Checkerboard Approach Old HKG Video

[Jtwpilot]

The old Kai Tak airport was made famous by its "Checkerboard approach". Enjoy some spectacular views of the old Hong Kong airport. I flew this many time in the B747 and it was as wild as it looks :)

Enjoy,
James

YouTube - Kai Tak Checkerboard approach Old HKG Airport

[Lukeafb1]

Wasn't the checkerboard also used as a rainwater chute into a large tank on the ground??

[Albert Driver]

.

Of course the real checkerboard approach was the NDB approach from Cheung Chau.

Now that was "exciting"....

[mustafagander]

Ah yes, the Good Old Days.

Over Cheung Chau NDB to Stonecutters NDB and follow the lead lights through RW locator to the threshold. Interestingly those flashing lead in lights were the only lights allowed (by local law) to flash in Kowloon.

Then there were the harbour curcuits - break off from the ILS 31 and circle for 13 at rather low level inside the harbour confines.

So much fun and games in a B707 when we were all a lot younger and sillier. :ok:

[Fareastdriver]

The shots just show the incredible visability that one had up to the turn of the century. With the industrial pollution from China you are lucky to get 10 kilometres now.

[Old-Duffer]

Apart from my initial arrival at Kai Tak in Mar '67, when I was blissfully unaware of the approach to be flown and was sitting in the back of an RAF Argosy ex Changi & Siagon, I went circuit bashing with the Argosy and later Hercules, crews on many occasions. The Argosy was my favourite 'cause I could lie on the floor by the glass nose door and take a series of photos of the approach.

One of the Argosy training captains (Peter C*&^$h) was an absolute whizz at flying a very smooth approach up to the chequerboards and I asked him how he did it.

"Well, I fly straight at the chequerboard and when I think - Jesus, this is close - I haul the aircraft round and there we are".

The other place to be was beneath the chequerboards and there were some good photos to be had. Standing at 'Stinkey's Corner' as the jets went overhead was also fairly dramatic.

Old Duffer

[sled dog]

That brought back memories, but the narrative almost sent me to sleep.......:zzz:

[Prince of Dzun]

mustafagander;

The RW13 " inside the harbour " circling approach off the ILS for RW31 appears to have been something of a Cathay secret as your mention of it is the first I have seen on KAI TAK nostalgia. I did it for years as one only had to ask ATC for the circling approach and permission was always granted subject to traffic. There were a few extra things to think about but easily worth the effort.
I never did it at night ( wish I had now ) as the 180 degree DESCENDING turn back onto RW13 with the chequer board hills nearby was just a little intimidating. ATC banned it about the time the Tristar was introduced.

Prince of Dzun.

[mustafagander]

Charlie Q did it regularly for practice mainly. It quite often disrupted a 2 day HKG slip by scheduling a bit of circuit work for Capt refamil.

[jindabyne]

Some just painted it ------
Back up ---

http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o738/HaroldEdward/Checkerboard_zps1d33422f.jpg (http://s1340.photobucket.com/user/HaroldEdward/media/Checkerboard_zps1d33422f.jpg.html)

[RADAC]

Old Duffer

"Well, I fly straight at the chequerboard and when I think - Jesus, this is close - I haul the aircraft round and there we are".

.. and I thought my old Dad was a bit more professional!!

Brian (C*&^$h)

[chris keeping]

That's a nice painting, is it available to the general public?

[sled dog]

Right click "save as".......:)

[chris keeping]

Not quite the same though... but thanks for the tip!

[Old-Duffer]

RADAC,

If your Dad is the holder of the AFM and his birthday is 29 June 1923, then he IS the ultimate professional - let there be no doubt of it!

In those days, when one hit 47, you stopped flying and lost your flying pay. Many ex-flyers went air traffic. Your dad used to say: 'Everytime they tell me I've got to go air traffic, I get this ttttt erible stut stut stutter'.

Old Duffer

PS: and he's good egg to boot

[wub]

I was in Hong Kong last week and spotted the old checkerboard out of my hotel window

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/P1050945.jpg

[Fareastdriver]

You would really have to crank on a turn now.

[Neptunus Rex]

There was a time when you could walk through the park, pick up a cold six-pack from the kiosk, climb the steps to sit half way up the checkerboard and watch the jets close by in the turn to finals.

Where else could come close?

[wub]

There was a time when you could walk through the park, pick up a cold six-pack from the kiosk, climb the steps to sit half way up the checkerboard and watch the jets close by in the turn to finals.

Where else could come close?

The roof of the car park was pretty spectacular too.

[oxenos]

The video refers to the system being put in place in the early 70's, but I certainly recall the chequerboard from Shackleton days in the 60's, and I am pretty sure there was a localizer/DME fitted then as well.

