The funnest landing

[ScottM]

For thsoe of you lucky enough to have landed at the old hong Kong airport you know it to be one of the funnest landings there is. Even when sitting as cargo it is great. I always loved hearing the first timers gasp when they saw how close to the buildings we were. I found a video of a normal landing into Kai Tak. BTW what they did not show on the video is the big sign on the mountain that you head straight for during the approach. It is a sign that indicates one must turn right (or else you fly into the mountain).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOU3MYl38XU

 

[Pilawt]

Here's a link to the approach plate. It includes this chilling language:

"WARNING: Missed approach is mandatory by the MM if visual flight is not achieved by this point. In carrying out the missed approach procedure, the right turn must be made at the MM (2.2 NM from 'KL' DME if MM is unserviceable) as any early or late turn will result in loss of terrain clearance." [emphasis added]
​

Once you made that sharp right turn to final you often had a horrendous crosswind to deal with. Here are some Kai Tak action photos:

[sequence of four photos of one "landing"]
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0223249/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0223248/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0223247/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0223246/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0047556/M/

And here's the "sign" on the hilltop that Scott mentioned.

-- Pilawt

 

[silver-eagle]

Airliners.net has some wonderful pix of Kai Tak. If you search on Crosswind landings, you'll find most of them. It's video counterpart is flightlevel350.com.

 

[gismo]

Kinda reminds me of Gastons on a larger scale if you substitute the wires and trees at 3M0 for the buildings of HK.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

checkout the complicated missed on that iap. "uhh departure... can you give us a vector?"
http://www.swiremariners.com/31laimun.html

"advance apologies if copyright violations occurred during this post"