Places - Lost in Time: Hong Kong Kai Tak International Airport (Reworked)

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Күн бұрын

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@AlexVorstermans 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for mentioning the construction of Hong Kong International Airport. One of my colleagues, John Webb (who worked at Mott Connell at the time), was the project director for the airport as Mott Connell (now Aurecon) was in charge of structural engineering services (with Arup being subcontracted for the roof design) . It was an innovative design for its time, and its influence on modern terminals (including renovations at my local airport at Sydney Kingsford Smith) is telling. Unfortunately, John has recently passed, however this video goes to show how large his legacy was.

@BartHoevenaars1 2 ай бұрын

In 1998 I was an employee of a Dutch subcontractor and had control over the installation of electrical signs on the new airport and metro subways. i landed at the old airport KAI TAK and departed 3 months later from the new airport i workt on "chep lap kok". it was a unique experience

@ScottFoster482002 2 ай бұрын

I went to Hong Kong twice in 1971 on R&R from Vietnam. I flew into Kai Tak at night the first time. The next day I watched planes land and it looked crazy. The second time I made sure to get a window seat. What a thrill ride.

@edwardburek1717 2 ай бұрын

It seems amazing that such a place existed. A plane-spotter's delight, a pilot's nightmare, and the locals going about their business as if nothing has happened out of the ordinary. The really remarkable thing is how well the surrounding buildings directly underneath the flight path stood up - a true testament to Hong Kong architecture.

@ralphleak9363 2 ай бұрын

Excellent video. As a twelve year old kid I flew into Kai Tek back in 1966 with my family for a week visit. We were stationed in the Philippines with the USAF and were able to catch a military flight on a C47 as I recall. You can't imagine how close the apartment buildings were unless you experienced landing there. Hong Kong was an unbeleivable experience back then.

@Bucketroo 2 ай бұрын

Most people have no idea of the sheer amount of air passengers traveling throughout Asia. I had a 3-year subscription to Aviation Week in the mid-90's and the passenger figures were mind-blowing. it was no wonder that all the Asian airlines were champing at the bit to get their hands on the Airbus 380. They needed the capacity! This is why Kai Tak was hosting nothing but jumbo jets. So many people! (Amusingly, I accidentally timed my subscription so that the first issue had the first blurry photo of the "F-19 Stealth Fighter". And the final issue featured the US Air Force officially unveiling the actual stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk! Those two issues make nice bookends.)

@stewy62 2 ай бұрын

One of my very favourite “Places - Lost in Time” videos

@Prussianbluex 2 ай бұрын

I was in a Cathay 747 landing there in 1993 and wow! Nothing compares. Catching a taxi to the city the smell of aircraft exhaust was crazy. Loved it . . .

@mickymondo7463 2 ай бұрын

I flew in and out of Kai Tak in 96' it was my second ever flight, and will forever be etched in my memory, landing in the evening and seeing what looked like locals cooking dinner in their highrise kitchens as we banked in, was quite surreal, flying out in daylight was just as memorable.

@Ensign_Cthulhu 2 ай бұрын

I was one of those people who flew into Kai Tak and flew out of Chek Lap Kok after a relatively short stay. I knew when I was flying in that it would be the last time. Very sad.

@drstevenrey 2 ай бұрын

Good work, again and again. Just a joy to watch these well made documentaries. You rock, hard.

@fluffyfour 2 ай бұрын

I always enjoy your 'Places Lost In Time' series. Many thanks.

@6yjjk 2 ай бұрын

Such a pity that Kai Tak, Concorde, the A380 and Big Jet TV didn't all exist at the same time.

@brokeafengineerwannabe2071 2 ай бұрын

Born in '03 I still admire its magnificence. That one video of Concord landing here was so unforgettable.

@mrjasonwhite73 2 ай бұрын

Always appreciate your meticulous research

@mitfreundlichengrussen1234 2 ай бұрын

This was by far that was by far the craziest landing approach i have ever enjoyed. if i remember correctly, the jumbo flew a sharp left turn shortly before landing, the left wing tip almost seemed to touch the balcony of a skyscraper, at least you could recognize the faces of the residents...my craziest landing approach

@scofab 2 ай бұрын

I last went through Kai Tak in 1982... flying into there day or night was always an adventure. Fascinating as always and thank you again.

@DavidLee-df888 2 ай бұрын

I flew into Kai Tak many times as a kid in the 80s visiting relatives. Always fun to see what people were watching on TV through the windows when landing... Of course it was almost always TVB!

@simonhodgetts6530 29 күн бұрын

I visited Hong Kong in 1996. I flew into Kai Tak on a China Airlines 747-400. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had - I could quite literally see office workers at their desks in the skyscrapers as the plane banked for a final descent. What an airport!

@jeffreycase9497 2 ай бұрын

Love your channel mate. Top notch on all aspects . Kudos !

