Recently closed Hong Kong Kai Tak airport was the most interesting airport in the world. With a curved approach right above crowded Kowloon city, the airport became world famous. Thousands of people would buy a ticket to Hong Kong in hopes of being able to experience the incredible landing.

I was one of the lucky ones to experience the landing from the right side window seat of a United Airlines 747-400 from Los Angeles last March. Now I want to teach you all the best methods of flying the approach. My neighbor is a recently retired United Airlines 747-400 Captain and has taught me his ways of executing the approach properly without floating above the runway or touching down with your nose pointing out into the harbor.

I will tell you how I land the approach with a 747. First, once you have become lined up with the approach and passed the outer marker your altitude should be around 1700 feet. This is perfect altitude. It is best to have a slightly high approach into Kai Tak. As I have been told and noticed on approach don't follow the approach lights. Approach a little left of them. This will give you more room to turn and line up faster.

So as you are a little left of the approach lights and are about to reach the middle marker your altitude should be around 650. This is good decision height if you are going to land it or go around. The Kai Tak slogan has seemed to been said as "real men don't go around" so I recommend you give it a try no matter what.

Once you reach the marker start a slight right turn for about 2 seconds then you will need to bank the aircraft hard to the right. Do not wait until you are over the checkerboard like many people say such as "we fly over a checkerboard then make a steep turn". This is false. The average bank should be about 25 to 30 degrees, though this varies with size of your aircraft. Smaller ones such as 757's and 767's don't require such a steep turn. Also you can not stay at one bank setting through the turn. You must lessen the turn or increase it depending on how you started the turn.

With this method you should have a little extra time to line up and make a smooth landing. Try to keep yourself on a good glideslope. After you are lined up with the turn make your touchdown point past the first runway touchdown markers. This is a very good touchdown point. After you have touched down take the high-speed taxiway that leads into the expanded taxiway near the end of the runway. You can only use this taxiway if you are 60 knots or lower. If not continue down the runway until the next taxiway. Hopefully this writing will help you improve your landings at the world famous Kai Tak airport.

Brian Wozniak
KwaiChang6@aol.com