So many good memories, I left Hong Kong to Toronto for school in the summer of 1985 when I was 16. My very first time taking a flight all by myself without speaking any English. My dad bought the cheapest ticket which was Taiwan Airline and I had to stop in Taipei, Japan, and San Fransico! It was over 30 hours all by myself and I didn't have a US visa at that time so I was put in an area with the surveillance of an officer during my transit. I didn't have any US dollar bill with me for the deposit of the cart for my luggage at the San Fransico airport so a girl who seat next to me on the plane lent me a dollar, and I owe her a dollar for 38 years! My English was so bad I couldn't even manage to buy batteries for my walkman at the airport! OMG it was 38 freaking years ago but it seems like yesterday! I miss Kai Tak airport!
Yes *absolutely and I unequivocally agree. My thoughts were early Star Wars. Does that sound about right? These pilots are NOT flying little Corvettes or Bushplanes but they are flying them as tho they were flying in the bush of Alaska Burma or Southeast Asia. I thought that great music really added to the overall film. Just WOW.*
I am a former multi engine, commercial instrument rated pilot with over 3000 hours and literally millions of miles on commercial airlines. Suffice it to say I am an aviation nut. I have flown into Kai Tak more than a dozen times on various airlines and was never not amazed and thrilled. As a pilot, the approach confused me (thought it must have been a DME Arc) but a gracious captain from United showed me the approach plate and described the bizarre checker board approach in detail. Others have commented on the skills required to fly this approach and they are spot on. I have watched this video many, many times and will continue to do so. And my point in submitting this is really just to profusely thank those made it possible for all to see.
Thank you for this!! I was born and raised in HK, departed, and landed in Kai Tak many times when I was younger. I will always remember the hard right turn before landing, knowing it's about to touch down at my highest emotion. The downslope exit after immigration when you enter HK inside the terminal was also unforgettable, the moment when always hundreds of people waiting for their pickup and they all look upright at you while you're trying very hard to find your own pickup. My most fond memories were the rides going to Kai Tak and inside the terminal, the sad times when leaving, and the happy times when return - mom and dad will always be there. I will always love HK, but I missed the good old days more...
I started flying for Cathay Pacific in 1991 so I have fond memories of this airport. An approach on the infamous runway 13 could certainly get your adrenalin pumping at times. One of the few runways in the world where a jetliner could not do an automatic final approach and landing. It was all done manually. When the wind was blowing hard across the runway, and it did so very often, it was always entertaining to watch the non-Hong Kong based airlines attempt a landing. Of course Korean Air was always a favorite to watch in these conditions, since many of their pilots were having quite a hard time dealing with the manual landing in gusty crosswind conditions, as attested by numerous UA-cam videos. The more modern airport which replaced it in 1998 at Chek Lap Kok is much more user friendly but in strong winds it can also be very interesting due to the interaction with the mountains of Lantau island.
Michel Fortin Last time I was on a plane that was doing this landing/take off naughty me tried to take a photo sequence out of the plane window with my camera when we weren't supposed to. Was runway 13 the one by the Marlboro poster?
For a couple of years in the '80s, I lived in HK in the Kowloon area where the planes would roar overhead on approach to Kai Tak. It was spectacular to say the least. I once had the privilege of being in a cockpit on approach to Kai Tak - unforgettable! Thanks for the memories, bigeyedchicken, and of course, good ol' Kai Tak.
I was a flight attendant with Cathay Pacific and we flew over those low-rises and laundry lines with metres to spare and i did live in a top floor flat in the flight path for 18 months. Still miss Kai Tak. One of the quickest & most efficient international airports in the world in its time.
Great collection of clips. I flew this route many times and each and every time it was a heart beat in my throat. It was nice to wave at high rise residents as we floated below their highest floors and made our final course corrections. Gears down, nose up, hang on
Best Kai Tak video I've seen! great music from 633 squadron! I have fond memories of flying in to Kai Tak! The seats on the right hand side of the aircraft , behind the wing were the best!
Mate of mine was invited to sit in with crew on landing at this airport in mid nineties and for him he said it was the biggest thrill of his life. The angle of decent over city and last minute rotations made him feel any pilot doing this would have to be awesome!
I used to fly there all the time as a flight attendant and it was always a thrill landing there! Sitting at door three on the 747 you could see the firemen playing basketball and people's clothes drying outside their balconies! Great video, thanks for the memories...lol
It was 1955 my family flew from SEA on a Northwest Constellation with sleeping berths. From Narita via Naha in Okinawa and Taipei we arrived over Hong Kong in a DC-7. I was ten and this was my first airplane trip. I felt we were so close to the walls ringing the harbor and runway that now, 60 years later it was the most exciting passenger flight I had ever been on.
Flew in and out of Kai Tak scores of times starting in the mid 80's..."Kai Tak Heart Attack" is a good one Andrew. I also saw clotheslines and on one approach saw an elderly woman sitting at her small table with teapot and cup easily visible. I was always a passenger on some version of 747 with several airlines and my hats off to all the pilots that negotiated that approach. Never, not once did I feel the crew was anything but spot on in their landings....and the crosswinds could be wicked fun as the videos show. I feel blessed to have flown in and out as many times as I did.....and a window seat was a must!