@millennialchicken 2 ай бұрын

One of the things that made Hong Kong so special

@philhunt168 Ай бұрын

Great mini doc. I really feel this channel is under appreciated.

@steffen8982 2 ай бұрын

Absolutely marvelous video, great job!

@michaelbass5966 2 ай бұрын

I was stationed in Hong Kong from 1965 to 1967 when in the Army, landing and taking off a few times during the 2 years, so I remember it very well, very "Iconic" of course as I'm sure many many remember it well, thanks

@IndaloMan 2 ай бұрын

At 65yo I am fascinated by how many places, planes and cars I have experienced/owned/lived during a 40 years IT/Telecoms global consulting career are now the subject of KZbin content. #goodolddays

@Jason-BMWM5 Ай бұрын

Great video, a great walk down memory lane!

@christianweller4288 2 ай бұрын

A timely reminder of what was there in Kowloon Bay. I recently worked for three years on the Kai Tak Sports Park that now inhabits the Western end of the runway and there’s a hint at the previous site in the design. But that’s Hong Kong, nothing stays still and nothing lasts forever.

@Zentai21 2 ай бұрын

My grandad worked as a church missionary back in the 80s and in the 90s, he traveled around the world and he also has a passion in aviation. I saw one of his old pictures in his British Airways flight from Heathrow to Manila via Kai Tak, he even showed me one of his old tapes of the approach, my god it was spectacular!

@Swissair171 2 ай бұрын

Ah, Kai Tak! Now and forever, the most terrifying airport in the history of the human race! Loved by aviation enthusiasts, feared beyond measure by everyone else!

@mikebest1427 Ай бұрын

It was always a thrill to land at kai tak, so close to the apartment building you can see the residents brushing their teeth. Good times indeed

@AidenTheAviator Ай бұрын

The red and white checkerboard used as the visual aid still exists too. It was left to rot after the airport closed but was refurbished and repainted in 2020-2021.

@derekantill3721 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for this well documented video excellent stuff. I flew into Kai Tek in the late 1990’s with Cathay Pacific, a white knuckle landing.

@johnkeepin7527 Ай бұрын

Well done. I once arrived in Kai Tak on a flight from Heathrow in 1996, but then travelled back to London by train, via China, Mongolia, Russia etc, with a few stop offs en route. It was actually the first time I used Eurotunnel (Brussels Midi to London Waterloo International), so it really was overland all the way from Guangzhou.

@skylineXpert 2 ай бұрын

My dad sailed with maersk in the far east as a bosun so he has been to Hong Kong. This landing was craziest part...

@matthewlok3020 2 ай бұрын

As far as I know that turn into Kai Tak is known simply as the Kai Tak turn, renowned for its difficulty in aviation circles

@finntjomstol9364 2 ай бұрын

I’ve never seen your videos but after about 1 minute and a quick browse of your channel i think I will subscribe!

@mjc8281 2 ай бұрын

Flying through Hong Kong in a few weeks and I'm gutted that I'm not flying through Kai Tak, as a child my father was an RAF pilot and had lots of stories flying through and out of there!

@Euphorica 2 ай бұрын

It closed 25 Yrs ago

@mjc8281 2 ай бұрын

@@Euphorica yea I got that from the video

@matthewlok3020 2 ай бұрын

@@mjc8281 I’m sure you will enjoy Chek Lap Kok too

@dansolo6417 Ай бұрын

now everytime before i leave from my visit to hk i will got eat in the places that was close to the old airport. great memories of the old airport

@TomKwan 2 ай бұрын

I was too young to have more good memories of Kaitak. Thanks for the video

@Shark30006 14 күн бұрын

Your channel needs to reach 1M subscribers

@RustyAimer787 Ай бұрын

The “Checkerboard” approach into Kai-Tak airport during the typhoon season separated pilots from the aviators! ❤ I was privileged to make many of those in the Boeing 747.

@stephenselby4252 2 ай бұрын

This was my finance project in the 1990s. The politics of the project would be a fascinating historical project.

@Mr_Spliffy Ай бұрын

Great episode. Awesome

@capricorn839 Ай бұрын

I flew in and out of Kai Tak airport many times during the 1990s. The trills of landing and taking off is memorable. I cannot imagine the residents living right below the flight path of the noisy jets. I missed Kai Tak very much.

@tommyd5238 Ай бұрын

Have been on many flights, but landing at Kai Tak on a British Caledonian DC10 -30 circa 1982 was one to remember, over the roof tops on a steaming hot day with water vapour streaming from the wing leading edge !

@machpodfan Ай бұрын

Love the glimpses of the Cathay CV-880Ms in action❤❤

@Sacto1654 Ай бұрын

I just went through that new airport terminal recently. Compared to the old Kai Tak terminal, the new terminal is huge with a lot of shops and restaurants inside, though I think I missed the really big restaurants there.

