Nostalgic video - Convair 990 into Kai Tak (1964)
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Nostalgic video - Convair 990 into Kai Tak (1964)
Found this on Youtube - a real gem, about Swissair CV990 operations into dear old Kai Tak. Narration is in German, but not that hard to follow (and I don't speak German); superb footage of the approach in the second part.
Enjoy!
YouTube - Swissair: Landung in Hongkong 1/2
Enjoy!
YouTube - Swissair: Landung in Hongkong 1/2
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I really missed all that chrome on airplanes! This video should be pre-IGS, it look like the CC NDB approach, judging from the height over Cheung Chau and the mention of Green Island (missed approach point). Back then Stone Cutter was still an island! Thanks for posting the video.

800' up the Hong Kong Harbour passing Green Island and on to Stonecutters, then on the Kowloon Magistracy, and a hard right descending turn over the 'burbs to Mrs Wong's 5th story laundry washing via the KG IV playing field to Rwy 13...excellent!
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I flew my first ever trip from the UK out to the Far East, before the above video was made, in a BOAC 707-436. I searched YouTube and was astonished to find it there, the interior cabin exactly as I remembered it:
YouTube - BOAC Boeing 707-436 & Vickers VC-10-"Top Flight"-1964-Part ll/lll
YouTube - BOAC Boeing 707-436 & Vickers VC-10-"Top Flight"-1964-Part lll/lll
I love the background music - all 007 Sean Connery style of the 60s.
YouTube - BOAC Boeing 707-436 & Vickers VC-10-"Top Flight"-1964-Part ll/lll
YouTube - BOAC Boeing 707-436 & Vickers VC-10-"Top Flight"-1964-Part lll/lll
I love the background music - all 007 Sean Connery style of the 60s.
Flexi...see you are still up...SLS is a bitch!
Minor correction. KGV..was the school (that I attended) but after the Kowloon Magistracy twas Mission Road cricket ground...which is being pedantic cos they are 200 metres apart.
Cheers
Old KJS/KGV/RAAF farts
Minor correction. KGV..was the school (that I attended) but after the Kowloon Magistracy twas Mission Road cricket ground...which is being pedantic cos they are 200 metres apart.
Cheers
Old KJS/KGV/RAAF farts
The "real" IGS was fly the loc to minima, and say "I am pretty much visual" with as reassuring a voice as possible, while applying 25 deg right bank (+/- for wind allowance) maintaing 700 fpm rod onto a heading 135 (+/- for wind...invariably + xx deg for the south wester).
The next thing of note was to observe the blurry faint outlines of the approach lights ahead, or alternatively, the horrified faces peering from the control tower...hopefully viewed out the left side of the cockpit!
I agree that with VR-HFX that the classic CX step out to the left approach in VMC gave a more varied and casual view of the approach and allowed endless debriefings on which side of which road in Kowloon that one should track!
The next thing of note was to observe the blurry faint outlines of the approach lights ahead, or alternatively, the horrified faces peering from the control tower...hopefully viewed out the left side of the cockpit!
I agree that with VR-HFX that the classic CX step out to the left approach in VMC gave a more varied and casual view of the approach and allowed endless debriefings on which side of which road in Kowloon that one should track!
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I think that footage is included on this DVD, which is excellent if you can find one:
Avion Video Airliner Videos and DVDs
Avion Video Airliner Videos and DVDs
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There was the Lufthansa (just checked sources...not Air India) version of the IGS which involved Cheung Chau direct to Kowloon Reservoir, Sha Tin Valley, Tide Cove, Tolo Channel..then try again.
Can't remember the year but think it was the late 1960's as it was a 707 that scared the living daylights out of Brian Floyd who saw it go over his apartment on the old road into Sha Tin (pre-tunnel).
May have been lining up on the old Sha Tin airstrip...which by that stage was used as a pony club.
Seems it was still used as an airstrip until at least 1961 by the Aux AF Austers.
1961 | 0922 | Flight Archive
Can't remember the year but think it was the late 1960's as it was a 707 that scared the living daylights out of Brian Floyd who saw it go over his apartment on the old road into Sha Tin (pre-tunnel).
May have been lining up on the old Sha Tin airstrip...which by that stage was used as a pony club.

Seems it was still used as an airstrip until at least 1961 by the Aux AF Austers.
1961 | 0922 | Flight Archive
Last edited by Traffic; 7th Oct 2009 at 09:31.
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Sorry to say that
In 1964 the air traffic on CC NDB approach and let-down was flying over my house on the south island of Cheung Chau and went on as such way up until the early 1970s. But in the video the Convair 990 was flying over the north island of CC when the VOR/IGS on the hill-top there was not yet built until 10 years later.
Ding!
Tung
In 1964 the air traffic on CC NDB approach and let-down was flying over my house on the south island of Cheung Chau and went on as such way up until the early 1970s. But in the video the Convair 990 was flying over the north island of CC when the VOR/IGS on the hill-top there was not yet built until 10 years later.
Ding!

Tung
Last edited by 1960school12ctung; 14th Jul 2013 at 07:39. Reason: Swissair 1964 video has a glitch