I love the new airport, but I sure regret never getting the chance to visit Kai Tak and the surrounding area for some spotting. Absolutely incredible! Great video! THank you for posting.
Brilliant! Kai Tak was special, and flying into or out of Honkers was an experience like no other major airport in the world. I remember seeing people on their balconies overlooking Happy Valley as the stretch DC8 I was on jockeyed for landing position. The thrill of looking out your window just before landing and being almost level with the junks on "Fragrant Harbour" was very special.
I remember landing in a 747 at Hong Kong Kai Tak on a beautiful golden light sun setting evening in 1987. It was quite surreal with all the buildings lights so close, an amazing experience!
That good bye was touching ... got me teary eyed , and the music was PERFECT cause that was the feeling you had landing there . "I am about to live some REALLY important moment in my life!" Thank you Hong Kong, literally a thrill a second from arrival to departure"
My dad used to work in Air France flying the B777-200 Classic. He's now working in Hong Kong Airline as a senior captain and he told me that if he could ever had a chance to fly into kai tak again, he'd definitely do it.
Best video on the whole site, this was a real test of your skills particularly when the winds were up coming off the harbor. It's gone now, probably a good thing, I remember my first approach here on 13 and always will.
I flew 747-400 planes into Kai Tak many times from 1991-1996. The IGS to Runway 13 was a bit of a challenge to those who had not done it before, but after about 10 or 20 landings there, one gets to figure out just what is needed and how to handle it well. The Cathay Pacific pilots had it nailed -- they were really good, as this was their home base. All those bad landings you see in the video are primarily due to sloppy planning and/or overshooting the turn to final. If there is a cross wind from the right (common-- you see it in almost all the 'sideways' landings in the videos), you CANNOT turn late -- you must start the right turn to final exactly as published or even a wee bit before. Otherwise, you'll end up in more than 30 degrees bank (saw that in the video) to correct back to course on final And there is only a very short time to make the corrections! Another big mistake was the pilots who level off a bit as they make that turn -- you MUST continue the rate of descent you had on the IGS (about 800 to 900 feet per minute usually) in that turn, or you'll end up high on short final -- time for a steep dive and hope you don't pick up a bunch of speed you didn't need! BTW, no one mentioned the famous red and white 'checkerboard' on the side of the mountain --- that is the 'aiming point' on the IGS portion of the approach -- aim for the checkerboard, then.... turn right about 80 degrees (? forgot the exact turn required) and 'land over there!' Yes, I miss the fun of landings at Kai Tak. Chep Lap Kok is a boring approach and landing, unless a typhoon is in progress! The good thing is they quickly built a freeway highway and fast rail train route to Kowloon and then to HK island from Lantau just before the new airport opened up. Sorry to be so long winded here!
Wow, that's a stunning compilation! I love watching airboyd's videos, but this redux version is really something that even my non-flying friends appreciate.
My dad used to living in Kowloon City so it was very close to the airport. Everyday aeroplanes would just fly above his head. The buildings there were short to prevent collision of the aeroplane with bridges or buildings. Because of the abundance of mountains in Hog Kong there were a hill painted with checker marks. Whenever the pilot saw the pattern they will do a very sharp turn and land on the airport. The aeroplane were flying so low that sometimes it was just 50 meters up in the air so the engine force of the aeroplane can be physically felt on the ground. Sadly the government decided to build a new airport at the Lantau Island and therefore after serving for 70+ years the old airport was finally retired. In WW2 the Japanese bombed this airport to prevent RAF fighters getting airborne. After that the Japanese mined the stone in a 700+ years site an expanded the airport. This airport is truly fascinating and even though I wasn't born until the 21 century I will always remember this airport in my heart.
I am proud of being able to live in Hong Kong and have the experience of taking the flights from Kai Tak and seeing the views of the flats nearby. Thanks a lot for your great work and edition here to share with the global villagers!!!!!
I was born and live in Kowloon City where the district right next to Kai Tak Airport. Whenever there was a plane fly across, it was so loud that even you are screaming right next to your friend, your friend still cannot hear what you say. Btw, @2:39 the second building on the right was my home, it is amazing to see footage of my old home town.
I had immense pleasure of visiting Hong Kong in May, 1998 just months before Kai Tak was shut. Frightening and exciting experience! I was doubtful when they said that all costly navigational equipment will be moved from Kai to Lap Kok in 12 hour operation. And they did it! Wow to Chinese!
