HONG KONG KAI TAK
44 // Extreme AirportsMay-November tropical storm season, the
limited fuel stocks at Kai Tak would start to
run low and rationing would be imposed
if the ocean-going supertankers couldn’t
dock. Depending on how much fuel was
available, we might only be supplied with
the minimum needed for the next fl ight.
If the situation became more acute we
were required to bring additional fuel on
the inbound sector, as our uplifts would
be limited to 40% of normal. We could
carry enough for a round-trip if we were
operating intra-Asia but not if we were
departing across the Pacifi c. Sometimes
we had to drop into Taipei for more fuel,
but we had to do it quickly as the extra stop
would put us close to maximum duty hours.
Another problem we faced at the end
of the long-haul from California was that
Kai Tak didn’t open until 0630hrs. If we
expected to get a good push across the
Pacifi c from the winds, we’d have to delay
our departure from the USA or reduce
speed to ensure we arrived after the
curfew had lifted. Some of our passengers
weren’t pleased when we left San
Francisco behind schedule, even if we told
them we’d still arrive in Hong Kong on time.Training
We couldn’t fl y into Kai Tak until we’d
been specially trained, of course. The
Aeronautical Information Publication for
Hong Kong had an interesting reference:
“Operators intending to use the system
must ensure, for fl ight safety reasons,
that their pilots are fully conversant with,
and have adequate practice in, published
procedures.” So it wasn’t something
we wanted to do without understanding
the nuances, which were especially
important if the conditions were close to
our minima as the approach to Runway
13 was surrounded by high ground and
tower blocks.
Pilots that flew aircraft types
scheduled into Hong Kong all undertook
the training sessions when they joined
the company, and when they changed
fleet. I first did it when I converted onto
the Boeing 747-400.
The process for both captains and
fi rst offi cers began in the simulator,
where we practised fl ying the Runway
13 approach and the manual turn before
landing. We were then familiarised
with the location of the terrain, a majorfactor that demanded we maintained the
highest level of situational awareness
at all times. The importance of this was
demonstrated by the proximity of the go-
around tracks, with hills and mountains
close to each runway end. The high
ground also caused unpredictable winds
and some very nasty turbulence, which
increased during the typhoon season.
Line training involved at least one trip into
Kai Tak, and our fi nal check-ride before we
were let loose on our own always involved
a fl ight to the airport. Once everything
was signed off we were qualifi ed for Kai
Tak operations for a year, and we retained
our currency for 12 months after our most
recent landing there. Even so, our annual
line checks were conducted on Hong Kong
sectors to allow us to demonstrate our
ongoing profi ciency.
Captains almost always landed at Kai
Tak, but fi rst offi cers conducted practise
approaches and go-arounds in the
simulator to ensure they were prepared in
the event of pilot incapacitation. Now and
again a captain who was confi dent in their
own and their colleague’s ability might
allow a fi rst offi cer to fl y the approach.ABOVE: Cathay
Pacifi c’s one-time
fl agship Boeing
747-267B, B-HIB,
completes the
turn. (Simon
Gregory / Aviation
Image Network)
ABOVE RIGHT:
British Airways
Boeing 747-436
G-BNLN slips
between the
buildings. (Simon
Gregory / Aviation
Image Network)
BELOW: Being
familiar with
Kai Tak, Cathay
Pacifi c pilots hand
seemed to manage
the 48o right turn
be er than most.
(AirTeamImages.
com / Ralf
Meyermann)
BELOW RIGHT: A
China Eastern Air-
lines McDonnell
Douglas MD-90
makes a dive to-
wards the runway.
(AirTeamImages.
com / Andrew
Hunt)42-49_Kai Tak.indd 44 11/05/2018 12:28