church in a lengthy career that has involved service to three Philippine presidents.  "Now I can proudly tell my grandchildren that I served Pope Francis," said Tamayo. "Our encounters were overwhelming. I am not an emotional person but I was at one point teary eyed."

A Meal Fit for a Pope

Philippine Airlines' Manager for In-Flight Food Standards, Maria Criselda Rayos, stated with pride that Pope Francis enjoyed the food that he was served on board the flight. According to Rayos, he loved the Chicken Arroz Caldo and the Dinuguan.

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PAL is famous for its Arroz Caldo, which is ginger-flavoured rice and chicken porridge served with a garnish of salted eggs, roasted anchovies, native lime, spicy onion, and toasted garlic. The Pope was later served Chef Willy's Dinuguan, which featured pork cutlets stewed in lemon grass and ginger-flavoured blood sauce. It was served with buttered "puto" and steamed rice cakes. 

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The crew recalled that they were scared that the dishes might be too exotic for the Pope. But Pope Francis proved them wrong and all of the dishes passed and were appreciated. "It was a huge success," said members of the crew. "He was so down-to-earth, he can eat our dinuguan." The crew recalled how they explained to the Pope how the dish was prepared with the assistance of the Vatican butler. The Pope was surprised about the ingredients in the dinuguan but it didn't discourage him.

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The in-flight menu featured a combination of Filipino and Italian dishes. The Pope was also served Gambas Ajillo on Quinoa Salad, accompanied by assorted bread rolls and ciabatta slices with black olives and herbs.

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Philippine Airlines President Offers Gifts

Even Philippine Airlines President Jaime Bautista was not spared the strong emotions experienced in the presence of Pope Francis. Bautista offered the Holy Father gifts on behalf of Philippine Airlines aboard the flight to Rome including a framed copy of the front page of the January 15 edition of the Inquirer Newspaper. 

"I handed to him a front page copy of the Inquirer on January 15 and he really liked it," said Bautista. The issue of the Inquirer depicted a full-body photograph of Pope Francis. "We also had him sign another copy for us," added Bautista. Other gifts presented by the PAL President included a letter from PAL's Chairman and CEO Lucio Tan, a lifestyle magazine, and a membership card for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of the Philippines.

"I also presented to him a lifestyle magazine with his photo on the cover," said Bautista. When asked about the significance of the membership card, Bautista said, "I told him the members consider the Pope the wind beneath their wings." Bautista could not hold back his emotion as his voice cracked and he became teary eyed when thanking all of the Philippine Airlines staff that made the Papal flights a success. "It was an honor to fly him," said Bautista. "He was an inspiration to the Filipino people." 

Bautista had the opportunity to meet the Pope on three separate occasions: accompanying him from Rome to Manila, to Tacloban, and then back to Rome. "It was a great honor for PAL," said Bautista. "We were so happy to fly the Pope safely to Manila, Tacloban, and Rome, to give the Pope and his entourage the service they deserve." According to Bautista, Pope Francis was also presented with a personalized Airbus A340 aircraft model with his name engraved on it. 

Philippine Airlines Crew Blessed with Papal Memories

For the cabin crew and pilots of the Pope's Philippine Airlines flights, they can only describe their flights as "blessed." Many of the crew members said they had sleepless nights, rehearsed brief speeches and charming things to say, but could not deliver what they had prepared when the Pope stood in their presence. Even the most articulate crew members were overwhelmed by the presence of Pope Francis.

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But the Pope's human style, along with his charismatic and accommodating nature made it difficult for any of the crew members to feel intimidated. Cabin crew member Ana Alvarez recalled what it was like to serve Pope Francis as she offered him drinks and a towel during the flight. "He smiles and acknowledges you all the time," said Alvarez. Given that the Pope is one of the world's most powerful and influential men, his humble reactions took many of the crew members by surprise. 

Even during the presence of the tropical storm that cut his Tacloban trip short, the Pope was able to remain calm while others were nervous. "I'm scared of turbulence," recalled flight attendant Elsa Yuson. "But with him on the plane, I felt no fear." She even found the courage to test her Spanish on him, asking how he was during the flight to Tacloban. The Pope clasped both her hands as he responded to her. 

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In a more intimate encounter, flight attendant Rowena Clemente recalled her experience aboard the Papal flight to Rome as Pope Francis laid his hand over her head. Trembling and feeling surprised and blessed by his touch, Clemente presented a picture of her family, which Pope Francis blessed. He also made a sign of the cross over a photograph of her son, who passed away two years earlier. "I showed him a picture of my son. That's how I knew my son was finally at peace," said Clemente. "Being blessed by the Pope, it was like being blessed by the Lord himself. He was childlike. His eyes were so soulful like those of Padre Pio."

For many of the crew members, the once-in-a-lifetime experience was life changing, and for some it was the highlight of their lives. Many recalled the feelings of joy and feeling blessed as they wept before him. "He took my hand. I kissed his ring and his hand," recalled a crew member. "He spoke with his eyes. It was a taste of heaven, a gift we will never forget."

Pope Francis made an effort to visit the cockpit and bless the crew members. He was ambushed on numerous occasions for selfies as he went to the lavatory. A special lavatory was prepared for the Pope for his personal use. But the Pope continued to use a lavatory near his seat, which was also being used by the pilots.

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The crew expected turbulence en route to Rome's Ciampino Airport, but the entire flight was smooth. The youngest member of the crew was Francis Aduna. He recalled the brief lesson that the Pope gave him as he corrected Aduna's pronunciation of "ajillo" while being asked about his preferred meal. "It's ahiyo, not ahilyo," recalled Aduna. He felt honoured that the Pope remembered his name and offered to always pray for him.

A Souvenir Worth More Than a Pay Cheque

Although all of the crew members aboard the Philippine Airlines flight came away with a lifetime full of memories, it might have been ground handler, Marc Lim, that walked away with the best treasure of all -- the Pope's zucchetto. Prior to the Pope's visit, Marc asked a priest friend what would be the best gift that he could offer to the Pope. The priest gave him invaluable advice informing him that he could purchase a zucchetto directly from the papal supplier in Vatican City. 

Image Source: GMA Network/Mark Lim

The goal was to exchange the new zucchetto for the one being worn by the Pope. But there was never a guarantee that the Pope would take it. Marc made a gamble and ordered the zuchetto from Europe, spending a hefty amount of his pay cheque. But it was all worth it if it meant earning a living relic that could be passed to his family for generations. Marc took a spot near the reception line with the gift in his pocket. When the Pope was in range, he called him by his old name in Argentina: Padre Jorge. The plan worked and as the Pope responded, Marc offered the skull cap as a gift. Pope Francis received it with delight and offered Marc not only his old zucchetto, but a couple of rosaries as well.

The Pope's visit to the Philippines was without a doubt a memorable experience for everyone. For the crew of the Philippine Airlines jet, it could be the most memorable flight for their entire careers. If the Pope decides to return to the Philippines for the Eucharistic Congress in Cebu next year, they might just get the chance to do it all over again. The Pope's flight from Manila landed in Rome on January 20, 2015. The crew of the Airbus A340-300 turned around and flew back to the Philippines after a brief ground stop.