Dirk Grothe heads to Cebu to fly on board the last active Boeing 737-200 in the Philippines.
FROM THE COCKPIT Boeing 737-200
Aviation enthusiasts arriving at Mactan Cebu International Airport (ICAO: RPVM, IATA: CEB) can’t fail but notice SEair International’s Boeing 737-200. The aircraft in question, RP-C4737 (c/n 23065), is one of almost 1,100 examples of the -200 series built by the US manufacturer between 1967 and 1988. But while many of its stablemates have long since retired, this particular 737 is no museum piece. By day it sits parked up on the ramp, looking rather forlorn under the hot Filipino sun. It becomes a different kind of beast entirely once the sun goes down, earning its crust carrying cargo across the Philippines.