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Fielder

Kai Tac Airport (Hong Kong)

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I stumbled across this article online (written in 2002 by Tom Sloper on a Mah-Jongg site Sloperama.com).

"This time, the airplane landed at a NORMAL airport -- one with a straight-on approach path for the plane to follow. If you never flew into the old Kai Tak airport, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. The approach path to the Kai Tak airport required incoming passenger aircraft to fly a terrifying, low-level, zigzag path onto the runway. I sat by the window that first time into Kai Tak, and it was terrifying. Buildings went by at our very wingtips, it seemed. But the new airport is much more viewer-friendly than that. A lot less scary, I mean. "

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Does anyone recall a older FS where there was still a Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong? Maybe FS 2000 still had Kai Tak?

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Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Tak_Airport

"Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. For pilots, this airport was technically demanding, as the approach could not be flown by aircraft instruments, but rather visually because of the right-hand turn required.The History Channel program Most Extreme Airports ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world. At the northern end of the runway at closure, buildings rose up to six stories just across a major multi-lane arterial road. The other three sides of the runway were surrounded by Victoria Harbor. The low-altitude turning maneuver before the shortened final approach was so close to these buildings that passengers could spot television sets in the apartments. As the plane banked sharply to the right for landing, the people watching television in the nearby apartments seemed an unsettling arms length away."

 

 


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13 minutes ago, Fielder said:

I stumbled across this article online (written in 2002 by Tom Sloper on a Mah-Jongg site Sloperama.com).

"This time, the airplane landed at a NORMAL airport -- one with a straight-on approach path for the plane to follow. If you never flew into the old Kai Tak airport, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. The approach path to the Kai Tak airport required incoming passenger aircraft to fly a terrifying, low-level, zigzag path onto the runway. I sat by the window that first time into Kai Tak, and it was terrifying. Buildings went by at our very wingtips, it seemed. But the new airport is much more viewer-friendly than that. A lot less scary, I mean. "

================

Does anyone recall a older FS where there was still a Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong? Maybe FS 2000 still had Kai Tak?

=================

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Tak_Airport

"Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. For pilots, this airport was technically demanding, as the approach could not be flown by aircraft instruments, but rather visually because of the right-hand turn required.The History Channel program Most Extreme Airports ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world. At the northern end of the runway at closure, buildings rose up to six stories just across a major multi-lane arterial road. The other three sides of the runway were surrounded by Victoria Harbor. The low-altitude turning maneuver before the shortened final approach was so close to these buildings that passengers could spot television sets in the apartments. As the plane banked sharply to the right for landing, the people watching television in the nearby apartments seemed an unsettling arms length away."

 

 

Kai Tak was available for Microsoft Flight Simulator 1998.  I think you needed the Hong Kong scenery add on: 

 


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There‘s also Kai Tak at flightsim.to available

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Phil Leaven

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One should remember the first week of operations at the new VHHH in 1998. The computer control system for general and passenger cargo had a major shutdown/failure and all cargo traffic lost its tracking system for several days, almost paralyzing all the airport operations and general Asian operations, as Hong Kong was one of the main hubs for all incoming and outcoming cargo traffic in the region.

At flightsim.to, apart from a good depiction of the old Kai Tak airport, there's a nice representation of the Hong Kong city main buildings that is updated quite often.

Cheers, Ed

Edited by edpatino

Cheers, Ed

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Here are a couple of "helpful hints" for flying the IGS at the old Kai Tak. I've had these for so many years I've forgotten where I found them but my thanks go to the original source. If you've never done this approach before  I really recommend doing it the first time in something like the Cessna 172.  I was lucky enough to experience this in real life (as a passenger) and it's even scarier than it looks.

