Heralded as the sixth most dangerous in the world, kai tak served as. From 1993 onwards the civilian government flying service replaced royal hong kong auxiliary air force at kai tak, thus ending the raf presence at the airport. Jun 22, 2016 take off and landing in hong kongs old kai tak airport. Car park booking reserve airport parking before your journey. In many ways, kai tak was intrinsic to the image of the old hong kong. Price new from used from hardcover, 1991 please retry.
The apron and the old nco mess areas were used by the royal hong kong police force as the police driving school premises for a number of years until resited. Remembering kai tak, the worlds most terrifying airport. Heralded as the sixth most dangerous in the world, kai tak served as hong kong s airport from 1925 until 1998. Destoroyah during the prologue, several boeing 747s were seen at the airport. During its world war ii occupation of hong kong, japan demolished the citys wall and used the stone to extend the nearby kai tak airport after japans surrender, china announced its intent to reclaim its rights to the walled city. The hong kong government bought the kai tak site in 1927 and started building an aerodrome. Sun museum hong kong 2020 all you need to know before you. Jul 01, 2018 kai tak was always so much more than an airport. Up for sale is 2stamp sheetlets of hong kong airports kai tak airport shut down in 1998 july, and chek lap kok new airport opened in 1998 july. It is approximately 42 km 25 miles to the hong kong international airport, or 10 km 6 miles to the kowloon airport express station with airline checkin. Kai tak cruise terminal hong kong 2020 all you need to.
Tales from kai tak 15 years on page 5 pprune forums. Customize your choice based on your layover to be sure theres plenty of time to decompress and refresh before departure. Kai tak airport served as hong kong s international airport from 1925 until 1998. Kai tak airport kowloon, hong kong airport facebook. This excerpt from a story on atlas obscura remembering hairraising landings at hong kong s kai tak airport. Once the third busiest airport of the world, the kai tak international airport was the international airport of hong kong from 1925 until jul. As the citys international airport from 1925 to 1998, kai tak left residents with plenty of memories. The rise and fall of hong kongs kai tak airport simple. Having opened in 1925, kai tak served as hong kong international airport from 1954. The airport was known for its spectacular location with the skyscrapers and mountains of kowloon located to the north and its only runway jutting out into victoria harbour. We are delivering private transportation for groups and individuals, holidays and business, from hong kong chek lap kok airport hkg to hong kong city, hong kong disneyland and to top destinations in china, with a large fleet of budget and premium vehicles, 7 seater minivans. With the kai tak cruise terminal, sir norman foster is adding another landmark to his roster of hong kong architectural design marvels. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Feb 03, 2020 you can read many more details about heathrows history in the book heathrow airport 70 years and counting, written by aviation journalist kevan james.
The site of hong kong s former civilian airport at kai tak was originally planned for an estate project but was terminated due to economic difficulties. After arriving in hong kong, relax and unwind with hot showers, delicious food, and wireless internet access before taking off on your departing flight with this hong kong international airport plaza premium lounge access. History a brief visual history of hks old airport, kai tak. Hong kong 70s or 80s postcard kai tak airport ebay.
The suitability of using this land as an airfield was recognized and the first recorded flight from kai tak took place on lunar new years day in 1925. Jul 21, 2017 remembering hairraising landings at hong kongs kai tak airport copy link facebook twitter reddit flipboard pocket a cathay pacific flight comes into land in hong kongs kai tak airport, june. It was officially known as hong kong international airport from 1954 to 6 july 1998, it is often known as hong kong international airport, kai tak, or simply kai tak and kai tak airport, to distinguish it from its successor which is often referred to as chek lap kok. Heathrows third runway plans date back to 1946 a visual. Hong kong international airport is the main airport in hong kong. The first control tower and hangar at kai tak were built in 1935. This is a good first stop for a range of activity and industryspecific archives, oral history interviews and many important collections. Get to and around hong kong with all the info you need on immigration, transport, currency and weather. See the crazy landings at kai tak, closed 20 years ago. Just after one of the 747s took off, godzilla appeared in kowloon bay, near the coast. Kai tak was built in 1925 on reclaimed land in kowloon bay, opposite hong kong island.
