“Triumph in the Skies 2” is Full of Mistakes
With Triumph in the Skies 2’s <衝上雲霄II> high exposure, the drama is bound to receive some criticism from the general audience. The series already started off with the netizens bashing the opening theme for being too old-school, Francis Ng’s (吳鎮宇) hairstyle for looking terrible, the cast’s poor English, and now the latest complaint – too many errors in the series.
Poor Reflection of Real Pilots
Even the most popular dramas will receive complaints, and it is no different with Triumph in the Skies 2. Numerous netizens were unsatisfied with how the actors portrayed actual pilots, believing that the cast gave a poor reflection of the profession. A Facebook page was eventually created to list the errors and complaints.
Even though the lead actors, Chilam Cheung (張智霖), Kenneth Ma (馬國明), and Ron Ng (吳卓羲) were not directly at fault for these mishaps, they partially became the scapegoats of netizens’ complaints.
Below are a list of mistakes found:
Error 1: Coffee cups
When Kenneth was making Chilam’s cup of coffee, it was seen that they were using ceramic cups, however airplanes now only use plastic and paper cups because of safety issues.
Error 2: Ignoring the Captain and Responsibility Issues
In the scene where Ron and Kenneth were arguing about which alternative route to take due to the weather change, they completely neglected Chilam, who was the actual captain. Besides that, because Ron was actually the pilot flying the plane, he should not be the person who is responsible for receiving weather reports from Skylette’s radio station.
Error 3: Unsafe Landing
When Chilam told the passengers on the plane to look at the rainbow halo, it was actually during the plane’s landing, in which all passengers were required to have their seat belts fastened. However, the passengers were busy taking pictures and neglected their own safety.
Error 4: Dining Together
Usually, pilots would rotate to go on their breaks or have their meals, but in episode 2, all four pilots were eating at the same time – which was an inaccurate portrayal of pilots on duty.
Error 5: Lights Turned on Suddenly
While the flight attendants were telling the passengers to fasten their seat belts and performing the checking routine, all the lights suddenly turned on. If this were a real flight, the sudden lights would have affected those who were resting.
Error 6: Free Pass to the Cockpit
In episode 3, Nancy Wu (胡定欣) was seen freely entering and leaving the cockpit control area where the pilots were located. Normally, flight attendants communicate with pilots through a phone or if necessary, they would ring the bell and be allowed to enter by the pilots. This is to ensure safety, but clearly, TVB forgot this important point and let both Nancy and Elena Kong (江美儀) freely visit as they wish.
Cast Responds to Mistakes
“I’m only following the script and what I’m told to do! Most of the passengers are inexperienced temporary actors. Their knowledge with acting are limited and we all tried our best,” Elena explained when asked about TVB’s carelessness.
When the reporters asked if the cast has taken brief lessons to increase knowledge about being a pilot, Kenneth explained that there were actually professionals on the set to help with the filming. “However, for the first few episodes, the professional pilots were not there due to schedule conflicts. We had our scripts run by them previously to ensure accuracy!”
Instead of being angry, Kenneth complimented netizens on their attentiveness and said it is good that people are paying close attention to the series.
Chilam also did not mind the disapproval from the audience and stated that he is not worried about ratings at all. While Chilam stole the hearts of everyone with his Captain Cool role, some said he exaggerated too much in his speech. In response, he laughed, “I’m supposed to be a playboy pilot in this though! Hopefully, I didn’t scare anyone off and that Captain Cool will become another classic.”
TVB: Entertainment is Number 1
Hong Kong pilot Tam Mun Ho (譚文豪) was one of the top posters on the Facebook page with regards to TVB’s inaccurate depiction of the airline industry. He said that although airline professionals were on set to help during filming, inaccuracies can still result as the producer may add on changes to the script afterward.
Tam added, “With their original prequel, TVB already had people to supervise the scripting changes and playbacks and I’m sure it’s the same with Triumph in the Skies 2. It’s challenging to coordinate everything from start to finish. In the end, Triumph in the Skies 2 is a series for normal audience viewers and I think TVB’s first priority is entertainment and not strict professionalism.”
