Aids HIV FAQ

APPROACH TO KAI TAK (HKG)

Question:

I’ve landed at Hong Kong several times and I’ve always come in on the infamous sharp-bank approach.  Does anyone know why this approach (which seems quite dangerous) is used so frequently?  Does it scare anyone else?  Anyone have weird landing stories at HKG or elsewhere? Thornton

Response:

>I’ve landed at Hong Kong several times and I’ve always come in on the infamous >sharp-bank approach.  Does anyone know why this approach (which seems quite >dangerous) is used so frequently?  Does it scare anyone else?  Anyone have weird >landing stories at HKG or elsewhere?

If the IGS approach to Kai Tak Rwy 13 interests you, I suggest you check your local library for a copy of the July 1994 issue of Airways magazine.  It includes an excellent article by a 747 captain on the various approaches to Kai Tak.  It also has some wonderful photographs, including one of the famous China Airlines 747-400 that slid off the runway into the harbor, and another photo of a 747 landing on the runway 50 degrees off center. If you are interested in trying your hand at flying this famous approach, I designed some scenery for Hong Kong that is used in conjunction with Microsoft’s Flight Simulator, Version 5.  Combined with the Airways article, you have all the approach plates, navagation aids, etc. necessary to fly this IGS approach to Rwy 13.  The scenery is available at ftp.iup.edu in the flight-sim/fs5/scenery directory under the name fs5hkg.zip. Bob — Central Services, Computer Laboratory              (517) 353-7228 Michigan State University East Lansing MI  48824

Response:

> I’ve landed at Hong Kong several times and I’ve always come in on the  infamous > sharp-bank approach.  Does anyone know why this approach (which seems quite > dangerous) is used so frequently?  Does it scare anyone else?  Anyone have weird > landing stories at HKG or elsewhere?

Since Runway 13/31 is the only runway at HKG and the wind usually blows from the east, Runway 13 is the only available runway for takeoff and landing.  Occasionally when the wind comes from the north or northwest, Runway 31 will be used for landing which takes you directly from the South China Sea through Lee Yu Mun. If you think the approach is going to scare the pilot, wait till you’re on the ground in the vicinity of the airport, along Argyle Street, Prince Edward Road or the Boundary Street.  My ex-girlfriend used to live in an apartment in that neighborhood and you can literally see the treads on the tires on the landing gear from the balcony, not the mention the thundering noise especially in a humid day. There is a place up in the hillside of Kowloon Tong (forget the name of the place or road, that hill is the one of the left hand side on the approach) where you’re lined up perfectly with the runway and can see aircrafts making that famous turn.  On a day with northeastery winds, all aircrafts are landing off-centered due to the crosswind, which is quite a site. — "And this is all I have to say about that…"   – F. Gump       ___      (o o) ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel

Response:

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