Swissair Convair 990 into HKG - 1964

[akerosid]

Here's a superb video (in two parts) of Swissair CV990 operations into HKG; not many videos around (certainly this is the first I've seen) of actual CV990 operations and I haven't seen many from old Kai Tak of this vintage either.

Narration is in German, but not that hard to follow; plenty of superb footage, particularly in the second part (link at the end of the first):

YouTube - Swissair: Landung in Hongkong 1/2

Enjoy - it's a real gem!

[Sir George Cayley]

Sweet, but mostly filmed id der stimulator!

Nevertheless, a great fix for nostalgia junkies like moi.

Ta very much like

Sir George Cayley

[PLovett]

Ahh...and to think that I flew on one from Zurich to Heathrow in 1974.

Takes me back it does.

[forget]

I remember flying on Cathay's 880s in the '70s. I'm sure they were 5 abreast. Was the 990 the same cross section?

[akerosid]

I think so. Don't forget that CX was flying them on mostly regional flights then; I don't think they ever flew CV880s on flights of over 4h - no further north than Tokyo, or south than Singapore - don't think they ever went to Oz with jets until the 707s came along.

I always recall Spantax flying CV990s into Dublin, in the early 1980s - and I regret very much not having flown on them.

I think SR were about the last major carrier to fly 990s, and CX, among the last to fly 880s; both retired their fleets around '75.

[forget]

.. no further north than Tokyo, or south than Singapore.

They did go south to Jakarta, that's where I recall flying them from. I should've mentioned why I raised the 5 abreast question. Part 2 of the vid shows interior cabin which looks like 6 abreast. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong.

[pjac]

pjac

you're wrong there Akerosid-Cathay flew the 880s down to Perth via KUL and JKT. They also flew them to Calcutta.

[flash8]

thanks for that link - most enlightening... loved the part where the Captains son and daughter were playing on their "toy" simulator... completely dressed in all the regalia

[Postfade]

The arrival of the 'big jets' in the early 60's.
Here's a night time pic of Cathay's CV880M VR-HFS at Paya Lebar, Singapore in 1963.

I spent many hours gazing 'thro' the wire' at Paya Lebar at the Cathay and JAL 880's, the SAS/Thai, KLM and Alitalia DC-8s and the Qantas, Pan Am and BOAC 707's.
Here comes another-SAS Coronado SE-OAY on charter to Thai Airways, on approach to runway 20 at Paya Lebar in mid 1963.

Of course we were also saying goodbye to the Super Connie's and DC7's..the 'big props'.
David T