Kai Tak: Sitting on the Checkerboard

Various stuff filmed by myself. For the technophiles: IGS glideslope antenna on the checkerboard hill, IGS localizer antenna at the sports field. Then 747 stuff: Lufthansa landing, Cathay takeoff and landing, Alitalia hit by crosswind gust during the flare.
©1998 www.aerowinx.com

[@daveagnes4726]

Thanks for posting. As an air traffic controller, I was fortunate enough to be able to catch a jumpseat ride into Kai Tak in a Tower Air 747 on Nov 5, 1993. It was the day after the China Airlines 747 went off the end of the runway. It was still sitting in the water when we landed there. While we were in Hong Kong, they used explosives and blew the vertical stabilizer off of the 747, because it was creating an obstruction to the RWY 31 ILS signal.

[@chrisnizer1885]

A Kai-Tak landing has GOT to have one of the highest pucker factors in all of aviation, bar NONE. That 747 was 40°- 45° off centerline at touchdown. But it is a plane spotting paradise. AWESOME video, thanks!

[@satyaward5452]

Kai Tak and 747 is just perfect match. How lucky you are. And these pilots maneuvering jumbo like fighter jets. Jaw dropping video for us now!

[@kathleenkirby2047]

Thank you for this amazing video. I worked in Hong Kong in 1974 and experienced the excitement as a passenger, of landing at Kai Tak I also experienced seeing the 747 flying serenely through the flats en route to Stinkys market and Kai Tak airport! Such happy memories!

[@leftatedsa]

My favourite hangout each time I visited HKG in the 1980s. There was a hole in the fence enabling access. A great place to shoot video.

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

I'll never tire of seeing 747's, such an awesome airplane.

[@canadagood]

Fantasy plane spotters heaven.

[@simflier8298]

I miss kai tak. Spectacular, and unique approach.

[@richschindler8731]

Fantastic video. This video means so much to me as I flew a corporate BAC 1-11 into Kai Tak a few times back in the 80’s. Great memories.

[@William65362]

That 747 Alitalia landing was so exciting! Hahahahaha

[@DANNY40379]

crosswinds yikes!!

[@johannesbols57]

I spent 1962 - 1972 watching final to JFK. So, I guess I have compensation for never having done my Checkerboard Time. As I watched this I realized I woulda flown into the airport, clamped myself to the checkerboard, and then boarded the flight to begin my journey back to Seattle, where I've lived post 1972. Never woulda thought to leave and see Hong Kong. JP6 for blood, that's me!!! Thank you for sharing this.

[@judywebster7972]

Wow, the cross wind caught the last landing, such skill from the pilots though

[@Hiddencrowdsurfer]

i saw videos of kai tak and thought what about Lufthansa? Then the first landing is a 747 of them, I love it. My Parents landed there and i worked for this Airline, i love it

[@craigjackson2428]

What a perspective!!!! Thanks for the upload. A historic masterpiece before the changeover and Chek Lap Kok came on line rendering this iconic approach into the aviation history books. A avgeeks plane spotting dream realized with a visit in 1996.

[@raymondjackson1208]

This Jackson agrees

[@michaelrunnicles7196]

Excellent footage, well done! I was in Hong Kong in 1991, but only got as far as the tennis courts (seen at 0:14) just below the checkerboard. Makes all the difference - I had great views of the checkerboard turn, but you just couldn’t see the runway, so the video I took ends with the airliners disappearing behind trees. Not sure I could have sat on the edge like this, annoyingly I think a mild fear of heights would’ve stopped me!

[@bartwarburg55]

Each time we did the checkerboard approach, I almost wet my pants. The rabbit trail was on the roof tops.

[@joeg5414]

What does the rabbit trail was on the roof tops mean? It's really bothering me that I can't figure this out 😂

[@davidringo4672]

@@joeg5414 I think he means leaving a trail of pee on the roof tops.. a trail that reflects the approach to touchdown 😄

[@tequilasunrise69]

@@joeg5414 the lead-in lights, commonly referred to as the rabbit by pilots, ran across the buildings in kowloon.