A 6hour move, and landing in hong kong loses a thrill. Book taxi hong kong hong kong airport to city hong kong. The scary descent into hong kongs old kai tak airport. Many regionalhistory and anecdote books tell that kai tak airport was so. The airport was in operation from 1920s to 6 july 1998. Hong kong is in a subtropical area, and has monsoon winds.
Hung hom station with rail connections to guangzhou, shenzhen, dongguan, shanghai, beijing and other chinese cities is 5km 3. On 6 july the new hong kong international airport was opened to the public. The former home of cathay pacific had a technically challenging approach to give london city a run for its money. Although the much larger and more modern hong kong international airport which opened in july 1998 is considered one of the best airports in the world, kai tak is still missed in some quarters.
Sep 06, 2005 evocative, funny and full of life, this is a beautifully observed childhood memoir of growing up in colonial hong kong in the 1950s. Vhhx was the international airport of hong kong from 1925 until 1998. Kai tak airport hong kong 20th anniversary dvd stay safe and healthy. By the 90s, booming hong kong was outgrowing kai tak s limited capacity. Both shapes depict walls of the kowloon walled city. It soon became a small airport for the royal air force, flying clubs and pilot. Tick off the citys top attractions in half a day on this convenient and comprehensive sightseeing tour, which includes stops at victoria peak, stanley market and the traditional fishing village of aberdeen. The old airport was hong kong kai tak airport coming soon link to hong kong old airport page located in the kowloon peninsula next to one of the most popular hong kong food districts coming soon link to hong kong food district page, kowloon city.
The building stood 70 m 230 ft tall with floors and was in use for five decades before being demolished for the construction of the hsbc main building. Hong kong civil aviation department kai tak airport officially opened its doors in 1930. Indeed, it was once ranked the 6th most dangerous airport due to this approach. Incredible pictures of airplane near misses show exactly. Kai tak was then a simple grassstrip airfield which served the british raf and enthusiasts from the hong kong aviation club. Kai tak airport officially opened its doors in 1930. Hong kong simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Its fascinating history has been documented through photography ever since from its rapid expansion as a crown colony to its handover to china in 1997 and its present status as one of the worlds leading international financial centres. If you are going to visit hong kong or china, we can help you to start your visit stressfree. Protestors in hong kong demonstrated against a new extradition law proposed by the government of mainland china. Kai tak airport welcomed its first commercial flight, operated by britains imperial airways, which flew from penang, malaysia to hong kong on 24 march 1936.
Zhang linfu recuperating from combat wounds during battle of nanchang, queen mary hospital, hong kong, mid1939. The happy valley race course taken from wong nai chung, ca victoria city, hong kong hong kong as youve never seen it before. For other uses, see kai tak disambiguation world heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. April 20, 2016 today marks the 90th birthday of her majesty the queen, who is the well respected figure head of our city. Swordfish aircraft at kai tak airport, hong kong, 1938. Kai tak airport was once the international airport for hong kong, with the single runway and eight jetbridges somehow handing 30 million passengers and 1. Six hours after the pearl harbor attack, at kai tak airport, hong kong, december 8, 1941. You can find more analysis on the recent court decision his website kjm today.
It was officially known as hong kong international airport from 1954 to 6 july 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new hong kong international airport at chek lap kok, 30 kilometres 19 mi to the west. A cathay pacific flight comes into land in hong kong s kai tak airport, june, 27, 1998. However, it lacks any nonchinese people and occupations, raising the question as to how much a memory project can claim to represent hong kong without its many other peoples present. Hong kong kai tak, an airport, loved by aviation fans from all over the world, and northwest, an airline many loved as well. Kai tak airport was the international airport of hong kong from. I believe the first site of the kai tak airport is the northeastern part of the 1998 kai tak airport, i.