Great compilation, and a nice touch adding in Ron Goodwin's score from "633 Squadron". I have landed at Kai Tak a number of times, and it scared the bejezus out of me every time. Flying to HK just ain't the same no more.
i used to stop by this airport from DXB to Incheon when there was no direct flights.i still remember the rough landings of cathays.smoking and ashtrays were allowed. Loved the hospitality of the cathay stewardess who gave me toys and game cards, and thanks to all the pilots who flew them to get me to where i could get❤
My Dad was an RAF pilot who flew Dakotas from Kai Tak immediately after the end of WW2. My own experience of landing there as a commercial passenger was the immense feeling of relief at the end of the rollout and the thought "I'm alive"!
Passenger self talk during approach. Oh look, Hong Kong, wow, all those high rise buildings. Getting close, really close... Hold on WTF. why so close. I can see knickers and tshirts on the clothes lines.. Wait, thats the runway. AT NINETY DEGREES TO US. NOOOO. Whats going on. Jesus, why is he dropping the wing, he's going to hit those apartments. Christ, he's coming around so slowly... now there is a motorway flyover... Ahhh we just crossed the fence... BUT WE ARE NOT straight... oh there's the runway... AND WE ARE STILL SIX STORIES HIGH... down plane, down, down... OH NO, we are half way down the runway, still not landed... THUMP, landed. Breathe. Release handrest from deathgrip.
Hi, I first flew into Kai Tak in Mid 1968 in an RAF C130 Hercules. Then was invited with some of my mates to be passengers on a visiting RAF Comet so the pilots could get their Night Landing certificate doing touch and go around, that was bloody great :) My last landing was in 1982 and final take off was in 1985. How I miss Hong Kong and runway 13 :)
I have vague memories of a Hercybird going in the water at takeoff once.... aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940923-0 My best trip in one though was Brize to Gander, to Nassau, to Belize..I broke into a Field Ambulance and kipped for the first leg but it was so long ago I have forgotten how far we took in that particular plane..
This is one of the greatest collective memories for Hong Kong people. I really miss you Kai Tak, for all those beautiful childhood dreams and memories.
What a fabulous approach that was - Kai Tak will always be a great memory of mine of Honkers in the 90s. Watching such huge aircraft make such steep turns at low altitude was breathtaking! But it was a disaster waiting to happen and I'm surprised nobody parked a B744 in Kowloon. The move to Chep Lap Kok was a prudent one.
They should have kept this airport open by all accounts just so pilots and passengers could have this unique experience. It must be the equivalent of racing at the classic F1 circuits which are "not up to standard" but so much more fun than the crop of boring, sanitised circuits they mostly go to now.
I love in Hong Kong and the reason why the shut it down cuz it was noise for ppl to sleep so the move it but they change the old air port to a ship port
TobyManIsHere I can imagine it being slightly awkward for locals to be honest...a plane flying past your toilet window whilst you're on "the throne" might be a tad disconcerting. Great for the rest of us to watch, or even better, experience.
absolutely unbelievable ... stretching the boundaries of reality ... everyone should have experienced a daylight landing @ Kai Tak to fully comprehend ... brilliant video ... Thank-you !!!
My mon used to have 2 working trips a week. When every time we talked about the past, she said it was a life experience to land or take off from kai tak. I can't imagine the airport was 15 mins of driving away from where i grow up. And there is a way to know if the pilot suck "If u see the Marlboro logo is about your eye level when landing, thats a perfect landing. If u found it's way under your feet, grab a plastic bag and get ready to throw up!" HAHA
+shu fai ma the pilots dont suck when they fly into kai tak, there are severe windshears at the airport, landing the plane itself proves the pilot to be good
Never get tired of watching this. Pilots have a shared pride in Kai Tak. After watching this video, I know why. Bravo to all the Captains in Command! Wonderful memories.
Thank you for sharing this video. It brings back memories to when I was a kid visiting my grandfather. I used cover my ears every time a plane landed. The last time, I returned to Hong Kong was in 1995. I literally could see right into people's dining tables from the plane.
I flew in and out of HK too many times from Kai Tak. I remember my grandma was holding her tears when I left HK to study in Canada in1989. She passed away in 1998. Goodbye Kaitak. Thank you.
I was in Hong Kong in 1996. Yeah, the dramatic landing at Kai Tak Airport was a good introduction to the Hong Kong Beat. When the plane was coming down to land, look out the window at the ground, and the shoddy and packed apartment blocks get closer and closer, and your eyes get bigger and bigger. And then suddenly, they disappear and one sees grass, and then the runway. Looking sideways out the window, would see the ocean nearby.
God bless Kai Tak, I remember as a kid watching them land from the peak, and watching the Cathay Pacific planes practicing the landing by going round in circles, touching the runway then taking off again. Also, my brother's secondary school was on the flight path and school assemblies and plays would pause due to planes flying loudly overhead. New one doesn't compare.
My uncle flew L1011s & DC10s. He has 48 landings at Kai Tak. He says he can remember all 48 of them with perfect clarity, and that the other thousand or so at other airports just kind of blend together and they were like driving to the corner market to get a gallon of milk compared to landing at Kai Tak. His first landing cost the company 3 tires! That had just been put on a week earlier. After that he knew what to do and what not to do.