@justinbrocklebank1090 2 ай бұрын

Lived in HK early 90s and specifically on Lantau island. Got to know alot of Aussies employed to build the new airport. I remember the incerdible land reclamation taking place. Subsequently went back many times, post the new airport opening. Grand it was but not a patch on the take off and landing at Kai Tak. Great video, very interesting.

@Tina-d8f 2 ай бұрын

I missed out landing here by only 18 months. Hong Kong is fantastic.

@TheManFrayBentos Ай бұрын

"Kai Tak proved itself to be quite a safe airport...." Then goes on to list many accidents and deaths. Priceless.

@lezivanerrol3697 2 ай бұрын

Flown in and out of Kaitek on everything from a DC3 through to the 747. Unforgettable at night landing either direction.

@RobertoGodfrey Ай бұрын

I was there just last month. The area is unrecognizable as the old Kai Tak Airport since basically everything has been redeveloped. Condos everywhere with the ferry terminal and a new stadium. I made a video of it which I plan to upload on my channel soon as soon as I have free time. I wanted to film the old checkerboard, but we didn't have enough time unfortunately.

@drstevenrey 2 ай бұрын

Safety. Can we note that La Guardia, flat, wide open and free of obstacles has way way more accidents on record than Kai Tak.

@dylan8495 2 ай бұрын

Because any Joe blow can fly in to any other airport. Kai-Tak required equal parts of skill, crazy and balls.

@EstorilEm 2 ай бұрын

Apples to oranges; LGA handles around 400,000 flight ops annually, nearly double Kai Tak - passenger numbers are meaningless as they’re almost all heavies as Kai Tak. LGA is also smack dab in the middle of some of the most complicated and congested airspace in the world. It’s not just “flat, wide open and free of obstacles” 😂 - I’m assuming you’ve never flown an approach into the NYC / NJ area.

@drstevenrey 2 ай бұрын

@@EstorilEm You assume correctly, but I have flown into Kaitak thousands of times. Airspace, really, just north of Hongkong is China, and they don't take kindly to airspace infringement. A flak battery is definitely more worrying than Newark airspace.

@EstorilEm 2 ай бұрын

@@drstevenrey Oh... true, I didn't factor in that element. Still, might be better than pissing off some of those NY area controllers. 🤐🤣

@leparisien2 Ай бұрын

I remember Kai tak airport very impressive😮

@androidemulator6952 2 ай бұрын

I miss either getting to fly in, or be on the ground watching a Jumbo skim the apartment roofs in Kai-Tak.. :)

@JDWhiskey92 22 күн бұрын

One other incident occurred at Kai Tak in 1980 when a China Airlines Boeing 747(B-18255) suffered a tail strike whilst landing, resulting in significant damage to the skin of the plane. But a permanent repair wouldn’t be carried out properly and 22 years later, the same 747 would be lost on flight 611 when the plane(with the damaged section covered by a doubler plate) suffered structural failure and broke up mid-air while en route(ironically) to Chek Lap Cok Airport(Kai Taks replacement)!

@matthewlok3020 2 ай бұрын

Just a few nibbles speaking from Hong Kong The Harbour separating Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is called Victoria Harbour David Wilson was knighted around the time he became Governor of Hong Kong (The only Governor who was not knighted when taking office was Chris Patten, later Baron Patten)

@Avantime 2 ай бұрын

If you ever been to Kai Tak for real, you would know how the cabin start to stink immediately after touchdown because the runway happens to be next to the Kai Tak nullah, which carries with it sewage from parts of the city. Or the very yellow-ish terminal interior lights and signs, or the rivers of steam-like condensation running down the ceiling AC ducts near the gates during the summer.

@62smarty 2 ай бұрын

I miss it - and the Walled City...

@matthewlok3020 2 ай бұрын

@@62smarty walled city is now a park

@62smarty 2 ай бұрын

@@matthewlok3020I know ... been there

@Your.Uncle.AngMoh Ай бұрын

I never got to land at Kai Tak. I imagine pilots pointing to an apartment block and saying to one of the others in the cockpit "Has old mate in 15E changed his curtains?"

@DanielV42 2 ай бұрын

One of the places that breaks my heart because I wasn't even around to visit.

@sfoaviation Ай бұрын

I spoke to friends who used used to land on Kai Tak Airport, every single one of them said one thing "its Always exhilirating" ! 😅

@emty9668 Ай бұрын

Flew in July 1993 on my way to Australia with Cathy Pacific in the days when they gave out real cutlery with the meals. Landed in a rainstorm, looked out the window and as the rain stopped we were flying next to buildings...