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Remove cabin staff from knee. Approaching from over the South China Sea, set your NAV1 radio to Cheung Chau VOR (CH VOR, 112.30) or Tathong Point (TH VOR, 115.50) to the east of it if you can't pick up CH VOR immediately. When approaching 100 DME (miles from) CH VOR
descend to FL 150 (15000 ft). When passing 30 DME CH reduce your speed to 250 knots and descend to 8000 ft. After passing CH VOR fly on heading 270 or R-270 at 6000 ft. Tune your ADF to 268 SL (SHA LO WAN) and proceed to GOLF, which is at D7 CH on the 270 CH VOR radial (7 miles west of Cheung Chau) and should show as such on your NAV1 DME readout. Your cross check is that the ADF arrow should now point due north (90° to your right). Descend to 4500 ft, turning right heading 045 to pass over the 268 SL NDB (nondirectional radio beacon). Now tune your NAV1 to intercept the Kai Tak IGS localiser (IGS/DME 111.90 KL - note also that the ILS/DME is 109.90 IHK but use the IGS). Establish your 088 course on the IGS localiser, follow the glide path and reduce to normal approach speed for landing on R13 (which varies according to your aircraft - see specific documentation with each model). Final approach is visual and is the infamous bit. Turn right 47° towards runway (which lies 135°) at the moment of intercepting MM (the audible Middle Marker alarm and panel light - big jets such as the B747 and A340 must turn 2-3 seconds before MM). If using autopilot APR mode (auto-descent on the glide slope) remember to switch off the autopilot before turning otherwise you'll suffer "Loss Of Terrain CLR", for which read that you'll modify Kowloon Tsai extensively by remaining on the IGS. Use the checkerboard to aid your visual approach - if you can't see it, either you're in Schenzen or you should go round again. If landing at night, you'll find the curved approach lights useful as well as pretty. Flare the ship for landing. Kill throttles, take the threshold at no less than 50 ft. if you don't want to give the barman in the Aero Club a haircut. If you feel a gentle bump and hear the wheels touch, feel pleased with yourself. If your screen goes AWOL and your computer makes a noise like an epileptic goat in a biscuit tin, you blew it. Take up fishing, since you're in the water anyway. 

Things to watch out for: very large lumps of terrain, Hong Kong viz, wind-shear and turbulence, birds, lack of ATC (you're on your own) and, of course, the runway. Things to do on the way down: extend flaps, sllooowww the ship but don't stall her, lower landing gear (important, that one), set autobrake and arm spoilers (as available, otherwise prepare to work hard on arrival as you've no co-pilot) and work out how to engage reverse thrust on touchdown (it's the F2 key, folks ... not applicable to 'Betsy' and friends ...). All this is handy if you don't want to take a bath, particularly in the larger jets. 

After landing, take the high speed taxiway A11 (up to 60 knots) back to the Terminal and that wonderful Airport Bar. Don't forget to savour the aroma of The Fragrant Harbour ... 


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How to Fly the Checkerboard Approach

You can start all along the southern side of Hong Kong Island heading west towards Cheung Chao Island VOR and fly the full approach as described in the charts, or start flying at the Outer Marker heading 088 degrees if you are a more impatient pilot.

When you start the long way, pass the CH VOR at 8,000 feet at 180 - 200 knots,  then turn in radial 270 outbound and fly this course, descending to 6,000 feet. At the GOLF intersection (7.0 DME), turn directly towards SL NDB and to a 45 degrees heading after passing SL if your plane allows an airspeed below 180 knots at the present configuration. If your plane requires the airspeed to be higher than 180 knots ( as will be the case with the B747), make a lazy turn to a heading of 45 degrees after passing the GOLF intersection. Start descending to 4,500 feet.

In either case, you will intercept the IGS 13 at the northern shore of Lantao Island at 4,500 feet and a heading of 45 degrees. Follow the 88 degrees localizer at 4,500 feet, and when intercepting the glide slope, start your descent to decision height and prepare for landing configuration, extend the landing gear and try to be fully stabilized before passing the Outer Marker. At 1,777 feet, you will pass the Outer Marker. The final checklist should be read no later than at the Marker.

After passing the Outer Marker, maintain good sink rate control, since high-rise buildings seem to want their rooftops get touched by your landing gear. You are now over Sham Shui Po, the most densely populated area of the world.

Soon, the checkerboard will fill the windscreen. Your altitude should be 675 feet and you should have reached your final approach speed when the DME reads 2.2. You should have acquired visual contact with the runway to your immediate right, or an immediate Missed Approach Procedure is mandatory. However, if everything looks good, you immediately start your right turn when the Middle Marker beeps. Depending on the weight of your plane or a tailwind, you may start turning a second earlier. The margin for error is incredibly small. When you miss the right moment to initiate the turn by more then a second or two, you will probably have to abandon the approach and follow the missed approach procedure. 

