The Kai Tak Harbour Tour

[Charl]

QUOTE (Charl @ Jul 19 2008, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not one but two ex-ANZ pilots seated in front of my flight simulator, relating tales of being dropped right there (looking at the street that crosses the Rwy 13 threshold) and going to that club, back in the sixties...
Then myself in the driving seat, under direction to take the Harbour Tour.
This involves taking off from Rwy13, flying out to DME 15 or so, procedure turn right then left, and backtracking onto ILS Rwy 31 (the way you came)
Now the fun begins...keep your left wing tip on the coast...Quarry Bay, City Garden, Convention Centre, Ferry Terminal...at 1500ft you are looking into the windows.
Then 135deg starboard back to Kowloon, straight at the checkerboard and grease in to Rwy 13.

I was drenched in sweat, and had forearm muscle cramps.
Haven't had so much fun since I last fell off a bike at speed.
Thanks guys.
(They claim they did this in real life... )

Of course Air New Zealand pilots are well-known for their wicked sense of humour, and they had me doing this in a B757.
Hardly the right sort of mount for low-level sightseeing, so I decided to do the photoshoot in something more suitable:
Cathay Pacific VR-HDT 'Miss Macao' was one of two Catalina amphibians bought in Manila by Cathay Pacific and chartered to the Macao Air Transport Company (MATCO), for trading between Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and the nearby Portugese colony of Macao. On 16 July 1948, ten miles from Macao, a Chinese criminal named Chio Tok fired a .38 bullet into the base of Captain Dale Cramer's skull, and 'Miss Macao' crashed into the Pearl River Estuary with the loss of all passengers and crew save one. A bungled gold bullion robbery, this was the first recorded hijack of an aircraft for material gain. Aircraft by Mike Stone, textures by Henry William with refinements and CPA markings by Mark Beaumont.

Well let's get off then, outward on Rwy 13, return on bearing 310:







Tuck in close to the coast, meet the people





Perhaps a dash and splash in the harbour, then wind it round, and hope you can find that checkerboard before you run out of airspace...





Got it! Now gently bank to the right, follow the lights, and grease it in.
My thanks to Alan Potts and Geoff Roud for making the experience come to life.

[victor_alpha_charlie]

All incredible shots Charl. That last big one with the 'Cat' on final (or is that base ) really shows how realistic Flightsim can get.

[Ian Warren]

I believe Andrew'Trolly' said it a whiles back , not the same but similar words , all these amazing screenshots and a History lesson to boot!

Cathay Pacific VR-HDT 'Miss Macao' was one of two Catalina amphibians bought in Manila by Cathay Pacific and chartered to the Macao Air Transport Company (MATCO), for trading between Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and the nearby Portugese colony of Macao. On 16 July 1948, ten miles from Macao, a Chinese criminal named Chio Tok fired a .38 bullet into the base of Captain Dale Cramer's skull, and 'Miss Macao' crashed into the Pearl River Estuary with the loss of all passengers and crew save one. A bungled gold bullion robbery, this was the first recorded hijack of an aircraft for material gain.

Charl Superb Screens and mapping

Edit .. almost 60 years to the day !

[Daniel]

Very nice shots mate
You must have that scenery running very nicely.
Thanks for posting.

[Florian_S]

That's fantastic Charl!

A very different take on using Kai Tak...well done!

[Anthony]

Cool shots mate.
Thanks for posting.
Lots of Kai Tak screenshots on NZFF lately.

[Charl]

Thanks for the kind words guys.
It's true there's been a lot of Kai Tak in the forums, but it is a really significant scenery, and deserves to do really well...

QUOTE (victor_alpha_charlie @ Jul 20 2008, 10:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All incredible shots Charl. That last big one with the 'Cat' on final (or is that base ) really shows how realistic Flightsim can get.

Yeah - it really is a kind of "Binal" once you're on the lights innit? But not too harsh a turn actually, 15 deg bank does it.

[victor_alpha_charlie]

QUOTE (Charl @ Jul 21 2008, 08:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's true there's been a lot of Kai Tak in the forums,

I can take a lot of the blame for that

[AlisterC]

Very nice Charl
This is one I've decided not to get, but I can play with it at work, so no loss there. I still enjoy seeing such atmospheric shots as these though!