The first time I landed here was in 1976, sitting behind the captain on a meal cannister(health and safety didn't seem to matter so much then). That was on a VC10(RAF) but subsequently on DC10s and 747s with British Caledonian and British Airways. It was always a thrill!
2:34 My grandparents used to live in one of those flats on the left. I always loved to look out of the window where the planes were just at my eye level when landing. Good and lucky old days of Hong Kong
They would fly so low among the residential buildings, I can imagine this conversation in the cockpit: PIC: Turning right on final... Co-pilot: Ooohh...you should see these two getting it on in that apartment! PIC: Oh, wow.... (Alarm sounds) PULL UP! PULL UP!! ;-)
I think for this approach the pull up alarm is replaced by "May the Force Be With You", "the electronics of this plane give up, you are too insane for us"
One of the tricky things was that from the left hand seat the moment you began the right turn from the IGS you lost sight of the runway due to the cut off angle of the right hand windscreen this lasted until you rolled the wings level.
Great vid, and great music. I lived in Kowloon from '95-'97, near the famous checkerboard. Sat in cockpit for one landing,on a flight from Bangkok...absolutely awesome. Returning to Kai Tak was always spectacular, skimming the roof tops. Not been to the new airport yet.
One of my "life memories" is of the landing at this airport on my first visit to Hong Kong in 1997. My amazement at looking into people's windows in high rise buildings on our approach to this airport serves as my most vivid memory. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to have experienced a landing at this airport. I've landed at the new HK airport numerous times since that 1997 experience--those landings all blend together in my memory. But, not that first one!
So many good memories, I left Hong Kong to Toronto for school in the summer of 1985 when I was 16. My very first time taking a flight all by myself without speaking any English. My dad bought the cheapest ticket which was Taiwan Airline and I had to stop in Taipei, Japan, and San Fransico! It was over 30 hours all by myself and I didn't have a US visa at that time so I was put in an area with the surveillance of an officer during my transit. I didn't have any US dollar bill with me for the deposit of the cart for my luggage at the San Fransico airport so a girl who seat next to me on the plane lent me a dollar, and I owe her a dollar for 38 years! My English was so bad I couldn't even manage to buy batteries for my walkman at the airport! OMG it was 38 freaking years ago but it seems like yesterday! I miss Kai Tak airport!
wow bro, you came a long long way, look at your English now, excellent!!!!!
いろいろご苦労が有ったのですね。お疲れ様です。私は32年前に名古屋空港から香港啓徳空港を往復しました。ビルが林立して人が沢山居て、独特な香りがするのが香港でした。夜景やら船上レストランやらタイガーバーム園やらetc.もう一度、あの頃に戻りたいです😿
I too did some similar crazy stuff at that age. Back then, it's the way it was.
@@天野っち-b6e Tiger Balm Garden?
For the first and only time in history, the music in an airplane video hasn't annoyed the shit out of me and actually enhances the footage. Well done.
Yes *absolutely and I unequivocally agree. My thoughts were early Star Wars. Does that sound about right? These pilots are NOT flying little Corvettes or Bushplanes but they are flying them as tho they were flying in the bush of Alaska Burma or Southeast Asia. I thought that great music really added to the overall film. Just WOW.*
Howard Fortyfive music from 1964 movie... 633 squadron.
Oh yes, sounds like a Star Wars soundtrack. Maybe the same composer?
Agree completely. Great video and great music. 633 Squadron by Ron Goodwin from the 1969 movie.
ua-cam.com/video/GNItvbsQqpM/v-deo.html
💪
I am a former multi engine, commercial instrument rated pilot with over 3000 hours and literally millions of miles on commercial airlines. Suffice it to say I am an aviation nut. I have flown into Kai Tak more than a dozen times on various airlines and was never not amazed and thrilled. As a pilot, the approach confused me (thought it must have been a DME Arc) but a gracious captain from United showed me the approach plate and described the bizarre checker board approach in detail. Others have commented on the skills required to fly this approach and they are spot on. I have watched this video many, many times and will continue to do so. And my point in submitting this is really just to profusely thank those made it possible for all to see.
Imagine looking out of your hotel window DOWN onto a 747 going past at 200mph!
Love the "633 Squadron" theme music. Great video!
Thank you for this!! I was born and raised in HK, departed, and landed in Kai Tak many times when I was younger. I will always remember the hard right turn before landing, knowing it's about to touch down at my highest emotion. The downslope exit after immigration when you enter HK inside the terminal was also unforgettable, the moment when always hundreds of people waiting for their pickup and they all look upright at you while you're trying very hard to find your own pickup. My most fond memories were the rides going to Kai Tak and inside the terminal, the sad times when leaving, and the happy times when return - mom and dad will always be there. I will always love HK, but I missed the good old days more...
Yess..those pick up persons often seen in HK 's movies, so that when I was there in 1997 & saw them ...is one of a good old memory 😁
Oh the smell right after landing on the Kai Tak airport. How can I forget that!
Thanks for doing this. It's very special to all who loved HK.
