> They also regaled me with stories of the old HK landing strip that involved flying so low through the city, you could see into people's rooms
I flew in that way several times. It was always a treat.
There was also the opposite point of view, being on the streets. You'd suddenly see a very, very low aircraft appear briefly with a deafening roar from above the buildings. There was very little noise build up as a warning.
I think I remember being told that pilots needed ten years flying experience before they were even allowed to attempt this landing. That can't be a pleasant first-attempt at all.
I can imagine it must have been an incredible site from the ground.
I wonder if that landing is in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator?
I heard simulator training on this landing was mandatory for beeing allowed to land there. Also I know smbdy who lived in downtown HK during that period. I asked how was it with the planes, respond was: it looks like you can touch them with your hands when they fly above you. I asked about the noise. Noise wasnt the problem (since it was gone fast) but the streets smelled bad of kerosine/exhaust for some time which was the real nuisance.
I lived a while under the flight path near the airport. My main memory of inconvenience is they would drown out the dialogue of whatever you were watching on TV for about 30 seconds. There was a park behind the house next to the chequer board where the planes passed so close you could see the rivets.
I was travelling to HK a lot in 1995/6. I was lucky enough to sit in the cockpit (ah, pre 9/11 days) on approach/landing to Kai Tak in a 767 and then a 747.
The most amazing thing was that the guidance (the famous checkerboard) basically directed the automatic landing to fly the planes into the mountain.
So they'd be on automatic pilot until a certain point, when the pilot took full manual control to do the right turn over Kowloon to land.
Things I remember most:
There were no flashing lights allowed in Kowloon advertising etc, up in the cockpit, the pilot pointed out that there were guidance lights flashing upwards along the flight path in Kowloon that you couldn't see from the ground.
A 747 is big. I remember the 767 automatic voice announcement as we got close to the ground, 500 feet, 400, 300, 200, 100, 50... I was expecting the same in the 747, but it's much bigger so I felt us touch down well before I expected.
The amazing feeling watching the pilot making slight movements and the entire plane banking. There was this hidden power that was pretty exhilarating.
I flew in that way several times. It was always a treat.
There was also the opposite point of view, being on the streets. You'd suddenly see a very, very low aircraft appear briefly with a deafening roar from above the buildings. There was very little noise build up as a warning.