The bay at the end of the runway is clearly within the boundary of the road nullah, so it seems the landing chart ive dated to 1948 was either inaccurate, or it was printed after the extension in 1950. Once a british colonial outpost, the worldclass city of hong kong is now one of asias most popular destinations. The location of kai tak belonged to two billionaire friends ho kai and au tak, who owned the land before the government acquired the land the land originally did not have a name, which explains the name of the airport. Ralph and his hong kong clipper ii sikorsky s42a, nc16735 crew had the mail loaded, the aircraft fueled for the flight to manila, and awaited their passengers when the airport manager delivered. Japanese troops marching in hong kong, middec 1941.
The airport was designed to handle 24 million passengers per year but, by 1996, kai tak was handling 29. There were many crashes during the airport s 73year history. Hong kong s kai tak international airport was always a popular place for plane spotters to visit. It is colloquially known as chek lap kok airport, being built on the island of chek lap kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed kai tak airport. Book your tickets online for kai tak cruise terminal, hong kong. Sep 21, 20 history a brief visual history of hks old airport, kai tak stay safe and healthy. Pictures from the the album, which includes photographs of hong kongs waterfront pictured almost 100 years before the first skyscraper was built, sold to an anonymous bidder. This is a real caravelle cockpit built in 1960 and converted into a fully functional flight simulator. Kai tak seen from a distance, kowloon peninsula, hong kong this is the photo moddsey was referring to. The erstwhile neighbour kai tak airport hong kong memory. 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. Hong kai tak approach in caravelle simulator youtube.
Hong kong saw an influx of refugees around the time of the 1911 revolution. Hong kong civil aviation department during world war ii, a new 1,371metre northsouth runway was built, and the. From 1968 to 1978 it was used by various raf helicopter units, as well as the royal hong kong auxiliary air force and hong kong volunteer defence corps air unit. England english erected factory fishingport force hakka harbour hong kong hong kong today hospital incensesticks industry island of hong january japan jardine john pope hennessy junks kai tak airport kowloon station kung kuomintang labour london macao mainland maltby ment metres military. Hong kong s old kai tak airport offered spectacular opportunities for plane watching. It had suffered a shocking 12 air disasters with 270 people killed during this time yet was handling nearly 30. A radio documentary about landing at the old hong kong airport with contributions from pilots who flew this challenging approach on the igs making a sharp right at the checkerboard at 500ft over the kowloon buildings with just seconds to line up and land on the runway often in treacherous weather conditions. Charts and plans for kai tak airport checkerboard hill. There are not many 1950s photos around showing the landing and takeoff of aircraft prior to the reclaimed runway at kai tak. Approaching aircraft were required to make a sharp turn before. Hkg my flight mobile app search all airport information at your. Kai tak closed in 1998, but not before the video team from just planes produced many hours of footage of this oneofakind aviation facility. Pictures of kowloon walled city hong wrong hong kong news. Kai tak airport was the international airport of hong kong from 1925 until 1998.
Pan am historical foundation photo of kai tak bombing from the illustrated london news, feb. Its been nearly 20 years since hong kong s kai tak international airport. The year 1924 was a critical point of aviation history of hong kong, when the story of kai tak began. History a brief visual history of hong kongs old airport, kai tak 52. When it closed on july 6, 1998, after seven turbulent decades, kai tak airport was a civic treasure and icon of hong kong. Located on the edge of kowloon city, the hill was located beneath the final approach to runway at the nonclosed kai tak airport, and had a large checkerboard red and white pattern painted onto the hillside as a navigational aid. Initially a simple grassstrip airfield, a concrete slipway was added in 1928. Hong kongs iconic international travel hub played a pivotal role in metropolitan life for 73 years, which came to an end with its closure 20. Kai tak airport worked its last day of operation on 5 july, and was officially closed on the next day around 1. Hong kong airport hkg to kai tak cruise terminal 7 ways. The raf left kai tak and moved most other operations to sek kong airfield from 1993 onwards the civilian government flying service replaced the royal hong kong auxiliary air force at kai tak, thus ending the raf presence at. Oct 01, 2016 hong kong was first captured on camera when the british arrived to lay claim to its fragrant harbour in 1841. Kai tak airport the industrial history of hong kong group. An airport notorious for the pulsequickening nature of its landings and the skill it.