I started flying for Cathay Pacific in 1991 so I have fond memories of this airport. An approach on the infamous runway 13 could certainly get your adrenalin pumping at times. One of the few runways in the world where a jetliner could not do an automatic final approach and landing. It was all done manually. When the wind was blowing hard across the runway, and it did so very often, it was always entertaining to watch the non-Hong Kong based airlines attempt a landing. Of course Korean Air was always a favorite to watch in these conditions, since many of their pilots were having quite a hard time dealing with the manual landing in gusty crosswind conditions, as attested by numerous UA-cam videos. The more modern airport which replaced it in 1998 at Chek Lap Kok is much more user friendly but in strong winds it can also be very interesting due to the interaction with the mountains of Lantau island.
Michel Fortin Last time I was on a plane that was doing this landing/take off naughty me tried to take a photo sequence out of the plane window with my camera when we weren't supposed to. Was runway 13 the one by the Marlboro poster?
Ralph Jackson Indeed it was Ralph.
Michel Fortin Thanks Michel!
Salute to you Sir; and many other piloted them wide bodies landing in cross wind.
I grew up in HK and went back and forth to Boarding school - WE ARE SO GREATFUL FOR YOUR FLYING.
For a couple of years in the '80s, I lived in HK in the Kowloon area where the planes would roar overhead on approach to Kai Tak. It was spectacular to say the least. I once had the privilege of being in a cockpit on approach to Kai Tak - unforgettable! Thanks for the memories, bigeyedchicken, and of course, good ol' Kai Tak.
I was a flight attendant with Cathay Pacific and we flew over those low-rises and laundry lines with metres to spare and i did live in a top floor flat in the flight path for 18 months. Still miss Kai Tak. One of the quickest & most efficient international airports in the world in its time.
Usually, I am totally against background music in aviation videos, but this is utterly great!
Great collection of clips. I flew this route many times and each and every time it was a heart beat in my throat. It was nice to wave at high rise residents as we floated below their highest floors and made our final course corrections. Gears down, nose up, hang on
One of my favorite videos on UA-cam!
When I think of Kai Tak I think of two things. 747s and Hong Kong...man I miss that airport
I think 747s a330s cathey pacific runway13 and hong kong
Best Kai Tak video I've seen! great music from 633 squadron! I have fond memories of flying in to Kai Tak! The seats on the right hand side of the aircraft , behind the wing were the best!
Mate of mine was invited to sit in with crew on landing at this airport in mid nineties and for him he said it was the biggest thrill of his life. The angle of decent over city and last minute rotations made him feel any pilot doing this would have to be awesome!
I used to fly there all the time as a flight attendant and it was always a thrill landing there! Sitting at door three on the 747 you could see the firemen playing basketball and people's clothes drying outside their balconies! Great video, thanks for the memories...lol
Korea airline landing golden medal⚜
Yes!
Korean air is legend landing of hongkong kaitak airport!
It's called experience.
10
I second that! Wow
It was 1955 my family flew from SEA on a Northwest Constellation with sleeping berths. From Narita via Naha in Okinawa and Taipei we arrived over Hong Kong in a DC-7. I was ten and this was my first airplane trip. I felt we were so close to the walls ringing the harbor and runway that now, 60 years later it was the most exciting passenger flight I had ever been on.
Flew in and out of Kai Tak scores of times starting in the mid 80's..."Kai Tak Heart Attack" is a good one Andrew. I also saw clotheslines and on one approach saw an elderly woman sitting at her small table with teapot and cup easily visible. I was always a passenger on some version of 747 with several airlines and my hats off to all the pilots that negotiated that approach. Never, not once did I feel the crew was anything but spot on in their landings....and the crosswinds could be wicked fun as the videos show. I feel blessed to have flown in and out as many times as I did.....and a window seat was a must!
I love the new airport, but I sure regret never getting the chance to visit Kai Tak and the surrounding area for some spotting. Absolutely incredible! Great video! THank you for posting.
20年前に、香港🇭🇰に行きました。大好きな街。いつの日か、また行ける日が来ますように。
Brilliant! Kai Tak was special, and flying into or out of Honkers was an experience like no other major airport in the world. I remember seeing people on their balconies overlooking Happy Valley as the stretch DC8 I was on jockeyed for landing position. The thrill of looking out your window just before landing and being almost level with the junks on "Fragrant Harbour" was very special.
I remember landing in a 747 at Hong Kong Kai Tak on a beautiful golden light sun setting evening in 1987.
It was quite surreal with all the buildings lights so close, an amazing experience!
That good bye was touching ... got me teary eyed , and the music was PERFECT cause that was the feeling you had landing there . "I am about to live some REALLY important moment in my life!" Thank you Hong Kong, literally a thrill a second from arrival to departure"
Loved the approach when going into the airport and the lights when leaving the airport at night, miss it loads.
can't believe this video is 10 years old! I grew up watching this video, the music really enhanced the experience.
I loved landing at Kai Tak!! I miss it so much!! Best landing experience of all time! It's such a shame we can no longer experience this!
