Pretty strong accusations,
"Appalling standard of training as witnessed by the number of accidents in recent years"
What basis do you have for the appalling standard of training accusation... the "number of accidents in recent years"? Flying has dangers and there are accidents, but I would say Hong Kong has less than its fair share.. care to list the accidents (there aren't many)
I was trained there as a PPL and have since trained in a number of other jurisdictions (including professional licences in some of the biggest ICAO countries) and the training I received was some of the best I have had.
Yes the landing area is confined and sometimes necessitates a downwind landing (but not always... the issue is a uni directional landing direction due to obstacles), but you make this sound with your
as if it was a prohibited manouver in a helicopter.
Many of the things that give helicopters their utility require compromise whether it is vertical take offs or downwind landings. A downwind landing requires careful management of yaw to prevent weather cocking as well as careful power management and assessment of Vortex ring risks.
It requires precise flying and that is why it requires a separate sign off to use the Kai Tak facility and why there are precise limits in the published club flying orders.
"Never train there - it's tantamount to suicide..." that's just plain stupid and frankly pretty offensive to a group of very decent instructors (no I am not one so have no axe to grind) who require under CAD regs 300 hrs of P1 time before they can teach....
