Kai Tak: the Final Flights

The crew from Just Planes Videos spent some time at Kai Tak filming the aircraft coming & going, including the famous approach to Runway 13. They were also present for the last day of Kai Tak’s operation, capturing the final movements at one of the world’s most famous airports.

This production is great to have running in the background or if you’re wanting to relax with the sights & sounds of a busy airport. Showing countless movements of aircraft arriving & departing from old Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong, these DVDs are sure to please.

Taken from a variety of locations around the airport, on the hill near the “checkerboard” and some locations on the tarmac, the two DVD set shows aircraft landing, taking off and taxiing. Many background sounds are included along with the aircraft, helping to build a “you’re there” ambiance. Where possible, the camera zooms in to show the aircraft’s registration as it goes past.

The multitude of aircraft on display here include the usual favourites of Air China, JAL, QANTAS, Thai, United, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, and more. There are also many airlines that are not commonly found in Australia, including:

• JUST (Japan Universal System Transport)
• Mandarin
• Korean Air Cargo
• British Asia Airlines
• Xiamin Airlines
• Air Hong Kong
• GrandAir
• and many many more

Given this was all filmed in the mid to late 90′s, there are some classic aircraft to be seen including:

• DC10
• DC9 & MD8x
• Tristar
• 747SP
• Concorde

You also get to see some very beaten up freighters that could do with a wash and/or new paint job. One aircraft that brought back many memories was the Ansett 747-300, appearing here & there during the show.

As if all that wasn’t enough, one scene on DVD #2 features a slow pan across the tarmac and there’s a little Cessna 152 or 172 parked off to one side. Not what you’d expect to see at Kai Tak.

A production showing landings at Kai Tak wouldn’t be complete without showing some of the more “interesting” ones and there are certainly some classics here. From aircraft pitching up & down as they try to come around the turn onto RWY13 through to those that bank madly as they try to align themselves with the runway afterwards, both DVDs have a few that will make you wince. Of course, for all those that make you wonder how the aircraft survived, there are many amazing landings that make it look easy & beautiful.

The weather at Hong Kong is often very humid so many of the aircraft have tip trails and vapour clouds over their wings, especially as they make the turn onto final. There are a few shots showing operations continuing in very heavy rain along with a number of great night scenes.

At one point in the production the camera goes on board a flight into Kai Tak. Sadly, this isn’t from the cockpit, instead showing a view of wing & engines as the aircraft approaches & lands on Runway 31, not the exciting Runway 13.

The last part of the second DVD shows the final day of Kai Tak’s life from a viewing point on a balcony to the right of Runway 13′s threshold. This provides some great views as the aircraft complete their right hand turn onto final and then on to landing. The footage includes a very empty looking ramp, people surrounding the airport watching the last flights, some shots of the empty arrival/departure halls and the lights going out after the last flight departed.

The production ends with an in-cockpit video from an airliner flying over the closed Kai Tak airport and then landing at the new Hong Kong airport, Chek Lap Kok.

So, if you’ve watched this production a few times, do you think you have what it takes to fly the challenging RWY13 approach in our simulator? Maybe you’d better watch it one more time to be sure…