My dad used to work in Air France flying the B777-200 Classic. He's now working in Hong Kong Airline as a senior captain and he told me that if he could ever had a chance to fly into kai tak again, he'd definitely do it.
I really liked the video!
Best video on the whole site, this was a real test of your skills particularly when the winds were up coming off the harbor. It's gone now, probably a good thing, I remember my first approach here on 13 and always will.
RIP Kai Tak 1925-1998 You will be missed
今日 2020 2 月28 日, 重溫這段回憶, 也十分懷念當年在世運公園觀看飛機下降的情景, 直正溫故知新了, 謝謝上載者的心思!!!!
I flew 747-400 planes into Kai Tak many times from 1991-1996. The IGS to Runway 13 was a bit of a challenge to those who had not done it before, but after about 10 or 20 landings there, one gets to figure out just what is needed and how to handle it well. The Cathay Pacific pilots had it nailed -- they were really good, as this was their home base. All those bad landings you see in the video are primarily due to sloppy planning and/or overshooting the turn to final. If there is a cross wind from the right (common-- you see it in almost all the 'sideways' landings in the videos), you CANNOT turn late -- you must start the right turn to final exactly as published or even a wee bit before. Otherwise, you'll end up in more than 30 degrees bank (saw that in the video) to correct back to course on final And there is only a very short time to make the corrections! Another big mistake was the pilots who level off a bit as they make that turn -- you MUST continue the rate of descent you had on the IGS (about 800 to 900 feet per minute usually) in that turn, or you'll end up high on short final -- time for a steep dive and hope you don't pick up a bunch of speed you didn't need!
BTW, no one mentioned the famous red and white 'checkerboard' on the side of the mountain --- that is the 'aiming point' on the IGS portion of the approach -- aim for the checkerboard, then.... turn right about 80 degrees (? forgot the exact turn required) and 'land over there!'
Yes, I miss the fun of landings at Kai Tak. Chep Lap Kok is a boring approach and landing, unless a typhoon is in progress! The good thing is they quickly built a freeway highway and fast rail train route to Kowloon and then to HK island from Lantau just before the new airport opened up. Sorry to be so long winded here!
Wow, that's a stunning compilation! I love watching airboyd's videos, but this redux version is really something that even my non-flying friends appreciate.
My dad used to living in Kowloon City so it was very close to the airport. Everyday aeroplanes would just fly above his head. The buildings there were short to prevent collision of the aeroplane with bridges or buildings. Because of the abundance of mountains in Hog Kong there were a hill painted with checker marks. Whenever the pilot saw the pattern they will do a very sharp turn and land on the airport. The aeroplane were flying so low that sometimes it was just 50 meters up in the air so the engine force of the aeroplane can be physically felt on the ground. Sadly the government decided to build a new airport at the Lantau Island and therefore after serving for 70+ years the old airport was finally retired. In WW2 the Japanese bombed this airport to prevent RAF fighters getting airborne. After that the Japanese mined the stone in a 700+ years site an expanded the airport. This airport is truly fascinating and even though I wasn't born until the 21 century I will always remember this airport in my heart.
I am proud of being able to live in Hong Kong and have the experience of taking the flights from Kai Tak and seeing the views of the flats nearby. Thanks a lot for your great work and edition here to share with the global villagers!!!!!
Spectacular and perfect matching of the 633 squadron music. :o)
Perfect music choice. The piloting into Kai Tak was excellent. Even with those landings, the actual touchdowns were smooth.
I miss the old airport. And I first landed there at night!! Great stuff!
Keep coming back to this. Excellent video, always makes me smile.
I was born and live in Kowloon City where the district right next to Kai Tak Airport. Whenever there was a plane fly across, it was so loud that even you are screaming right next to your friend, your friend still cannot hear what you say.
Btw, @2:39 the second building on the right was my home, it is amazing to see footage of my old home town.
Wres the school
1:12 onwards for a few seconds, the music, the views, the retro window wipers = goosebumps!
I had immense pleasure of visiting Hong Kong in May, 1998 just months before Kai Tak was shut. Frightening and exciting experience! I was doubtful when they said that all costly navigational equipment will be moved from Kai to Lap Kok in 12 hour operation. And they did it! Wow to Chinese!
This video is one of the wonders of UA-cam. Great work and thanks!
Giving my full respect to all the pilots!
Kai Tak is no more, but thanks to these videos, the memories will live for ever.
童年回忆啊，可以说小时候就看着这个视频长大的
启德和ACI可以说是我小时候对民航的全部记忆
this is SURREAL!!!!
one of my biggest regrets as a world traveler... i never had the chance to fly into HK when Kai Tak was still in use!
My first time. Landing at kaitak.
I see cloth line next side my wing.
