General Aviation in HKG

[kazumichi]

So what's the situation for GA in HKG? Are there any aero clubs or somewhere to rent an airplane to go for a spin? Anybody doing aerobatics? Can a guy bring over his own airplane and have somewhere to fly it and a hangar to put it in? Or has North America left me unrealistically attached to vast tracts of uncontrolled airspace and the slutty comforts of FBOs?

[Dan Winterland]

Regarding your last comment, er....yes!

However, there is a flying club which operates from Sek Kong in the New Territories. It's a Peoples Liberation Army airfield and flying club movements are fairly restricted. Only at weekends, slots have to be booked some time in advance, not much airspace and not cheap. But they do have an aerobatic aircraft. A search on Google for 'Hong Kong Flying Cub' should tell you more.

[skypeeper]

Kazumichi

You're not the only one enamoured with the liberty that US airspace allows, the only thing that I wish I could have since coming back to Hong Kong is the same GA comforts I found while I worked in Florida. I'm getting withdrawal symptoms already (involuntary whiplash when I hear a passing plane in HKG cloudy skies).

GA in HKG is piddle at the moment because the costs of keeping a plane are astronomical, and in general operating rules are very restrictive. I was hypothesising about my buying a Pitts S2B, bringing it here and after asking about, found out that:

1) Unless I won the Florida Lottery (that's after five rollovers) that idea is completely out the window

2) My takeoff would probably include a lot of accelerating in ground effect, flight portion would primarily consist of doing a vertical line then coming straight back down (repeated as necessary)

3) My plans of pulling off a Lomcvak over Victoria harbour.... they're on hold...indefinitely :suspect:

I wonder how many people would like to see the GA scene increase here in HKG. Does anyone know of any studies that have been done to see if it's feasible? From what I gather HKG has a rather heartening history as a centre of aviation in SE Asia. I would love to see it bloom.... :)

[kazumichi]

Thanks guys. That's kind of what I thought. Maybe there's not a big demand for that sort of thing amongst the pilots there because hauling butt across the planet several times a month quells the desire to spend more time in a cockpit.

[moosp]

Yes, GA is still pretty restrictive in HKG, but the more you gently push against the incumbent system, the more it leans.

For instance, when individuals in HKG saw that the PLA would only allow weekend flying from Sek Kong (the only licenced airfield in HKG apart from the international one), they started up rotary flying. The Aviation club saw that it was working so bought their own helicopter less than a year ago, and started flight training. They are not quite into double figures of PPL(H)s yet but they have decided to buy another helicopter. The demand is there.

The GA in HKG is a vibrant as you make it. If people come to fly, the club will buy the kit. Perhaps the constraining factor is weather, with industrial IMC drifting across from the factories in Guangzhou most days. It is a serious pollution problem that restricts flying.

Perhaps the most hopeful aspect is that the border will become more penetrable. At present if you want to fly into China the bureaucracy and fee structure makes every flight an expensive epic. It will change. I would surmise that we will be able to fly over the border on training flights, without a landing and return to Hong Kong, in less than two years.

Why? Because that is what China wants.

[mrfox]

http://www.savekaitaknow.netfirms.com/

EDIT: Picture didn't show....

[ronnie123]

Mr. Chin has been working very hard, to wake the people of Hong Kong.
GA is as good as dead in HK. Seems to be really booming in Malaysia? Lot of guys who dont get visas to fly in USA, are doing it all in Asia.