s we dropped down to 25,000 feet I saw one of the most extraordinary panoramas I'd ever been lucky enough to witness. The majesty of it all and the stunning vistas that lay below and before me were spectacular. It was as beautiful as spring's first rose, and it made me understand why so many pilots on commercial jetliners love their job; they get to see so many awe-inspiring sights from the cockpit. My view was that of a vast vista of the Pacific.

This is not (obviously!) the "awe inspiring" photo as described by John in his story. It is however, a photo he took of the view from the cockpit landing at LAX. "It is," he says, "awe-inspiring to sit up front like this with the pilot, because it gives one a totally different visual perspective sitting THERE, versus that of sitting in the passenger part of the aircraft, and looking out from either the left or right side of the cabin. It's easy to see why most pilots still love sights like this, even after they've been flying for years and years." When John took this photo in 1976, he was Manager of Publicity for Continental Airlines.

I was sitting in the cockpit of a Continental Airlines/Air Micronesia Boeing 727-100 as we headed towards an island in the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the western Pacific Ocean, with the amazing name of TRUK. Now modernized to CHUUK. 2,500 miles from Hawaii, Truk is one of the four main island groups of the Caroline Islands, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap.

Map of Micronesia as it relates, geographically, to the Pacific Ocean and Australia (map courtesy Graphic Maps.com) Truk, now "modernized" to CHUCCK, is to the right of the Yellow Star

As the editor (in the mid-1970s) of Continental Airlines monthly employee magazine the Golden Jet, I was on my way to do a story about "Air Mike's" various island stations in Micronesia, and the pilot had kindly asked me to "sit up front with him." "Air Mike" was the name most commonly used by all employees and many passengers, to describe the pacific operation of this airline.

On the left a "sample" of the Continental Airlines' employee monthly magazine, "The Golden Jet." Note the story lower left of the page about the 10 year Anniversary of Continental/Air Micronesia – date of this issue is May, 1978. On the right, John's feature on Truk. This issue is July 1976.

Even though I know how safe it is to fly, the fact is that flying over such a vast and seemingly never ending expanse of ocean, caused me to be, well, "a bit concerned" should anything go wrong. It didn't, of course, but for those worried about flying YOU know what I mean.

When Truk came into sight it gave the impression as being the size of a postage stamp. Then I observed the runway, and it looked to be the size of a small ironing board. As the Air Mike 727 came lower and lower for our landing, I noted that the runway began and ended at the ocean, and appeared to be only 100 yards long! I questioned not only our landing, but if this 70 plus ton jet could stop before plunging into the ocean at the runway's end. We touched down – it seemed only inches from the ocean's edge – and a cloud of whitish dust enveloped our aircraft. I learned later the runway (back then in 1976) was coral, and coral dust was kicked up by the jet blast.

Left: The B-727-100 John was aboard, and sitting in the cockpit, about to land at Truk. Right: The same aircraft, after passengers had deplaned and new ones boarded, takes off. Note the coral dust swirling around BEHIND the jet.

In 1944 Truk was to the Japanese in WW2 what Pearl Harbor was for the US Navy in 1941. On February 16th-17th, 1944, the US Navy and aircraft from its carriers, launched a massive, surprise attack that devastated a huge part of the Japanese fleet based in Truk. What makes that so fascinating for tourists is that many of the 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 32 merchant ships and 270 aircraft still lie in and around the ocean bottom of Truk and its large lagoon. It is, one mesmerized tourist said, "a scuba divers' paradise." Because of its historic significance the entire area has been declared a National Historic Monument, and if you decide to dive on these wrecks, nothing, absolutely nothing, must be taken or disturbed.

Top: A Japanese tank on the deck of a cargo ship, both now on the bottom of the Truk Lagoon (photo courtesy Truk Tourism, 1976). Bottom: One of John's photos showing what looks like a large canon. The interesting thing here is how near to the surface the canon is. "It is," says John, "absolutely riveting, awesome and some rather weird way, a bit "spooky" to see these WW2 relics, and knowing the history of the battle in February, 1944, realizing how close you are to this history." That is why the entire area was declared a National Historic Monument, and nothing is to be touched or disturbed.

My 3 day visit to Truk rates as one of the most mesmerizing, captivating and intriguing travel experiences of my life, during which my work as a travel journalist and PR executive has taken me to 51 countries around the world. Confirmation that anything can be achieved in this breathtakingly wonderful place called America.

John's "Up close and personal" photo of the B-727-100 he flew aboard on his trip to Micronesia, a second or two from landing on Truk's coral runway, May, 1976. This aircraft was the first B-727-100 to fly the Air Micronesia schedule, and was affectionately known as "JUJU" by both Air Mike employees and yes, passengers as well. "If you've ever wondered," says John, "what happens to commercial aircraft when, like old cars, they are of no use anymore, the final "destination" of JUJU is both shocking and yes, sad. But," he says, "that's another story in another Traveling Boy feature story sometime in the future."

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