Great compilation, and a nice touch adding in Ron Goodwin's score from "633 Squadron". I have landed at Kai Tak a number of times, and it scared the bejezus out of me every time. Flying to HK just ain't the same no more.
i used to stop by this airport from DXB to Incheon when there was no direct flights.i still remember the rough landings of cathays.smoking and ashtrays were allowed. Loved the hospitality of the cathay stewardess who gave me toys and game cards, and thanks to all the pilots who flew them to get me to where i could get❤
My Dad was an RAF pilot who flew Dakotas from Kai Tak immediately after the end of WW2. My own experience of landing there as a commercial passenger was the immense feeling of relief at the end of the rollout and the thought "I'm alive"!
the best show on earth
Thanks so much for posting.....Great stuff, had landed there myself as a passenger several times, this makes me think back!
Thanks again,
Cheers.
Rob
Passenger self talk during approach. Oh look, Hong Kong, wow, all those high rise buildings. Getting close, really close... Hold on WTF. why so close. I can see knickers and tshirts on the clothes lines.. Wait, thats the runway. AT NINETY DEGREES TO US. NOOOO. Whats going on. Jesus, why is he dropping the wing, he's going to hit those apartments. Christ, he's coming around so slowly... now there is a motorway flyover... Ahhh we just crossed the fence... BUT WE ARE NOT straight... oh there's the runway... AND WE ARE STILL SIX STORIES HIGH... down plane, down, down... OH NO, we are half way down the runway, still not landed... THUMP, landed. Breathe. Release handrest from deathgrip.
Lol...💯
Exactly my experience - haaaa
I think I'll pass on this destination.. omg lol
this is both hilarious and sadly, accurate.
@@mathieuclement8011 One could easily chuck a grenade at one of these aircraft, they were so low!
Kai Tak, a legend.
A 90° turn on final, flying over dense buildings, crosswinds and a single runway that was quite short.
Hi,
I first flew into Kai Tak in Mid 1968 in an RAF C130 Hercules.
Then was invited with some of my mates to be passengers on a visiting RAF Comet so the pilots could get their Night Landing certificate doing touch and go around, that was bloody great :)
My last landing was in 1982 and final take off was in 1985.
How I miss Hong Kong and runway 13 :)
I have vague memories of a Hercybird going in the water at takeoff once....
aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940923-0
My best trip in one though was Brize to Gander, to Nassau, to Belize..I broke into a Field Ambulance and kipped for the first leg but it was so long ago I have forgotten how far we took in that particular plane..
This is one of the greatest collective memories for Hong Kong people. I really miss you Kai Tak, for all those beautiful childhood dreams and memories.
Waaa..., why no likes for this comment in 11 years, great comment sir.
대한항공 기장님..대박..
이제는 볼 수 없는 전설의 카이탁 렌딩...
어떻게 저렇게 착륙하는지 대단하시네...
@@konaru413 실제로
유튜브 알고리즘으로 모이게 된 한국인
Nou eerlijk gezegd ben ik het niet eens met wat je hier zegt. Ik begrijp namelijk totaal niet wat je bedoelt.
What a fabulous approach that was - Kai Tak will always be a great memory of mine of Honkers in the 90s. Watching such huge aircraft make such steep turns at low altitude was breathtaking! But it was a disaster waiting to happen and I'm surprised nobody parked a B744 in Kowloon. The move to Chep Lap Kok was a prudent one.
They should have kept this airport open by all accounts just so pilots and passengers could have this unique experience.
It must be the equivalent of racing at the classic F1 circuits which are "not up to standard" but so much more fun than the crop of boring, sanitised circuits they mostly go to now.
in F1 circuits, safety comes first. imagine in an airport!
In my opinion, it should have stayed for Regional Aircrafts.
Kim Jong un Come on Kim! Build one just like this right smack in the middle of Pyong Yang!
I love in Hong Kong and the reason why the shut it down cuz it was noise for ppl to sleep so the move it but they change the old air port to a ship port
TobyManIsHere
I can imagine it being slightly awkward for locals to be honest...a plane flying past your toilet window whilst you're on "the throne" might be a tad disconcerting.
Great for the rest of us to watch, or even better, experience.
absolutely unbelievable ... stretching the boundaries of reality ... everyone should have experienced a daylight landing @ Kai Tak to fully comprehend ... brilliant video ... Thank-you !!!
My mon used to have 2 working trips a week. When every time we talked about the past, she said it was a life experience to land or take off from kai tak. I can't imagine the airport was 15 mins of driving away from where i grow up.
And there is a way to know if the pilot suck "If u see the Marlboro logo is about your eye level when landing, thats a perfect landing. If u found it's way under your feet, grab a plastic bag and get ready to throw up!" HAHA
+shu fai ma the pilots dont suck when they fly into kai tak, there are severe windshears at the airport, landing the plane itself proves the pilot to be good
Rancher Sam my toilet is white if you know what i mean
Rancher Sam you have issues, chinese are yellow not white
Rancher Sam in your town? you mean in your pathetic crappy ranch?