[@luke83rj]

It's amazing, the runway seems way too short for 747's.

[@masonmtb7]

Its actually an >11,000ft runway, pretty long. But the turn right before definitely made it very hard to land

[@NoelKerns]

How I wish I had been able to get there when Kai Tak and the Walled City were still around.

[@dedmaroz9335]

Thanks for uploading this. The perspective is different than anything else I've seen regarding Kai Tak.

[@SecretAsian27]

ded maroz I agree. You’re higher above the city than the 747s are!

[@cedricye1767]

The time when 747's were the only plane

[@jacksonj3082]

The view of the landing from higher ground, watching the plane drift to its landing - simply WOW WOW

[@billmoeller8897]

Back when flying was fun !!!!!

[@markjessurun7765]

Yes very nice video clip of the Famous Kai Tak Airport ! Thanks for the video clip and I really enjoyed this ! 😊😊

[@TheADzioba]

"I'm just sitting here with my checkmates watching the planes landing."

[@maks8891]

Vow,before it was everyday like this,u don't give a damn,but when it was gone,this is great job you made,😂

[@MrDaiseymay]

A fantastic sight, seeing those monster planes banking like that. The Concorde vid is also spectacular, seeing as she has a much faster landing speed. I'm not surprised Kai Tak is now closed. My brother was posted there in 1950, with The RAF.

[@wibblywobble7068]

Great video brings back some memories, lived a few minutes away from Tsai Park.

[@itsumonihon]

alitalia must have regretted trying to float her into a smooth landing after that gust :)

[@diwlelomo]

As a teenager I used to do this! Lived just down the road in Kowloon Tong.

[@joeg5414]

Lucky. I would have given a lot to do this as a kid! I was obsessed with Kai Tak growing up. Can't tell you how many times a practiced this approach in microsoft flight sim 2000😂I had a just planes VHS tape of kai tak I almost wore out😂

[@moXon460]

Thanks for this video! It is so interesting to see especially because you can actually sit on the checkerboard hill today and experience the view yourself. It sure looks a bit different, but you can still see that houses in that area are not as tall. With a little imagination you can see the airplanes approaching ;-)

[@runninggames771]

Not anymore now that china fucked up hong kong

[@Valkenier11]

Great footage. Friend of min,ex captain KLM ,did fly lots of times at HKG

[@brucewayne3602]

truly incredible ... stretching the boundaries of reality ... great video but everyone should have landed @ Kai Tek to comprehend this airport ... beyond unique !!!

[@armenio1947]

Excellent video, good work.

[@GerOffYeWeeBastard]

I experienced a similarly gnarly approach into Bogota once. The plane came in North to South with the mountains on one side, than cranked a hard right turn through 90 degrees, and as soon as we levelled off...thumpity thump...we were on the runway.

[@jhonhplanespotter..6824]

Fantastic classic video many thanks for sharing

[@Lee247Jamaica]

This must be where all the 747s and a330s do there landing and take off challenges with the dc 10 L1011 and md11 being special guest

[@RellyOhBoy]

I always wanted to know where the IGS Localizer antenna was.

[@vasily2022]

Wow! How lucky. GREAT VIDEO.

[@Ashfaq1999]

Great video. Wonder how the pilots handled cross wind landings back then !!

[@ronaldsimmons9517]

That Alitalia left about four tyres on the runway. That wasn't a crab, it was a lobster!!!

[@MarsAveSo]

Awesome video I could watch these all day!! A_

[@理論的には適切]

What an amazing quality and capture! wow

[@RedLP5000S]

Breathtaking

[@emmataylor9298]

Great footage. Just great.

[@hwinangkoso]

the Alitalia one was mad

[@marcconyard5024]

I wouldn't have sat there when Alitalia was landing!

[@AceBanana100]

Remember in the 90's the BA flight out left at 21:30 arriving in the UK at 6am (ish)

[@mikepetitti]

Awesome video.

