On July 6, 1998, The "World's Most Interesting Approach" Fell Silent After Kai Tak Airport In HK Closed After Serving For 73 Years

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MeBollasDellero@reddit

Dang…I thought it was the Die Hard 2 scene when they turn off the Dulles landing lights.

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Prinzlerr@reddit

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

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Fluffy-Proof-5175@reddit

Doctor I’ve checked everyone, Mr striker is the only one

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FlyByPC@reddit

Pilot, turning off landing lights: Guess who!

Tower, turning off runway lighting: Guess WHERE!

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I flew that approach as a relatively new Captain many times. It was interesting. When in VFR conditions not a big deal, but in minimums weather a bit tricky especially with a crosswind. If I recall correctly the minimums were something like 600 and 1. If you had the lead - in lights in sight you could continue until you had the runway visually. Fun times!

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genbrien@reddit

was there a LOC to guide you before you reach the checkerboard?

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Imaginary-Spray3711@reddit

Yes and a glideslope. The localizer was displaced about 30 degrees from the runway centerline. At minimums if you could see the lead-in lights or runway you could continue and land. The controllers were very strict about monitoring and any deviation from the approach path was immediately questioned.

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BenjaminKohl@reddit

Yeah, it was (at least from the ‘70s) an LDA approach, so the checkerboard had a full LOC and glide, it just didn’t take you to the runway

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absoluteally@reddit

I've seen things on show about it but often feels like they are trying to play up the craziness of landing there. Is there anyone on here who flew in or out of kai tak who can say if it actually fealt a scary as it is described?

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Jaghn@reddit

IIRC there are a couple of Youtube videos about Kai Tak airport, with narrations of actual pilot experiences included in. There are also a handful of old pilots in the comment section who flew over Kai Tak, interesting read.

After digging up my history a bit, a youtube channel by the name "Jetcrumbs" has a video on it. Sadly, I think it's an AI narrated-video.

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Jazzlike_Climate4189@reddit

This one was pretty good: https://youtu.be/A0bxgcJZrro

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IvyGold@reddit

Thank you!

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jocdoc82@reddit

Made that landing on the left side of the plane as passenger in 96 as a teenager. My dad said to pay attention. I’m now over 40 years old and can still easily call to mind the image of a middle aged woman pulling a shirt off a clothesline that I just couldn’t figure out how our wing hadn’t ripped through her apartment since she was clearly eye to eye with me while we were coming into land. I don’t remember the right turn but as a passenger but looking into people’s apartments is stamped forever in my memory as a giant WTF!

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PerforatedPie@reddit

and can still easily call to mind the image of a middle aged woman pulling a shirt off

Not surprised you still remember that lol

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ContributionEasy6513@reddit

Yep, the same image I have. Eye level with middle age woman doing the washing or someone watching TV while eating noodles in their tiny apartment with no care in the world.

From memory (so long ago), it felt as if you were at street level for a good 30 seconds.

These were not small aircraft's either, for me it would likely have been a BA 747.

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krybaebee@reddit

I did twice. I was a 24yo noob on my first business trip the first time. The person next to me told me to pay attention to the landing, and I’m glad he did.

HK is a forest of high rise apartments….40/50 stories high. When I tell you that you could look outside the plane window AND SEE INSIDE APARTMENTS I’m not exaggerating. I remember seeing people eating at the table and watching tv. It was cuckoo.

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johnbobk@reddit

Same here, got a contact with HK Electric and hadn't expected what a buzz Hong Kong would be. Last trip was 2 years into Chinese rule, could see the change and people's concern. Was a privilege to have had those landings as just wouldn't happen now; for safety reasons.

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gappletwit@reddit

Flew in many times. Imagine the feeling of having to do a go around in stormy weather. Did that a couple of times also. Was always fun!

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FormulaJAZ@reddit

There is nothing normal about a 30deg bank on short final. This was a captain-only landing, and the captain had to be qualified in the sim before flying it in real life.

This is the airline equivalent of landing on an aircraft carrier. It was routine, but it wasn't easy. (Navy pilots would have higher heart rates during night carrier landings than in actual combat.)

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jennkigo@reddit

If you get a chance to go into one of those real cockpit simulators you can ask if you can fly into Kai Tak airport, it’s really cool trying it out yourself and seeing the “checkerboard” marker to do a sharp right turn then land right away, it’s crazy

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WhiskeyMikeMike@reddit

Microsoft flight sim also has a free Kai tak scenery

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ContributionEasy6513@reddit

Flew into it a few times as a passenger.
It was a wild ride and no joke you could look out your window and see people folding up their washing on their balcony as your flew past.

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TXWayne@reddit

Agree with this. I was in the military stationed in Japan in the early 80's and took a trip to Hong Kong and got to do a night landing at Kai Tak as a passenger in a 747. One of my more memorable experiences in travel.

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ltcterry@reddit

I member by dad talking about flying into here. "Turn just before you hit the mountain."

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FlyByPC@reddit

I heard it as:

Fly straight at Checkerboard Hill
Wait until FO screams like a little girl
Stand plane on right wing
Land

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Katana_DV20@reddit

Can you imagine if this airport was still in use today? The insane 4K vids we would have from the flight deck or cabin windows. And with todays phones - amazing vids from the people in those skyscrapers.

Thankfully we have these old vids to watch and also we can try the approach ourselves in FS20 or FS24.

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hupo224@reddit

This airport is why I got into flight simulator. I uploaded this video 17 years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0QtfYUKh_4

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Tour-Sure@reddit

Damn I was a month old when you uploaded this

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AmityMayorVaughn@reddit

Welp, time for my daily existential crisis

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NotesCollector@reddit

Thank you for sharing this clip. The person saying "Goodbye Kai Tak, and thank you." is the then-Director of Civil Aviation in Hong Kong, Richard Siegel.

This scene took place shortly after 1.05 am on 6 July 1998.

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PourLarryaCrown@reddit

And the next day it reopened for a month (at least for cargo airlines) due to massive teething problems at the new airport’s main cargo terminal.

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redyambox@reddit

They reopened the cargo terminal - specifically the computer sorting system, as the new freight terminal computers bugged out on day one.

Passenger bags were sorted by hand for the first few days.

The airport was gutted the night the move was slated for.

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johnbobk@reddit

I used to love coming into Kai Tak HK, checkerboard approach; could see all the washing & people on their balcony @ eye level! Came in over the harbour couple of times, not quite so gripping. Have a picture, I should dig out, taken from street level looking ~vertical up between hirises and I couldn't fit the aircraft in it's so low.

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HiFiGuy197@reddit

Looks more like it went dark than fell silent at this moment.

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