Not easy for the pilots .... Thank you for the video. I missed Kai Tak. ❤🧡 Concorde @1:47
用電影633敢死隊做背景音樂，真係一流。今晚我要重睇一次６３３敢死隊喇。
Never get tired of watching this. Pilots have a shared pride in Kai Tak. After watching this video, I know why. Bravo to all the Captains in Command! Wonderful memories.
Proud of Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport
Thank you for sharing this video.
It brings back memories to when I was a kid visiting my grandfather. I used cover my ears every time a plane landed.
The last time, I returned to Hong Kong was in 1995. I literally could see right into people's dining tables from the plane.
Those pilots entered the plane as boys but left after the Kai Tak landing as men 😂
Terrific compilation. Thank you!
Miss you Kai Tak. I used to live right under the flight path.
wow, that sounds like an experience. and loud, hah.
What hardcore?!
I love this video. Goodbye KT, and thank you (even though I didn't have the opportunity to know you).
I flew in and out of HK too many times from Kai Tak. I remember my grandma was holding her tears when I left HK to study in Canada in1989. She passed away in 1998. Goodbye Kaitak. Thank you.
Kai Tak best airport in the world for airlines crew so much fun
This brought back many memories! Thank you for posting the video.
I was in Hong Kong in 1996. Yeah, the dramatic landing at Kai Tak Airport was a good introduction to the Hong Kong Beat.
When the plane was coming down to land, look out the window at the ground, and the shoddy and packed apartment blocks get closer and closer, and your eyes get bigger and bigger. And then suddenly, they disappear and one sees grass, and then the runway. Looking sideways out the window, would see the ocean nearby.
Oh well, Kai Tak Airport must remain in flight simulators (if not already). It's good training for pilots, a good challenge. And, as a souvenir of it.
God bless Kai Tak, I remember as a kid watching them land from the peak, and watching the Cathay Pacific planes practicing the landing by going round in circles, touching the runway then taking off again. Also, my brother's secondary school was on the flight path and school assemblies and plays would pause due to planes flying loudly overhead. New one doesn't compare.
Awesome memories, thanks a lot!!
My uncle flew L1011s & DC10s. He has 48 landings at Kai Tak. He says he can remember all 48 of them with perfect clarity, and that the other thousand or so at other airports just kind of blend together and they were like driving to the corner market to get a gallon of milk compared to landing at Kai Tak. His first landing cost the company 3 tires! That had just been put on a week earlier. After that he knew what to do and what not to do.
Que de souvenirs en cockpit sur KaiTak❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Fantastic fun! Thanks for putting together this wonderful video! Loved the soundtrack!!!!!!
The first time I landed here was in 1976, sitting behind the captain on a meal cannister(health and safety didn't seem to matter so much then). That was on a VC10(RAF) but subsequently on DC10s and 747s with British Caledonian and British Airways. It was always a thrill!
This Video is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Thanks for sharing
Kai Tak. Man, those were the days...best fun landings ever.
2:34 My grandparents used to live in one of those flats on the left. I always loved to look out of the window where the planes were just at my eye level when landing. Good and lucky old days of Hong Kong
I have NOT forgotten!
its amazing that not one plane crashed into the buildings
shows how much skill the pilots had
懐かしいです！
great video, weird seeing such big planes come so close to building like that, fantastic video, love it.
best location to plane spotting
Do admire this video editing work, bringing back all those memories and seeing more clear how it is such a challenge to pilot landing here.......
The landing scene of Korean Air is the best in the world at any time.
Kai Tak is just AWESOME!
0:59 Normal Ryanair Landing...
bUtTeR lAnDiNg 100/5
Thanks for excellent video, for once a youtube video with great choice of music !!!
They would fly so low among the residential buildings, I can imagine this conversation in the cockpit:
PIC: Turning right on final...
Co-pilot: Ooohh...you should see these two getting it on in that apartment!
PIC: Oh, wow....
(Alarm sounds) PULL UP! PULL UP!! ;-)
I think for this approach the pull up alarm is replaced by "May the Force Be With You", "the electronics of this plane give up, you are too insane for us"
I flew to Kai Tek from 9 years old till my Honeymoon. I love it and HK, the Las Vegas of the East. All great memories.
One of the tricky things was that from the left hand seat the moment you began the right turn from the IGS you lost sight of the runway due to the cut off angle of the right hand windscreen this lasted until you rolled the wings level.
my knuckles should have been even whiter then.
Great vid, and great music. I lived in Kowloon from '95-'97, near the famous checkerboard. Sat in cockpit for one landing,on a flight from Bangkok...absolutely awesome. Returning to Kai Tak was always spectacular, skimming the roof tops. Not been to the new airport yet.
In 1995, my mum went on Royal Nepal Airlines 757 to Kai Tak Airport, so sad we could not fly there anymore 😢
Yeah I know 😭😭
One of my "life memories" is of the landing at this airport on my first visit to Hong Kong in 1997. My amazement at looking into people's windows in high rise buildings on our approach to this airport serves as my most vivid memory. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to have experienced a landing at this airport. I've landed at the new HK airport numerous times since that 1997 experience--those landings all blend together in my memory. But, not that first one!