Source: Oriental Sunday #815 via ihktv.com
This article is written by Su for JayneStars.com.
Damn, HK people really love to whine. This is entertainment people, not ‘Flying for Dummies’.
This is tvb jade, not bbc.
They have to be kidding with these criticism. Unless you work in the airline profession and pay very close attention and care enough to make notes. I doubt the criticism come from the general audience.
I Agree. Its just entertainment, not a actual point of learning. I am from the medical field, but i still watch dramas despite the wrong medical procedures being shown, a guy being intubated but still able to talk? A wound on the left in one scene but the right is bandaged in the next scene..
Error 1 : “When Kenneth was making Chilam’s cup of coffee, it was seen that they were using ceramic cups, however airplanes now only use plastic and paper cups because of safety issues”
Not true. First and business class paxs will definitely complain if they get served with plastic and paper cups. Even on short turnarounds, we serve them with proper glass and ceramic wares, esp first class paxs.
Error 6 : “Normally, flight attendants communicate with pilots through a phone or if necessary, they would ring the bell and be allowed to enter by the pilots. This is to ensure safety, but clearly, TVB forgot this important point and let both Nancy and Elena Kong (江美儀) freely visit as they wish.”
Flight crew can indeed go in and out of the cockpit freely. However they have to press the cockpit security code to get in.
I agree with you.
Yes, I was served with ceramic cups and plates on business class.
The above statement was about the guidelines of serving drinks to the pilot in cockpit. Not to the passenger. I used to work for an airline. Pilots were required to use paper or plastic cups for any drinks due to safety concerns & space resrictriction in their working place. Not any glass or ceramic were allowed in there.
agreed!
this people are not exposed to business class… so what to expect other than just know how to criticize
I have NEVER had any coffee served to me in a paper or plastic cup before!!! Always porcelain/ceramic.
I think tvb did the best job they could with this series… Can’t fault them with little things. They’ve tried! 🙂
agree! First and business class normally use ceramic tablewares
You know they have too much time on their hands when they have to create a facebook page just to whine. Complaining about Francis’ hair is the silliest thing.
Just look at how much people whine here about their english, when i bet their accents are probably worse. Lol
Dang. What happened to watching a show for the sake of entertainment? Now, the audience nitpick every little thing. Ehh
Why can’t people just enjoy the show and just watch for entertainment? It is just a drama. We are not watching a documentary about pilots and flying airplanes. I am sure TVB already tried their best to depict everything as accurately as they can since there are professionals on set. Unless you are in the industry, people are not going to notice all these technicalities. And honestly, I don’t really care about all these little details. As for the English…these are Hong King actors, not American actors. A lot of HK actors did not grow up speaking English so it is forgivable if they can’t speak the language well. People don’t need to nicpick at every little thing.
My sentiments exactly….
On the other hand, if the Facebook page was specially created by professional airline crew just to bring awareness to the actual, correct procedures in a real environment compared to the scenes from the series, then it is acceptable.
The airlines could actually take this opportunity to let the general public know the actual procedures and not use it as a tool to nitpick on a series which is meant for entertainment.
Seriously the recent mundane complaints have made me think “Ah maybe someone have put together a team of people who watch TVB series just to pick on errors and then make blow it all up under the disguise of normal viewers.” Who might that be??
Maybe Fala’s camp?
Maybe someone who thought he was going to open a new station somewhere but still waiting in limbo…Can’t be too specific here la. Your guess??
I guess HK people are really sharp… complaints are good that means that people are watching the series unlike the other TVB series lol
It’s a drama people theres bound to be some flaws….
Normal HK people watch TV for entertainment and relaxation, not to pick on the most stupid errors. Still very suspicious situation!
Aside from everyone getting up from their seats to take pictures during a landing, these are all minor issues that doesn’t require much suspension of disbelief.