[@hornet8928]

whoa great quality!

[@nrmnchb]

Awesome video. Thanks

[@edmundoamarallima4325]

Espetacular operação de pouso,segurança e muita habilidade. Espetacular.

[@soobinsbread590]

The bigger version of London City

[@CaptainStevenMarkovich]

Amazing location👍👍 subscribed

[@kona702]

Is the reason they couldn't do the approach from over the water in the same direction the departures were coming from just because of conflicting traffic? I'm sure it would have been easier to approach from the other side, but I'm guessing they couldn't have departures and approaches coming in on the same end of a runway. No matter how ATC spaces them I guess it's just not a good idea right?

[@grazzling]

You always use the runway direction which goes against the wind to minimize ground speed. This goes double since the runway wasn't very long to begin with (but got a lot of 747 traffic) and winds are often strong in the area (as you see in the crosswind landings here). And as you mentioned, collision risks would require enormous spacing when doing approaches and departures in opposite directions, which simply wasn't an option for such a busy airport.

[@AD_RC]

what a good idea.

[@watchhans]

Do you have the exact date when this video was filmed? I was a flight attendant with Lufthansa from 1982 - 2015 and experienced countless landings at Kai Tak. Perhaps I was onboard that specific flight.

[@tonycooper6255]

Just a glimpse of the flat in La Salle Road where I lived from 1959 to 1962 ( under the flight path)

[@kgersemi261]

Good job.

[@marvelous1358]

747 galore

[@scopex2749]

These guys sit here then wave their bats to direct the aircraft! 3:48 left that a bit late FLOATED THE TOUCHDOWN!

[@ZGundam83]

Can you imagine the A380 flying the RWY 13 approach?

[@iansouthward4003]

I did that in 1974.. good fun!

[@TheLocoUnion]

The only thing missing is ACK ACK fire from German anti aircraft emplacements.

[@russellwiley2484]

Excellent

[@oldmanc2]

You'll find my footprints up there on that ridge too. I miss Kai Tak....

[@khalilrichardson491]

The Kai Tak Cruise Ship Terminal sits on where the old airport once stood, and the airport's checkerboard now faded is one of the only remains

[@kenross4256]

love it!

[@voja2000]

One of lucky people who have seen Kai Tak in operation.... 5* You got red-button click from me ;-) Cheers!

[@TheoneandonlyEETFUK]

Does the checkerboard still exist?

[@lastorianostra8173]

3:05 ALITALIA ♥

[@hualani6785]

The old checkerboard at Kai Tak. If you want real life experience go back to 1960s-70s Before glideslope existed!

[@ChlyDoris]

Been there, done that, seen it 👌😎😎😎

[@ShotInTheDark]

Wow

[@jackiebayliss]

Cool 💯😎♥️

[@onlytest6165]

your location is restricted area. How you get in?

[@richmondotayde5915]

Amazing! Where is that place?

[@Potaterfilms]

Hong kong

[@CindyFlores-si7xk]

Back when the airport was full of queens. Amirite? *if you don’t get it, the 747 is the queen of the skies because yes.*

[@manchesterplanespotter1343]

Great Video Mate A very big like and sub from me.

[@user-rf7ei7uw6t]

Imagine o Airbus a380 se estivesse em operação

[@tomrohan8480]

Only 747s landing.. i wonder who designed this airport 🤔..to test man n machine

[@raylsistemlerbir6763]

O zamanlar uçaklar ın çoğu 2 motorluydu

[@52t99]

Aren’t those 747s beautiful. Those were the times that Boeing care more on the quality of their products.

[@TimeTraveller-xt1uo]

WTF Crazy

[@michaelynclino4271]

illlovedofwhatyou havedidtome "

[@FOXX0124]

Like #666

[@carlmaster9690]

Can't believe Hong Kong spent over fifty years solely reliant on Kai Tak, a single runway airport hemmed in by the city, mountains and sea! Then to go yo having a large duel runway airport in the sea with a third runway currently under construction.