[Prince of Dzun]

Lamentable to see an old friend in such pitiful condition. The Hongkong government is flush with cash so why can't they preserve this piece of aviation history??

Prince of Dzun.

[Load Toad]

Because they really don't give a **** about local history & are incompetent at best these days. Everything they do is a half arsed job, poorly thought out and considered.

[Dan Winterland]

There was a thread on the FH forum a while back trying to drum up enough support for volunteers to go up with there with cans of red and white paint and give it a touch up for nostalgia's sake. It would have to have been done at night to escape the attention of the ''Cannots". No idea what happened to the attempt.

[AGNES]

Many years ago, the then Northwest Airlines made a video on the IGS approach for pilot training. The procedures were explained by a now retired HK Tower Superviser. Did any former NWA pilots still get a copy of the video that could share with us?

[forget]

Through the windscreen here;

YouTube - Cockpit Video Landing Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport


.. and good compilation, complete with 633 theme;

YouTube - Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport (1925 - 1998)

[JW411]

What you really need is a video of the old NDB approach from Cheung Cheu to Stonecutters and then the Chequerboard before the IGS came along and made it easy!

[AGNES]

Perhaps you missed this thread.

http://www.pprune.org/fragrant-harbour/388040-nostalgic-video-convair-990-into-kai-tak-1964-a.html

[JW411]

Thanks for that; I think I have seen the video before a long time ago but it is still wonderful. I also love the CAVOK weather. I don't remember too much of that when I went to Kai Tak. I also loved seeing the old simulator technology.

The introduction of the IGS cut down the turn on to finals by about 40 degrees so it made life much easier.

Incidentally, we used to do crew-training at weekends (usually on a Saturday afternoon) when Kai Tak was relatively quiet, and we used to do "harbour circuits".

In other words, take-off on 13 and then turn immediately right before the island, fly down the harbour, Stonecutters, Chequerboard then touch and go. It saved a lot of time and was quite scenic.

Happy Daze.

[India Four Two]

I assume that the vertical red and white tower above the Chequerboard is the glideslope antenna. Where was the localizer antenna?

I flew into Kai Tak many times during the 80s and 90s and always tried to get a right-side window seat to watch the 13 approach. I never got tired of it. In early 1998, I was travelling to Hong Kong from Tokyo on a CX 777 and I realized that this would be my last flight into Kai Tak. So after flashing my business card and PPL, I was invited to the flight deck by a very pleasant Captain.

The approach was even more spectacular from the cockpit. I'm glad I got the opportunity to see it.

A little bit of thread drift. The Captain and First Officer were both Brits and I immediately detected an excellent relationship and minimal "power distance". The Captain was the handling pilot and so the FO gave me the safety briefing, including : "In case Pete here, stuffs it up and we end up in the harbour, your life jacket is under your seat."

After landing, we were taxying to the terminal, watching the next arrival, a 747, come round the corner and make a spectacular bounce on landing. The Captain said "Another fine arrival by China Airlines" and the FO turned around and said to me "You know you really have to work at it to bounce a 747!" ;)

[twochai]

What you really need is a video of the old NDB approach from Cheung Cheu to Stonecutters and then the Chequerboard before the IGS came along and made it easy!

You got it, JW411.

In 1970 a Stonecutters was my first introduction to Kai Tak - at night in a thunderstorm, of course!

[1960school12ctung]

Hello,

while most of the talks were about the final checkerboard episode, can anyone recall the landing approach over the airspace of Cheung Chau island prior to the Stonecutter island NDB.

I used to watch, everyday in the 1950s and 60s, the deafening jetliners flew over the CC NDB Station in distant, came down homing at my house and passing over it at extreme low level with the landing gear down seemingly for a touch-down before they sped away.

Here is the aerial view of the CC NDB station: Cheung Chau Meteorological Station | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong (http://gwulo.com/node/13304)

Can anyone share your experience of this leg of flight?

Thanks

1960school12ctung

[Speedbird48]

I recall sitting up on the Peak watching a Cathay gentleman doing several circuits inside the harbour in a Convair 880. Quite spectacular and great to watch.

Then there was the shorter management type from BA who managed to get both inboard engines in a 707-436, suspend himself, give himself a Bo******** in the mirror, reinstate him self and fly out again!!! The engineers words on touch down were, "you got number 3, Oh SH** you got number two as well"!!!

Those were the days, so long gone.

Speedbird 48

[Dan Winterland]

"You know you really have to work at it to bounce a 747!"

I didn't!

