I was fortunate to be a pax into and out of Kai Tak a number of times, not yet into the new. On one arrival it was very frustrating to have been unable to change my seat and I was in the middle section of a United 743 economy. Usually I nabbed a window. Never had a go round, they nailed it every time. Only interesting moment was a BA 744 on a night departure out over the bay. I was in Club on the right hand window and, about 20 seconds or so after rotation, there was a loud bang from the Starboard wing, sounded like a compressor stall. A few hours later when I was able to visit the flight deck, I asked the FC if that was what I had heard and they said No. But course, fully laden on a hot evening, the Queen just carried on sailing out through the gap no matter what the bang was!
The project I was working on was based at the Kwai Chung container port for HIT. So I had a good view through the window of approaches in towards Stonecutters where they turned off to Starboard and headed for the Chequer Board. One Sunday, I walked from my hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, followed the approach line up to the chequer board and then down to the fence. Great afternoon to be underneath the big turn.