In 1935, the airport got a real control tower. Having opened in 1925, Kai Tak served as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954. The tight quarters not only prevented any possible expansion but also limited the airports hours. Exactly 24 years ago today, Kai Tak Airport (HKG) closed down following 73 years of operations. After all, clothes are just things that can Pictolic is Informational entertainment portal for auditories to get useful information in pictures. Its roots were in a failed business development, the brainchild of Sir Kai Ho Kai and Au Tak. Other than redevelopment of the land, the exhilarating experience of flying over and landing at Kai Tak Airport has also been made into simulation experiences, such that the memory can be shared with generations born after the closure ofKai Tak Airport. After a decade of planning and evaluating different possible sites, construction began in 1991. Hong Kong was settled long before aircraft and air travel existed. Kai and So got their money and happily left, leaving behind only the name of the site, on which the first runways soon appeared. Will be used in accordance with our privacy policy. Also, because of its proximity to residential homes, the airport had to close between 23:30 and 06:30, adding further pressure to flight operations. Photo: Barbara Ann Spengler via Wikimedia Commons. See. Kai Tak was one of the last major airports in the world where you really had to rely on basic flying skillsstick and rudderand we were all a bit sad when it closed, -Captain Dave Newbery via Atlas Obscura. It was one-of-a-kind, requiring pilots to be specially certified in order to make hair-raising landings amid mountains and high-rises. Real stories. Performance cookies are key in allowing web site screens and content to load quickly on all types of devices. He headed to London Heathrow Airport, and at that time, in the main control tower of Kaitaka, the head of Hong Kong civil aviation said: "Goodbye, Kaitak, and thank you," after which he turned the switch and turned off the runway lights. In 1935 an aircraft hangar and control tower were added to the airport allowing for the arrival of Hong Kong's first international passenger flight in 1936. 22 photos of what happens when the head is 22 subway fashionistas who don't care what anyone thinks of them. Hong Kong's iconic international travel hub played a pivotal role in metropolitan life for 73 years, which came to an end with its closure 20 . We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. (Nobody ever hit one, by the way.). 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It may be in 1970, though, that Kai Tak acquired its legendary status. The city had little available space, so the runway was built on reclaimed land out over Kowloon Bay. Are we now seeing the same process play out in the city it once served? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I copied the following which explains why it was so dangerous. Aside from the recent political unrest, you think of the glamorous skylines. I was surprised at how far the old RAF Kai Tak hangar was from what I thought of as the airport area. In its time, it was famous among pilots for having an extremely difficult landing. Citizens recalled in interviews that the engine sounds were sodeafening that schoolteachers had to pause in the middle of class and wait for a plane to pass. The invaders decided to turn the airfield on the shore into a real big airport. Now imagine an airport within all those high-rise buildings. Kai Tak was built in 1925 on reclaimed land in Kowloon Bay, opposite Hong Kong Island. Header images courtesy ofYwchow and Wikimedia Commons. This had to be flown manually, whatever the weather. In fact, manual Do you agree that it is not the clothes that make a person beautiful, but the opposite? Read more. Once far from the center of the city, Kai Tak was now surrounded by tall buildings. Aircraft would intercept the localizer for the runway at this point and turn right towards Kai Tak. The same year, BOAC began flying Bristol Britannia 102s between London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. In the 1960s, a fullfledged passenger terminal began operating at the airport. However, the true test of one's skills would take place during less-than-ideal weather conditions. The landing I just described was remarkable, but typical. On April 11 of that year, the first 747 arrived in Hong Kong, and for decades photographers and planespotters had a spectacular view of the behemoths making high-performance maneuvers amid the apartment blocks and verdant peaks of the city. By the 1990s, Kai Tak was among the worlds busiest airports: in the top three for passengers and number one for cargo. The former greatness of Hong Kong's first air gate is only recalled by amazing photographs, similar to shots from disaster films or skillful photomontage. ILS was added in 1974, and the airport entered its peak years. In 1958, Kai Tak Airport had its