[Offchocks]

I was 17 when my aviation career started at Kai Tak in 1968, VR-HFW from the Aero Club and my instructor was Hal D, a lot of CX gents will remember him. Left hand circuits onto 13 with the checkerboard being base. Years later I was landing on 13 again in 74s and 76s, all good fun!
I'll probably hang up the flying jacket later this year and hope I can arrange my last flight to HKG, even though it will be to Chek Lap Kok ........ it will kind of complete the circle.

[Feather #3]

With all the mention of CC to SC, we're forgetting Green Island!

If you couldn't see Green Island after leaving CC, you arguably didn't have the vis to get to Stonecutters; go around?

G'day ;)


Reverie:

Harbour circuits;

1. Bruce G [aka 006.5] doing a harbour circuit at 0700, PA in one hand giving the pax a brief, pausing to nudge the thrust occasionally, cheroot between the fingers of the right hand, flying with the left. PA back in the cradle, quick draw on the cheroot then into the ashtray for the turn over Stonecutters. Aah, the GOD's!! :)

2. Happily in the bar of the Mariner's Club drinking with my Boss [an HKG trainer.] Another Capt storms in and walks up to him, frothing at the mouth; "You did my training and told me to turn at the Seiko watch sign on the Island!! We did and barely got around the corner!!:mad:" "Um, it's the Casio sign!" "Bugga, I knew it was one of these Jap watches!!:ugh:"

[toffeez]

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u622/oldairbus/kaitak_0829_nw_zpsaeed39a2.jpg

[Dan Winterland]

It does need a touch up!

I gather The Hong kong Historic Aircraft Association have had some space allocated to create an aviation museum at Kai Tak. Repainting the checkerboard will be a good advert.

[Fareastdriver]

There is an actual moving video somewhere. It was shown on HK TV when they moved to Chep Lap Kok. One of them was a super shot of a United Airlines 747 being frantically cross controlled before taking a dozen landings off the tyres.

[pigboat]

What you really need is a video of the old NDB approach from Cheung Cheu to Stonecutters and then the Chequerboard before the IGS came along and made it easy!

JW411, first a disclaimer. I have never done the CC approach into Kai Tak in anger. Years ago I did it in the Hawker sim at Flight Safety with an instructor who had done many of them, in all kinds of weather. He'd set up a typhoon with the viz on limits, and talked me through the visual portion after breaking out of cloud and following the visual flight path. Just after touchdown, an errant gust from the typhoon blew the aircraft 90 degrees to the runway and we trundled off into the drink. The instructor gave me a whack on the back of the head and said "You dumb ****, you've just closed the only non communist airport in SE Asia that's above limits." :D

[CV880]

India Four Two, the localiser antenna was down at the sports field level in the park below the checker board just beyond the open air swimming pools near Inverness Road.

[ICT_SLB]

The Canadian Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe, Ontario has a CAE simulator display that features the approach to Kai Tak.

[India Four Two]

CV880,
Thanks for the info on the localizer.

Last year I had a go at the IGS 13 approach in the fixed-base 737NG sim below the Singapore Flyer. Night time, no FD or autothrottle. I managed to land on the runway. I was quite pleased! :)

[Fantome]

Gordon Vette flew for Air New Zealand. He knew that 13 circling approach intimately. His brilliant book 'Impact Erebus'
he wrote to dispel the myths, coverups and lies that hung around the investigations into the DC10 that crashed in Antartica in 1979.

He had great respect for the personal and professional attributes of the late Captain Jim Collins, in command of that flight to the ice. They had known each other for many years. In his book, Gordon Vette wanted to underline as best he could how competent was Jim Collins and how in the lead up to the CFIT Jim Collins was duped on two fronts. The INS programming stuff up and whiteout. More than any other expert analyising this accident, Gordon Vette had the impeccable credentials.

The Kai Tak approach? Well, in 'Impact Erebus' the author gives a superbly written step by step description from the pilot's point of view, and partly from the passenger's too, looking out incredulously at the washing stuck out on poles from the windows of the tenement blocks. He wrote the chapter to emphasise the handling ability required to safely execute that approach, one that Jim Collins also knew intimately.

There are very few of the calibre and credentials of Gordon Vette who have devoted the time and skill and effort, as he has, to relentlessly taking on the fabricators and setting the record straight.

Pardon the digression folks. Look out that extract about racking it round by Stonecutters.

[1960school12ctung]

Hello Albert,

Thanks for mentioning the NDB approach from Cheung Chau island.

The radio beacon station was within my childhood playing landscape. We saw airliners and other fliers flew over this part of the south island daily in the 1950s and 60s.

I can't remember for sure but it seemed to me that there was also a smaller checkerboard at the CC NDB building for in-flight visual.

What were the rules for passing over CC NDB in those days?

Anyone Know?


1960school12ctung