Thats how randy harris put it in his 1999 novel, the year 2017. It is cool and wet in winter janmar, hot and rainy from spring through summer aprsep, and warm, sunny and dry in the autumn octdec. The kai tak cruise terminal is located within 10 km 6 miles of all hong kongs major metro areas. He has been responsible for some of the citys most iconic properties, the hong kong and shanghai bank building and the hong kong international airport in lantau island. Hong kong international airport historical views earth. Dec 03, 2014 by the 90s, booming hong kong was outgrowing kai taks limited capacity.
After the airport relocated to chek lap kok in 1998, the hong kong government planned for urban. Hkg my flight mobile app search all airport information at your fingertips. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. In 1925, kai tak was a simple grassstrip airfield which served the british raf and enthusiasts from the hong kong aviation club.
Its nearly 20 years since hong kongs kai tak airport closed, but i still miss it. Vhhh was the international airport of hong kong from 1925 until 1998. They are mint never hinge d and in very good conditi on. A history of aviation in hong kong peter pigott on. Cultural and historical references to kowloon city and kai tak can be found. Chaos, however, broke out for several months, and kai tak s cargo terminal 2 was18 temporarily reactivated to ward off the blow. Owned and operated by ratp dev transdev asia, the tramway runs on hong kong island between kennedy town and shau kei wan, with a branch circulating through happy valley. Kai tak airport hong kong 20th anniversary dvd kai tak. An excellent documentary about hong kong s fascinating history right before hong kong s 1997 return to chinese sovereignty. Getting in doesnt require the same finesse while handflying a doubledecker with 400 people in it.
As an inquisitive sevenyearold, martin booth found himself with the whole of hong kong at his feet when his father was posted there in the early 1950s. Legend under the sky from kai tak to chek lap kok box set. Flying from hong kong to da nang once took almost six hours. By 1928, a concrete slipway was constructed for seaplanes. I believe the first site of the kai tak airport is the northeastern part of the 1998 kai tak airport. The name hong kong international airport was officially adopted for kai tak airport. It is commonly called hong kong international airport or hong kong chep lak kok airport. Takashi sakai leading japanese troops on a march on queens road. In 1958, a new northwestsoutheast heading 2529 meter runway was constructed on a promontory into kowloon bay. Civil aviation department kai tak airport 19251998. It was the largest protest in hong kong s history according to wikinews this law would allow mainland china to extradite people living or visiting hong kong who may be fugitives. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods.
However, it took more than half an hour to get to the luggage hall for picking my luggage on the day return to hong kong kai tak cruise terminal. Remembering hairraising landings at hong kongs kai tak airport. Help us make this site better and send us your feedback or share your images, information or contribute to stories about your favorite airport. There are 7 ways to get from hong kong airport hkg to kai tak cruise terminal by subway, bus, taxi, car or towncar.
The airport makes an appearance at the beginning of the 1995 godzilla film godzilla vs. Chaos, however, broke out for several months, and kai taks cargo terminal 2 was18 temporarily reactivated to ward off the blow. A brief visual history of hong kongs old airport, kai tak. The new airport did not inherit, though, any of the problems of the old hkg. The goal tonight is to reach the former kai tak airport fire station, a burntout relic from the time when this was the citys only airport, surrounded by water on one side and city on the other. The kai tak airport, located at kowloon city district, was the first civil airport in hong kong. The famously harrowing descent into the airport took planes close enough to the surrounding buildings that passengers could see people watching. Immediately south of the walled city there was a densely populated street kowloon street that led to a pier lung chun pier.
I went to kai tak cruise terminal in oct 2019 for the world dream cruise trip. In 1954, a master plan for development of the kai tak airport, which included land reclamation, construction of a new runway and a passenger terminal, was approved by the. In 1954, a master plan for development of the kai tak airport, which included land reclamation, construction of a new runway and a passenger terminal, was approved by the government. Hong kong airport that closed 20 years ago is gone but not forgotten. Hong kong transforming old kai tak airport into housing. There were many crashes during the airports 73year history. Delivery orders may be delayed due to reduced operating hours by hongkong post. What are your thoughts about londons third runway project. If you are reading this, you are probably wondering what has checkerboard hill got to do with hong kong. About hong kong everything from history and culture to location and climate.
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