name officially changed to Hong Kong International Airport, by which time, the main runway had been taking 36 to38 planes every hourway over its designated capacity. The last scheduled flight out of the airport was a Cathay Pacific flight to London Heathrow. Before its current airport on Chek Lap Kok island, there was Kai Tak. Hong Kong's first airport, Kai Tak, was located in the built-up city area, with an unusually complex and dramatic approach path. Many thought the airport was named to commemorate the business partners who started it all, but the title of the airport actually came from the name of the land, which was Kai Tak Bund. Departures from Runway 13/31 had their own challenges. It was ranked as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world. Here, an Alitalia MD-11 demonstrates how it's done: After the turn, planes were on the so-called "final approach," when the plane is aligned with the runway just like this 747-400 from home carrier Cathay Pacific. For pilots, this airport was technically demanding, as the approach could not be flown by aircraft instruments, but rather visually because of the right-hand turn required. During the Second World War, the airport came under Japanese control, and two concrete runways were added. A Cathay Pacific flight comes into land in Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, June, 27, 1998. Despite the disturbances, the noises had become a part of life in East Kowloon, with some residents commenting that life had become too quiet after Kai Tak Airport closed. It was breath-taking. It was one of the most dangerous airport in the world. Since its retirement, Kai Tak has been used as a retail development and recreation facility. As a result, 59 passengers on board the aircraft were killed. The risk of catastrophic loss of life loomed ever larger. Taking off: The beginning of an era The tale of Kai Tak began in the 1910s when businessmen Ho Kai and Au Tak opened Kai Tak Investment Company and bought the area that would later become the renowned airport. Kai Tak airport was surrounded by dense and high development. The Kai Tak airport was rated as the one of the most dangerous airports, due to it's approach, it has a 45 right bank just, before landing on runway 13. And in 1974 already up to 3390 meters. The completion date of January 1998 was moved up a year in order to precede the retrocession of Hong Kong to the Peoples Republic in 1997, but that goal was not met. Did you ever fly into Kai Tak airport as a pilot or a passenger? The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website. In her free time, you can usually find her in her room obsessing over a new show, making a new playlist, or getting lost in her thoughts. (Photo credit: Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department) 1910~40s 1930 This feature is for paid subscribers only. Due to ageing and the unfavourable conditions at Kai Tak Airport, the government began looking at a replacement planin the early 1990s, which resulted in the construction of the current Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. Everything that was connected with aviation at that time aroused everyone's great interest. Based in Alicante, Spain. This one is a United jet, in the classic "Tulip" colors: The so-called "checkerboard" turn aligned airplanes with the runway, with a steep bank at very low altitude. Check here before booking an award fare. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. Soon after, the runwaywas expanded under Japanese rule, using materials taken from Sung Wong Toi and the wall of Kowloon Walled City. The history of Kaitak Airport began in 1912. After struggling financially for a few years and eventually becoming the base of the Royal Air Force, theFar East Flying Schoolthe first of its kind in Asiawas founded in 1934, sparking a brand-new chapter of civil aviation at Kai Tak and in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government bought the Kai Tak site in 1927 and started building an aerodrome. From the 1980s on, Kai Taks capacity began to be stretched. The new Hong Kong International Airport, built on the island of Chek Lap Kok, opened as soon as Kai Tak closed. This cookie is set by twitter.com. In later years, Kai Tak was ranked as the sixth most dangerous airport in the . New research shows that they arrived far earlier than previously thought. It expanded over the next two decades, with further flight schools and an RAF presence. This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Pilots required special certification and training to be qualified to land their planes at Kai Tak, one of the reasons why despite the dangerous, complex approach, accidents were rare (one of the only commercial crashes during approach was a 1993 China Airlines 747 that skidded off the end of the runway after landing in a typhoon, resulting in 23 injuries and no deaths). Then 59 people died out of 71 present on board. The first passenger terminal was built in 1962. "Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Of course, there were accidents, including with human casualties, but they did not happen more often than at any other airport in the world. December 21, 2022 6 minute read Tweet More than 24 years have passed since the runways of Kai Tak stopped stretching their arms out to greet pilots on the challenging approach. The Kai Tak Airport has the numerous skyscrapers or mountains located on its north part making its runway into the Victoria Harbor. There used to be seven roads in the Kowloon City district named after plane models, though only two of the names, Concorde Road and Dakota Drive, are still in use today. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. for the purpose of better understanding user preferences for targeted advertisments. Think New York's notoriously tough La Guardia, surrounded by water and with short runways but with mountains on one side, skyscrapers on the other, sometimes a typhoon to contend with, and with much bigger and heavier airplanes. Now Kaitak Airport is a large dusty wasteland, on which the ruins of airfield buildings are visible in some places. http://www.facebook.com/Jon5700YT3 NEW AVIATION VIDEOS EVERY WEEK - Sub. I had to execute a missed approach, which was quite hard work. -Captain Dave Newbery via Atlas Obscura. Kaitak received its proud title of "the most extreme airport in the world" in the early 70s. Kai Tak's runway jutted out into the sea and its descent required a sharp turn between Hong Kong skyscrapers and nearby craggy mountains. Another consideration the government took into account was the height restrictions placed on high-rise buildings being constructed in Kowloon, due to being on the approach path of the airport. Pilots were aware of the difficulty of the landing and the conditions required to do it successfully One of the multiple dangers at Kai Tak was the lack of a 'bailout' area. NEW page on Facebook - will be posting a ton of stuff starting soon - give it a like! Just after midnight, a Cathay Pacific 747 bound for London was the final scheduled departure. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites. It was certainly the case in the 2010s that new arrivals from the United States or Europe found the airport more familiar than did those coming on mainland flights. Photo: Nhk9 (via Wikimedia Commons), Sean Lau at the Kai Tak Airport in The Greed of Man. Photo: The News Lens, Kai Tak Airport in Internal Affairs II. Photo: The News Lens, The Runway 13 mark in the newly opened Sky Garden. Veer right upon seeing Checkerboard Hillan orange-and-white painted marker above a park. Hong Kongs growth after World War II coincided with the spread of commercial aviation. Gradually, from a backwater suburb, it turned into a not entirely prosperous, but quite urban area. When the postwar airport opened in 1954, it was designed to handle 24 million passengers a year. And this is what Kai Tak looked like in 2010, on its way to becoming a cruise ship terminal able to berth the largest cruise vessels in the world. In the late 80s, Kaitak became a real problem for Hong Kong, or rather, for residents of Kowloon and the surrounding area. His strong relationships with Middle Eastern and Canadian airlines make him an asset to the team. The governmentimplemented noise abatement policies to combat the issue, which included a flight curfew from 11.30 pm to 6.30 am. But due to the lack of space, they had to be moved to the bay. The data includes the number of visits, average duration of the visit on the website, pages visited, etc. Built to provide more access and greater movement, the airport is now the doorway to a changed city. And in 1924, he even opened the flight school of the Briton Harry Abbott. Once the pattern was sighted and identified, aircraft made a low-altitude (below 600 ft) 47 right-hand turn, ending with a short final and touchdown. Probably the most dangerous airport ever, Kai Tak was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Far from population centers, approaches could be mostly over water, and land for expansion was ample. Kai Tak Bund in its early days. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. By Pictolic People built airports in the most inappropriate places - among the mountains, in the thicket of the jungle, on coral atolls. 20 Places It's been nearly 20 years since Hong Kong's Kai Tak International Airport closed, but its unique, notorious landing approach is still very much alive in the memory of those who. It was located in the central built-up city area, with large widebody aircraft making a dramatic and challenging approach to land. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. (Technically, this approach was to runway 13, as it would be designated when approaching from this direction, with the designation 31 referring to approaches from the runways opposite end, if the wind direction called for it.) This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile. Despite all the difficulties, Kaitak has not become an ominous place of constant plane crashes. The pilot needed to slow down quickly to avoid the mountains, but to stay in the air it needed to maintain its speed. From that moment to the present day, all air transportation in Hong Kong is carried out through the comfortable and safe Cheeklapkok Airport, located away from residential areas on the island. This cookie is set by pubmatic.com. The company's development plan had eventually fallen through, leading to the government acquiring the land for airfield development . In 1957, the lanes were lengthened to 1,664 meters so that they could receive passenger liners. This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. You have no saved articles. This low-altitude, 47-degree turn took place at nearly 200 miles per hour, just two nautical miles from the runway. Most of the rwy 31 final approach was over the harbor but with mountainous terrain on either side. The airport site has now been redeveloped and houses flat development and a cruise ship terminal. Why Was Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport's Approach So Challenging?, Hong Kong Kai Tak airport on Inspirationde Hong Kong Kai Tak intl Airport, 90's. Aviation at its finest : aviation. Receiving large passenger jets for decades, it's no surprise that the airport and its challenging location claimed a few aircraft over time. Clearly, landing at Kai Tak was a test of piloting skills on the best of days. The final approach after the right turn then flew just tens of meters over the apartment building surrounding the airport. Today's Video: Kai Tak Airport - Why THIS Airport Was Closed Instagram: https://www . Many captains who flew into it are retiring. U-turn: A plane from Kai Tak Airport aborts its landing in Hong Kong due to stormy weather. Geographically remarkable and logistically unlikely, both existed on the barest of margins, yet not only survived but thrived. Therefore, we constantly had to make adjustments to weather conditions. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Although the design of the runway posed a threat to residents nearby, it has also created the bizarre illusion of a plane flying in between buildings, a unique and iconic sight that has won the hearts of many aerophiles. But after a while, the landowners realized that they had lost and decided to get rid of the land, which turned out to be in the center of the city slums. The cookies collect this data and report it anonymously. But the most dangerous in the history of aviation is considered to be the Kaitak passenger Airport in Hong Kong's Kowloon district. Pilots required special certification and training to be qualified to land their planes at Kai Tak, one of the reasons why despite the dangerous, complex approach, accidents were rare (one of the only commercial crashes during approach was a 1993 China Airlines 747 that skidded off the end of the runway after landing in a typhoon, resulting in 2. Not as sentimental as we had hoped, but still, a pretty cool fact, right? Kai Tak Airport, Hong Kong closed on 6 th July 1998. Strong crosswinds and surrounding mountains made Kai Tak Airport one of the world's most dangerous airports. A new passenger terminal opened in 1962, and by the mid-1970s, the airport's runway had been extended again to 11,130 feet. Journalist - Mark is an experienced travel journalist having published work in the industry for more than seven years. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak, or simply Kai Tak and Kai Tak International Airport, to distinguish it from its successor, Chek Lap Kok International Airport, built on . To optimize ad relevance by collecting visitor data from multiple websites such as what pages have been loaded. Given these conditions, Kai Taks 73 years of operation did involve accidents, some fatal. Airport in the middle of the city: Sitting partly in the city and partly in the sea, Kai Tak International Airport, which closed 25 years ago, was one of the world's most exciting (and terrifying . Photo: Getty Images The beginning of Kai Tak According to Atlas Obscura, Kai Tak was built in 1925 on reclaimed land in Kowloon Bay, opposite Hong Kong Island. to Kai Tak to do some touch and go training.The History Channel program Most Extreme Airports ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world. This data is used to provide users with relevant ads. If an aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 13/31, it would have to do the following: I was flying into Kai Tak with my wife on the jumpseat. In 1924, a man named Harry Abbott opened a flying school at the airfield, which he later shared with other flying clubs and the British Royal Air Force. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Runway 13/31 was once known as the most dangerous runway in history, and was the reason why Kai Tak Airport was ranked one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
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