Yep.... this topic seems to creep up every few months so I thought I would drop my 2cents and tell what news I have.I have (had) for the last six months been on a major crusade to re-develop Kai Tak to all it's former glory. I looked for all and any available scenery from FS2000 to FS2004. I tracked down any and all authors who had created any sceenry for Kai Tak.Roger Mole: I did speak to him via email around 6 months ago. He was busy starting up his own business and had no plans to work on his Kai Tak version.Thomas Kwong: Spoke to him via email in December. He was up for the idea of forming a partnership to create a completely new version of Kai Tak for 2005. Unfortunately, after repeated attempts over the past two months to continue development he has faded away. He is in his senior year at university so he very busy (who isn't), but due to the lack of dialog I have put him on the "no go" list and would not expect anything from him for another year.PointSoft: (formally Flightsoft), makers of Hong Kong 2004. I did speak with the president several months ago. They were planning an update for FS2004 but only for VHHH so Kai Tak was dead. Heard rumers they are planning a completely new version for FS2006 so that would be a good 18 months away I would say.FlyTampa: I did contact them requesting what you guys are suggesting. Infact, just to show how serious I was about the project, I created a video to promote the idea to them. (You can download a similar version of the video "Project Nine Dragons" at my website www.MileHighProductions.ahost4free.com).He liked the idea but admitted he was a bit unfamiliar with that airport, area, or something to that effect. I think in short they are not surte if it would be a commercial success and would require a "grass roots" movement to really get them interested. It could work... it has in the past with them.So that's where it stands... no work is being done at present. Too bad as I had the Director General of Aviation in Honk Kong helping me as well as the Vice President of Air Traffic Control (in charge of VHHH AND formally Kai Tak). A 30 year veteran of Kai Tak interested to let me have access to all charts, maps, floorplans, photos and videos in his extensive collection for this project. But that golden window of opportunity has now past.So for me, I have "kit-bashed" my own VHHX. Created new AFCAD, landclass, waterclass, AI traffic, checkerboard, skyline, and will be creating the "look" of Kai Tak as best I can using RWY12 and FSE since I am not a true modeler in the sense of the word. The main thing is I am getting FPS in the high teens-20's during approach and landing which to me is most important. Maybe if I ever get that looking good enough I will make it available to others as a download.oh well, time for other projects...

I'd be all for approaching a scenery developer with a group of names to put up their hands for a new Kai Tak and Hong Kong.I havn't used anything from the cloud 9 guys but after recently picking up Fly Tampa's Miami,San Fran,San Diego and Dubai i am thoroughly impressed by the incredible FPS of 25-30 at San Francisco with Ultimate traffic running at 100%.Amazing.I think it all comes down to someone doing a new Hong Kong and Kai Tak all in GMAX from the ground up.If its not done in Gmax then we will always hit the stubling block of FPS which Roger Moles excellent attempt and Thomas's also suffer from.Fly Tampa from looking at the forum just ran a poll to see what people wanted from them and it may be worth joining there forum and starting a Kai Tak topic.Rather then running around asking everyone i think it might go down more successfully focusing on no more than two developers.I might join now and start a topic ther and see what type of response we may get.They also manage to get stuff out quickly.Their website iswww.flytampa.comInteresting.Darren

Ok there is a topic going at the Flytampa forum.Martin's response so far is they are looking at doing an Asian airport so if you want one of the best designers of scenery to do Kai Tak go sign up and weigh in.I cant think of a better team to design Kai Tak in terms of detail and most importantly great performance.Show em you want it.Darren

Yarvelling: is hitting the nail precisely on the head, when he says: "Kai Tak.......it may be gone.....but it's never forgotten!!"Ponyboy: Thanks a lot for all the efforts you made to put old Kai Tak scenery back in the modern software-picture. BTW: Exciting shots you made of turning final for rwy 13!Darren: I think you show the only way of hope (GMAX and www.flytampa.com) and I would suggest that the entire "Kai Tak gang" is going to visit their forum, making clear exactly what we should like and appreciate them to do for us.Luca: Join the gang in this way, please.In the meantime we have "to play around" with what we have got, which is clearly not bad, but which could be much better when brought up to modern software standards and Fly Tampa has proven this can be done.Cheers to all of you,Paddy.

