Chinese military plane returns to refuel at Davao airport
DAVAO CITY – A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Ilyushin Il-76 made another refueling stopover at the Davao International Airport on Saturday noon.
The Soviet-made military cargo plane, with tail number 21407, was en route back to China after participating in a two-week military exercise known as Skytrain 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand.
It was the same plane that had a refueling stop here last June 8 on its way to New Zealand.
Manila Bulletin sources disclosed that the plane was carrying at least 20 crew members.
During its first refueling stop on June 8, sources disclosed that the crew members had a quick lunch at a cafeteria inside the airport terminal.
On Saturday, the four-engine military cargo plane touched down on Runway 05 at around 12:20 p.m. and took off at around 2 p.m.
As the plane taxied to the east side of the tarmac, two fuel tankers made their way to the right side of the aircraft.
Residents living near the runway in Doña Pilar Village were stunned by the noise and the size of the plane.
“Mao diay saba kaayo, tingala kami lahi man ang tingog kay naanad man kami sa mga eroplano na sige landing dire (That’s why it was so noisy. We were surprised because the sound was different from what we normally hear when planes land),” a resident told Manila Bulletin.
The IL-76 is a known heavytransport plane designed to carry tanks, guns, and other military equipment. It has a wingspan of about 50 meters and has a payload of at least 40 tons.