Kai Tak video

[The SSK]

On the Really Boring ... etc thread on JB, Rollingthunder has posted a video of Kai Tak in the days of steam powered aeroplanes.

http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/416373-really-really-boring-etc-usw-etc-mm-enz-ecc-osv-etc-fred-mk-xv-155.html

At 1'54, a Viscount is taking off past something on the apron which I don't recognise. Any ideas?

[Feathers McGraw]

Might it be a Lancastrian?

The definition of that aircraft is very poor, the tail in particular is very difficult to see at all, it's fuzzed out!

[oxenos]

Bristol Brigand?

[Groundloop]

Strangest sounding Viscounts that I've ever heard!

[DH106]

Big wheels and a very short nose - one of the various tri-motors?

[zetec2]

Viscount taxies with a Beaufighter in the background, PH.

[Cubs2jets]

Never knew they had so many stewardesses on the Viscount. Amazing they had room for paying passengers! :oh: :O

C2j

[Krakatoa]

A mix of the old and new runways

[Proplinerman]

"Strangest sounding Viscounts that I've ever heard!"

Then have a look at this clip from that very well known film, made in 1960, directed by the celebrated Federico Fellini, I think, "La dolce vita."

YouTube - "Alitalia Viscount 745 & DC-7C & DC-6B"-1960 (http://tinyurl.com/2f2hae6)

[JW411]

Well, I reckon it is a Beaufighter (possibly a target tug from Singapore)?

[kevmusic]

I was mesmerised by the Chinese swing big band! :}

[Krakatoa]

You are right. I was stationed at Kai Tak in the early fifties and there was a Beaufighter on strength at that time.
One day the Beau was departing runway 13 when halfway down the runway it swung ninety degrees shot through between a parked DC4 and some DC3's over the sea wall and into the harbour. Fortunately the crew were fished out of water unharmed, by the marine craft unit.

[LXXIV]

Krakatoa, nice to see the old control tower. I, too was stationed at Kai Tak, '49 to '51, and usually strolled with a mate round the airfield on Sunday mornings for tea and toast in the little cafe at the control tower. Funny how we managed to get used to the smell of the fragrant harbour. Ah, happy days.

LXXIV

[Tankertrashnav]

Great clip - a bit before my time but when I was there in '68 the Cathay Pacific hostesses (not FAs in those days!) used the open air pool at RAF Kai Tak for liferaft drills. In spite of the fact they unsportingly wore track suits the event still usually managed to draw small crowd of onlookers :ok:

No Brigands or Beaufighters there by then, but the hangar at Kai Tak was home to a late mark Griffon engined Spitfire which was ex 28 squadron at Sek Kong - I think the last operational Spitfire squadron - wonder where that a/c finished up?

[forget]

Spitfire. Last time I saw it, 1980, it was 'gate-guard' with the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, Kai Tak. After that .... ?

[chris keeping]

Now residing at Duxford, still with it's Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force markings, I seem to remember she departed Hong Kong circa '92

[D120A]

The Spitfire was, every year, taken over to the island on a barge and displayed outside City Hall during Battle of Britain week.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x118/D120A/29Spitfire.jpg

Taken in 1964.

[Rollingthunder]

NTfD2pztbK0

[Noyade]

Some poor mug shots of the suspect...

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/1463/scr0482438.jpg (http://img64.imageshack.us/i/scr0482438.jpg/)
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/6128/scr0916424.jpg (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/scr0916424.jpg/)

[Kitbag]

At 1'17" there is a much clearer view of the Beau as the Viscount leaves its parking slot, you can see light glinting off the rear gunner/observers cupola

[Offchocks]

Sorry to be a little off topic but have just seen this whilst on an "overnight" in Hong Kong.

I arrived in Hong Kong when I was six in '58 and left in '68, it brought back memories of growing up there and the old Kai Tak where I spent a bit of time, the new terminal and runway were built in about '61 I think. Yes there was some use of the old and new runways in the video.

My dad worked for HAECO at the airport and had something to do with a partial restoration of the spitfire in about '87. I remember him saying it would not be flying again, must go to Duxford and have a look next time I go to London.

[Tankertrashnav]

Thanks for the info on the Spitfire guys. Interesting to hear about its trips across the harbour to Hong Kong side, but I dont think this happened in 68 when I was there, probably as the security situation was a bit dodgy with the cultural revolution raging just over the border.

[D120A]

I am sure you are right, Tankertrashnav, as 1966 and the Cultural Revolution put a stop to many such things. I think an added incentive to display the Spitfire in the early 60s was the 'influence' of two Battle of Britain veterans in post as AOCs Hong Kong, Air Commodore (then) Crowley-Milling in 1964, followed I think by Air Commodore Bird-Wilson.

[forget]

Here it is in 1979, and the occasion.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/RHKAAF-1.jpg

[Tankertrashnav]

More interesting info coming out about the Spit from D120. By the time I was there the post of AOC HK had gone, and Air House up on The Peak was flogged for the breathtaking sum of HK$1m (£85k)! A couple of noughts on that sum nowadays I'd guess. The CO at Kai Tak, Gp Capt Rex "Sexy Rexy" Williams was however determined that the RAF was not seen as the poor relation in the colony, and styled himself "Commander RAF Hong Kong" without any authority from FEAF to do so.

Another nice pic, forget, reminds me that the Governor, Sir Crawford Murray MacLehose was always known as Jock the Sock!