Big Hollywood blockbuster movies with huge budgets will have same problems. Nothing is perfect.
Good points, only those who knows will know but nonetheless very very good points. But hey this is TVB. What do you expect? They forgot also handing out water and food during flight canceled at the airport terminal, the fact that we ever see Skylette and no one else.
The criticism about the Ron/Kenneth/Chilam captain issue, perhaps a Captain can let his copilot takeover the duties. Could be.
But these are not stupid errors. They’re fatal flaws but since like I said it is TVB, I don’t expect much accuracy as long as they don’t show a pig flying the cockpit, all should be ok.
Good points, only those who knows will know but nonetheless very very good points. But hey this is TVB. What do you expect? They forgot also handing out water and food during flight canceled at the airport terminal, the fact that we ever see Skylette and no one else.
The criticism about the Ron/Kenneth/Chilam captain issue, perhaps a Captain can let his copilot takeover the duties. Could be.
But these are not stupid errors. They’re fatal flaws but since like I said it is TVB, I don’t expect much accuracy as long as they don’t show a pig flying the co-ckpit, all should be ok.
hey, first, it not a flight cancellation, It’s therderstorm 3level, so people is not supposed to quit the airport.
In Canada, some cancellation is only allow to to rebook your flight. If you have insurance, maybe your insurance cover for that but depend on the type on cancellation.
In the event of flight cancellation or serious delay most airlines at HK CLK airport now give passengers food and drink coupons so they can choose whatever they want from different shops. Ai yah haven’t seen wrapped sandwiches or bottled water for a long time. No need to be so cynical, a pig piloting a plane….
Actually my friend, who was stranded with her family for more than 8 hours at HK airport due to a huge delay with her connecting flight out of HK to Singapore, was generously provided with free transportation to visit the Big Buddha. They were also provided with meal coupons at a nearby hotel for lunch. The service they received at the airport was excellent according to what she told me.
Yes, meal coupons. You don’t see blanket gently laid on top of sleeping passengers on floors, bottled water handed over personally to literally hundreds or thousands of people one by one. That is what I find inaccurate. Maybe in a small airport but HK? Too big for that sort of personal level.
Dear Funn Lim if you hate TVB so much why bother to watch their series and write long reviews on them even if this website pays you well. My sincere apologies if it’s an unpaid job. It must be tiresome for you la. By the way I am not a TVB employee.
I am not paid. I do it for the love of doing it. I write for my own blog. I repost here. I don’t hate TVB that much. Who says you have got to love everything TVB does? There are fansites and there are opinion based news site. And I do not deserve this sort of sweeping statement since I did not write the above article.
those ppl seriously need a life LOLOL
Totally agree :O
Error 1: That is not true. I’ve seen first and business class complain if it’s plastic or styrofoam cup.
Error 2: Are the netizens pilot? How do they know if the report is going to give to the flying pilot or the captain or the substitute in case of emergency?
Error 3: I don’t really remember correctly, but the part where that happen was when Captain Cool just pass the turbulence, and he then turn the seatbelt sign off since he pass the hard part, and he wasn’t landing yet. He was still on air flying back home. We never saw or heard him said landing, just halo and turbulence is pass.
Error 4: Um, dude. It was only 4 girls, do you guys forget the guys that was also in the scene…? They are on duty.
Error 5: Um, you didn’t said what episode it was on. If it’s on the turbulence or emergency issues, this happen all the time on airplane when that happen. Do you want to be resting or sleeping if there is an emergency happening and die…
Error 6: If I remember correctly, the pilot did ring the flight attendance or the flight attendance did knock. Unless you can tell me a scene where they did it without notice.. otherwise, I do not remember when they enter unannounced.
-With all the viewers finding of flaws are not even, use their mind instead of talking nonsense. Are you guys even pilot? –
Everyone is a pilot here especially FunnLim. The b**tch is our captain. She seems to know perfectly of how to connnnnplain tvb artists. Terrible lady!!
apps lim, what I have done to you to unlease your inner bit-chiness towards me so unfairly? You talk as if you know me and as if I written this article. If there is any personal attack, this is it. Unless you have any evidence to point to me writing this or I am as you say the pilot, I will advise you to shut up, go that little corner over there and sulk like a child that you are.