PONIBOY:you have had really a golden possibility:now are u totally unable to recall and re-contact that men? i'm very impressed reading that....("I had the Director General of Aviationin Honk Kong helping me as well as the Vice President of AirTraffic Control (in charge of VHHH AND formally Kai Tak). A30 year veteran of Kai Tak interested to let me have accessto all charts, maps, floorplans, photos and videos in hisextensive collection for this project").i fully support Darren's consideration (FlyTampa):however,if we can do anything to support FlyTampa in searching photos,it could be great and make its work(eventually) more easy.Luca

Hi Darren,Concerning "Fly Tampa" do I understand you want to post at their website-forum a topic about our request for a complete GMAX Hong Kong old Kai Tak scenery ("as it was") to develop by Fly Tampa?At their website I only find shortcuts for Products|Downloads|Support|Order|Upcoming|ContactI think by absence of a forum over there we should have to contact them by one of their e-mail entries.Shouldn't we do a little brainstorming among the Kai Tak fans to:- get a text in which we stipulate what we want Fly Tampa exactly to do for us;- do we want it for the existing FS 2004 (I think yes, because nobody still knows with what program-technics MS will come up in FS 2006);- can we give them any support in furnishing data and photo-material(Luca?)- and most important: is Fly Tampa willing to give it a try?Kai Tak fans: Your suggestions, please!Cheers,Paddy.

Paddy,FlYTampa forum is under "support".basic features of the scenery:-aerial photo for the downtown (such as "Rome" or "Venice"scenery or old Flightsoft,too);-massive use of the autogen together with custom 3d buildings to ricreate the feel of the IGS13-reproduction of the igs13-detailed airport with correct orizontal and vertical signs,real-aspect runway and taxiway textures,realistic parking position;-new textures or detailed mesh for mountains all around-afcad-scalable performance -for fs2004supplementary features:-new landclass-new waterclass-dynamic objects in the airportIs it too much?about data and photo-material,i think there are many asiatic guys and kai tak enthusiast that can help us,so it can be useful go through the web searching for asian simmers...ah, the poll...

Hi Cathay,Yes that window of opportunity has closed. When I approached several "high end" modelers and a few commercial companies I couldn't get any firm commitments they would do Kai Tak. As you might have guessed, the high level Hong Kong officials are extremely busy government officials and only had a limited amount of free time to help me out.All the material is just not sitting in their offices ready to download. We are talking years upon years of material that they were willing to search through to pull from based on our requests. They have moved on to other projects (so have I). Just too bad as some of the material was one of a kind (special video footage from inside the control tower on the last of of operations... things like that).Your best bet now is to go over to the Fly Tampa forum and start adding your name on a ever increasing thread asking for it. Adding snapshots, drawings... anything to get them excited about the project. If the thread was to grow to 30-50 individual names Fly Tampa could not ignore the interest out there.I do have my own collection of photos, drawings, maps, etc., that I collected over the past several months that I would be happy to forward to them.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/104896.jpg

Hi Darren,Excellent thread you posted at the forum of Fly Tampa, asking them in just the right wording what we all would like to see them design, concerning the nostalgic Kai Tak Airport and Hong Kong area.For the Kai Tak-fans to give their supports:www.flytampa.comClick "Support" - Click "Ask questions and get answers in the Support Forum"- Hit "General Discussion" - Click Darren's thread "Kai tak and Hong Kong a possibility?"Paddy.

Wow...thats quite a picture Ponyboy!! Is that an A340 coming in? So low in between the buildings!!The levels of complexity around the end of the termainal building just go to show, regardless of add-on, just how 'empty' the FS9 Kowloon really is!! Much lower and the wheels of that plane would be knocking cars of that fly-over..!!Pictures of that type just go to illustrate the excitement, magic and overall spirit of Hong Kong. Try designing an approach like that in London...you'd be frog-marched out of the room in a tight white vest!!So much life, hustle, bustle, and yet so much peace, tranquility and natural beauty; all within 100 square miles. I really MUST get back there again some day - it's 35 years since I left there as a young boy of 7. That's too bloody long!!

Yes, one of the amazing pictures showing "how it was" and how it can be again for flightsimmers, when Fly Tampa would decide for a Megascenery remake of Kai Tak and the Hong Kong area!Paddy.

That is quite a photo Ponyboy.What a pity all your efforts came to nothing, let's hope we can persuade FlyTampa to produce an FS9 (or even a FS10) Kai Tak.

Great a340 shot!!I only just got back from Hong Kong and that city still amazes me.The only regret in my entire flying career is never having flown into the old VHHH.Lets hope together we can get something happening on the Kai Tak front.Out of interest i flew the IGS during my last sim session in our Dash sim at work and it was great fun but the graphics still can't compare to even what we have now.SeeyaDarren

i start a poll on simflight network: http://forums.simflight.com/viewtopic.php?p=203779#203779

Hi Luca,Please, keep us informed about the results of that poll you started.Paddy.