However, with enough skill, you will be able to line up with the runway, helped by the approach lights and the PAPIS brightly visible by the runway’s sides. Mind your altitude, but do not break the sink rate. When you come down too early, the results would be disastrous ( at least you would touch down at the sterile displaced threshold only used for take offs). If you come in too high, think twice whether you really want to touch down - remember, after 10,930 feet, the runway inevitably ends, and there is nearly no overrun before your plane plunges into the sea.

If everything goes well, you will be level again when over flying the runway threshold at a heading of 135 degrees and touch down at the huge TDZ markers, aided by the PAPIS. Reverse thrust, apply breaking, and leave the runway using the high speed turn-off, then taxi at 315 degrees to the Main Terminal building, using the BOLDS Optical Lens Docking System to line up with the passenger bridges (when you pilot a B747, DC 10 or MD11 - B777 can use the distance markers for the B747 as well).

Edited by W2DR
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Flew the IGS app into Kai Tak in a real DC10 sim many many years ago

Not for the faint of heart, but in zero wind, good visibility and good advice from instructor, the mains planted the runway quite nice in the touchdown zone.

 


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FSX from memory did have a representation of Kai Tak, though it was rather basic and I'm not sure if it was even properly usable in it's default state (I remember seeing some videos or imaged where the runway had Xs painted on it).

Regardless, for those who use FSX/P3D (or even if you still cling to FS2004) I cannot recommend Flytampa's Kai Tak Scenery enough (I use it in place of the new Hong Kong airport out of preference and because It is provided for by Navigraph in their Airac Data). I'll include the link again for convenience: http://flytampa.org/vhhx.html

It's a really fun approach that takes some getting used to and can be very challenging in strong crosswinds, but the satisfaction of pulling off a solid landing at Kai Tak is one eof those really rather special flight sim experiences imo, only the more extreme short-fields like Toncontin and Gibraltar come close for me, and you can't land a 747 at either of those!

Edited by SimeonWilbury
clarification
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PUT In the UK.

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8 hours ago, vadriver said:

no, but currently with a good "sim" ...https://www.flytampa.org/vhhx.html

& you've been an avsim member for +15years ???

I remember AVSIM in the FS95 days.

The real old timers (not me) remember AVSIM before there was a public internet, only online bulletin boards (BBS). It was text only due to slow connection speeds in those days. And I see on wikipedia that AVSIM was then called CAPENET because Tom Allensworth lived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Then VINE when he moved to Virginia. And finally AVSIM.


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3 hours ago, W2DR said:

Here are a couple of "helpful hints" for flying the IGS at the old Kai Tak.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remove cabin staff from knee....

th?id=OIP.fqIfpX3T5GbWhYrmJ8xKWgHaEx%26p

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OK, thanks, all. Looks like I'm going to need to go get FlyTampa Kai Tek and fire up FSX again!

3QSslrC.png

 

Looks like San Miguel beer was *very* popular in Hong Kong...

oY0Pxch.png


Ryzen5 5800X3D, RTX4070, 600 Watt, TWO Dell S3222DGM 32" screens spanned with Nvidia surround 5185 x 1440p, 32 GB RAM, 4 TB  PCle 3 NVMe, Warthog throttle, CH Flightstick, Honeycomb Alpha yoke, CH quad, 3 Logitech panels, 2 StreamDecks, Desktop Aviator Trim Panel.

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Now that I think of it, that is probably not the San Miguel regional headquarters building. But it's just a rented advertising billboard for passengers passing close by!


Ryzen5 5800X3D, RTX4070, 600 Watt, TWO Dell S3222DGM 32" screens spanned with Nvidia surround 5185 x 1440p, 32 GB RAM, 4 TB  PCle 3 NVMe, Warthog throttle, CH Flightstick, Honeycomb Alpha yoke, CH quad, 3 Logitech panels, 2 StreamDecks, Desktop Aviator Trim Panel.

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The checkerboard for the IGS 13 approach has been repainted and restored: 

Kai-Tak-Airport-Checkerboard-Hong-Kong-R.


Another win for aviation fans!


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