Well. It doesn’t surprise me that there are netizens that enjoy nitpicking to death everything they watch, but why is it that HK entertainment reporters like to write their articles simply based on going to forums and copy-and-pasting scattered comments from random netizens? Don’t they have more scandalous things to report?
too much complaint from HK viewer, sometimes received complaint is good so can do better next time but I think this is too much.
It’s free entertainment so shut up! It’s a story so take it for what it is. Life is not perfect nor should any entertainment be.
Wow still watching TITS2 anyways!
Error 1: Coffee cups
sorry, but in Canada, I was taking flight with Porter Airline, they serve you with glass cups…
this is not a error
F the people, just enjoy the show or don’t watch is
Really?? I guess I hardly ever fly so I would not even know about these soul called “flaws” or “errors”. But even if they were truly flaws or errors, it is only a TV series for heavens’ sake. A TV series of course will not be like real life so what is there to complain about? Do the people in HK really fly that much to notice and nit pick these little details???
http://ianeesms.blogspot.ca/2010/05/flying-porter-airlines-is-heaven.html
Someone who thought he was going to open a tv station somewhere but still waiting in limbo have put together a team of people to watch TVB series. Their job is to pick on the most mundane errors and post them as complaints by ordinary viewers. Normal HK people usually watch TV for entertainment , who will spend 60 minutes glued to the screen looking for mundane errors?
agree
Agree!!
I don’t think they only spend 60 mins glued to the screen looking for errors. My guess is, since they’re nit-picking it has to take longer than that cos every scene has to be watched once in its original form, then in slow-mo, lastly with some pausing, repeating and zooming in… real tedious job 😛
Well said that’s why I find it strange when this constant nit-picking on TVB series started last year. Even minor details like a wrong period ashtray caught the watchful eyes of HK viewers. Really whose eyes will zoom onto the props put on a desk instead of concentrating on the dialogue. Hands up anyone who can recall the dishes of a meal scene?
Any1 watch foreign movies d likes of french, italian n sorts, their english is not perfect u know doubt its a major problem at all!
oops sorry on d wrong topic.
People who complain about the inaccuracies need to wake up and realize that ultimately this series is about relationships and love triangles. The airport/airplane/cockpit is just another backdrop for things to happen. It could easily be replaced by a hospital, restaurant, public toilet, etc. This is TVB, accuracy is not important, cheesy relationships are.
lol HK viewer is so lame. Cant believe there is a FB page for the mistakes.
Ppl hating on this series must be the ppl that works for CTI. Hahaha
Can’t agree more, a case of very sour grapes!
But they may be doing TVB a favour instead. Even non-supporters of the series will want to watch just to check for themselves on the inaccuracies of the scenes or the errors reported.
So, TVB may need to thank them if the rating continues to go up.
Do the people in HK have that much time on their hands? I thought HK was a really hectic place to live?? I wonder where they find the time to watch series and complain about this and that??? I am really surprised.
In Malaysia, we do have a donkey lady lives nearby me in ampang who has so much of free time in her life time. She says she couldnt sleep well without dropping a dozens of dozens of hate complains on ppl’s actings everyday.
i don’t know if people taking flight in europe or what so ever…
the pilot speak well they mother langage… to english, most of them is suck.
even some flight attendant, will not speak well english too
what is the name of the girl standing second from right?
At least it was not as bad when they messed up in the original Triumph in the Skies… they had the nerve to call the city of Florence–Rome! They filmed scenes in Florence and Rome but called everything Rome. It was really careless and disappointing to see Sam and Belle in the streets of Rome(near the Colosseum) then to the cafe overlooking il Duomo in Florence in one scene! I am still upset to this day and hope that there will not be as severe mistakes!