@brianwong7285 2 ай бұрын

Even though I've said it before, it will have to be said again. Kai Tak's Runway 13 approach did eventually end up claiming lives (more because of bad repairs.) On February 7th 1980, a China Airlines Boeing 747-209B, registered as B-1866, suffered a tailstrike while landing at Kai Tak. The plane was repaired and returned to service but then on May the 25th, 2002 that same plane, re-registered as B-18255, broke apart over the Taiwan Strait north of the Penghu Islands just 20 minutes after departing Taipei's airport as China Airlines Flight 611 for a regular flight to Hong Kong. 225 passengers and crew lost their lives when B-18255 fell out of the sky that day. That 1980 tailstrike damaged a section of the rear belly of B-1866, necessating a removal of that damaged section per Boeing SRM guidelines. But China Airlines engineers simply put a doubler plate over that damaged area and practically left it be. This faulty repair meant the damaged skin would suffer from metal fatigue over the 22 years which the plane remained in service, both as B-1866 and 18255, until when on Flight 611 the skin of B-18255 could finally hold on no more and gave way, resulting in the entire tail section breaking off and then the rest of the plane breaking apart. Sadly during inspections the airline missed a vital clue about that damaged area as on one photographed inspection several brown stains had been noted around the doubler covering the damage, later determined to be stains of nicotine as the passengers were allowed to smoke in the cabin for 15 years (smoking finally banned in 1995 in the cabin for China Airlines) when B-1866 was in service as the air exited the plane via the cracks there.

@cellpat7392 2 ай бұрын

To think HKG will already be 30 years old in less than 4 years. How time flies!

@RooiGevaar19 2 ай бұрын

HKG is not 30 years old. However, Chinese regime owns it for almost those 30 years, since 1997.

@oliverjroebuck Ай бұрын

Would you consider doing a railway documentary on the history of the whole Sprinter family, as a follow-up to you 158/159 documentary you produced a few years ago?

@Volker_GR 2 ай бұрын

When I opened this video, there were - believe it or not - exactly 747 thumbs up! I hesitated briefly because of this magical number, before I also raised my thumb 🙂

@johnmboon Ай бұрын

Been through there a few times. Met one guy who swears the plane he was on flew so close to the apartment buildings he was watching "Kojak" on the TVs as he passed windows.

@AlexWatson-t1f Ай бұрын

Just went there recently. It’s ALL gone 😢

@pauloconnor2980 2 ай бұрын

I love the DC-10 @20:15!!!!!!!

@ArferNower 2 ай бұрын

I landed at this airport in 1984 onboard a British Caledonian DC10

@Noone_8900Lover 2 ай бұрын

My grandfather talked about kai tak before

@힐만94 2 ай бұрын

i always associate kai tak with cathay green stripes livery and that amazing "arrive in better shape" tv commercial...

@ulysseslee9541 Ай бұрын

the old 12/30 actually also is 13-31, but it closed when new 13-31 open

@OceanChannelProductions Ай бұрын

whare did you find the fotage?

@Braveplantt 2 ай бұрын

oh yes, my home city's first airport. fun fact, it's still an airport for training pilots

@ThroneOfBhaal 2 ай бұрын

Not that I mind more you content, but whats being reworked here? Just to a higher standard? To correct errors? Copywrite stuff? xD

@lv7603 2 ай бұрын

The landing alone would enough of a tourist attraction.

@EstorilEm 2 ай бұрын

I must say, for a country and people so rich in heritage and history, they certainly don’t seem to hesitate when it comes to destroying it. 🤦‍♂️ I couldn’t believe the artifacts and historic sites they leveled to build Kai Tak… which is one thing, but to simply erase such an iconic airport (and literally every shred of evidence it ever existed) completely off the map is both egregious and telling. It would have been an exceptional little GA airport, while paying homage to the original roots of the little Kai Tak training field of the 20s. Plus you could look on as tiny 172s took off or came in for a landing, while imagining the massive 747s and other wide bodies of the past. 😔

@MrSmith1984 Ай бұрын

Unfortunately, Hong Kong itself has an incredibly bad reputation when it comes to preserving historic buildings. Hence why few survive to the present day.

@HF7-AD 2 ай бұрын

Did you delete the old video? Afaik KZbin doesn't react well to deleting videos with a decent viewership

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935 Ай бұрын

Did it and the new one. Chek Lap Kok airport was a transit nightmare, ultra-longest, densest, slowest most pointless, hateful queues of my life, just to get off (obligatory) the plane and same aircraft back on again, awful, even worse than a Heathrow transit.

@user-vg8kt7do7c Ай бұрын

Maybe,Kai Tak Airport is challenging for pilots to land.

@kevinbarry71 2 ай бұрын

American here, I never flew in or out through the old airport; but I have through the current one many times. Cathay Pacific was one of my favorite airlines. However, thanks to the CCP Hong Kong is dead and I do not see myself going there ever again even as a transient