Aviation Specials – May 2018

Extreme Airports // 97

Kai Tak

Hong Kong’s former airport has always

been a favourite of aviation enthusiasts,

fondly remembered for having one of the

most challenging approaches in the world.

As a gateway to China and the rest of Asia,

Kai Tak was used by dozens of passenger

and cargo airlines, flying the largest and

heaviest transport aircraft of the era:

Boeing 747s, McDonnell Douglas DC-10s

and Lockheed L-1011s. Later generations,

such as the Airbus A330 and A340, and

Boeing 76 and 777, also frequented Kai Tak

before its closure in 1998.

Obstacles, terrain and the geography of

Kowloon Bay dictated the placement and

alignment of the runway. The challenge

wasn’t the length of the airstrip, but the

unique curving ‘Checkerboard Approach’

flown to avoid high ground and tall

apartment blocks before lining up on

Runway 13. Pilots would fly a 47° offset ILS

(known as an IGS – instrument guidance

system) until they spotted a large red and

white checkerboard panel mounted on a

hillside north of the runway.

The final turn was performed at low

altitude over the rooftops of the city,

sometimes at unusually high bank angles

if the crew overshot or if winds pushed

the aircraft away from the centreline.

Go-arounds and long-landings with

brake-smoking decelerations were regular

occurrences when weather conditions

were unfavourable.

Departures from Runway 13 over the

bay were relatively straight forward, but

Runway 31 faced the hills, so an immediate

left turn was required once airborne and

take-off weights had to be reduced to

provide better engine-out climb gradients.

An additional constraint to operating at

Kai Tak was the extremely limited apron,

gate and taxiway space. If departure

delays were in effect, inbound flights could

be held or diverted. Due to congestion,

safety concerns, noise pollution, and the

damper that the airport had on nearby

development (buildings had height

restrictions due to the low flying aircraft),

traffic outgrew the airport in the 1980s

and a replacement was constructed on

Chek Lap Kok island. At 0002 on July 6,

1998 the last commercial flight departed,

and our beloved Kai Tak was closed with

the controller’s final words: “Goodbye Kai

Tak and thank you.”

The IGS on a PC

As Kai Tak was decommissioned 20 years

ago, the depiction of the airfield in modern

flight simulators is variable, with some only

showing closed runways, a lack of scenery,

and most removing the navigation aids

that were essential to flying the approach.

Fortunately, the flight simulation

community is teeming with aviation fans

that love history, so both commercial add-

on software and community projects are

available to reinvigorate Kai Tak and bring

it back to life. These feature all the details

that made the approaches so challenging

including dense urban scenery, the

offset ILS approach, congested ramp

areas, historically accurate airliners on

the apron and terminals, and of course,

the famed checkerboard on the hill

overlooking the airfield.

The approach starts at the Cheung Chau

VOR navigation beacon southwest of

FLIGHT SIMULATION

ABOVE: Kai

Tak's wonderful

approach still

exists in the

virtual world.

BELOW RIGHT:

The checkerboard

is reproduced, but

real-world pilots

rarely got

this close.

BELOW and

BOTTOM RIGHT:

The flight path

over the high rise

buildings is an

experience no

one will ever have

again, except while

using a simulator.

94-98_Flight Sim.indd 97 11/05/2018 15:54