Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
I listened to the Hong Kong Approach frequency during a typhoon. One airliner, from the middle east, had gone around three times from runway 13 at Kai Tak. The eye of the typhoon passed right through Kowloon harbour and a runway change was carried out. The wind was gusting to 90 kts! By then it was possible to discern the increasing tension in the tone of the pilot's radio transmissions. He requested fuel priority and because the ILS for the reciprocal, runway 31 was taking a little time to come online, ATC offered him a PAR approach to runway 31.
The pilot was obviously confused by this and after a pause (presumably to confer with the captain) he declared that they didn't have any PAR equipment* fitted! Only at that stage did they decide to divert!
* For those who don't know, a PAR is a Precision Approach Radar letdown. No equipment is required to be fitted to any aircraft because the pilot just listens to continuous ATC glidepath and centreline information given during the descent and makes the appropriate left/right and descent corrections suggested.
I made a mental note not to fly with that airline...
Could not have been many Middle East airlines into Kai Tak in those days but fond memories of the 31 PAR
But ATC had a funny caveat saying “ for information only”or something similar which was a government phrase do avoid liability in the event of an accident
Many a crew thanked the controller fulsomely for the assistance upon landing such was its value and guidance thro the Lei Yi Mun Gap