Last Classic 747 operating for a US airline retires

[Adler]

Yeah. I was pretty sure I was either going to be arrested or bitten by a cobra.

I thought I was going to slip and fall down the hill.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

What I don't understand about that situation is that the wall itself is clearly intact. It would only take a couple of dedicated enthusiasts to keep it clean and maintained. Why not perserve since they haven't built over it yet?

Well, if we find ourselves in HKG together lets get some spray paint and get it done!

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I thought I was going to slip and fall down the hill.

That's after the cobra bite.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

IMG_0343 by Screaming Emu, on Flickr

 

[A Life Aloft]

I found the board last time I was there, such a pain in the ass to get to.

View attachment 38540

That's all that is left???? Crap. Over 60 years of history as an active international airport and nothing is left. Really sad. So much history all but forgotten.

Here's a Pan Am Clipper and her crew at the seaplane port at Kai Tak back in the early 40's.

 

[Cal Goat]

Ah, to have flown into Kai Tak with Flying Tigers...

 

[A Life Aloft]

They could have/should have made a really nice little aviation museum with a restaurant (done up like the 70's or something) on the property. I am sure plenty of locals and tourists would frequent such a venue.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

They could have/should have made a really nice little aviation museum with a restaurant (done up like the 70's or something) on the property. I am sure plenty of locals and tourists would frequent such a venue.

Absolutely. Was worth the walk just to stand where it all happened. But they could have done so much more. Honestly I felt like I got more of the "big picture" when I hiked up to Beacon Hill and looked down on both the checkerboard and the former airport.

IMG_9439 by Screaming Emu, on Flickr

 

[Cal Goat]

They could have/should have made a really nice little aviation museum with a restaurant (done up like the 70's or something) on the property. I am sure plenty of locals and tourists would frequent such a venue.

The Hong Kong Aero Club maintains a couple of original buildings on the northwest end of the old airport. There is a bar there and a few artifacts but the sign said "Members Only" so I didn't get too invasive.

 

[Cal Goat]

 

[A Life Aloft]

It's still there? That's interesting. They were a big deal when the airport was active. In fact, I think they were the only game around for flight training and private flying. I just figured they had moved lock stock and barrel over to another location since there is no flying there any longer. They used to have a pretty large membership of expats from all over the world and some locals. They had some good parties and they had a pretty decent restaurant there too.

 

[z987k]

I'd be very surprised if they allowed flight training to go on in HKG. That place is almost exclusively heavies and very busy day and night.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

I'd be very surprised if they allowed flight training to go on in HKG. That place is almost exclusively heavies and very busy day and night.

"The Hong Kong Aviation Club remains based at Kai Tak which is the focus of all social activities. The relocation of the main airport from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok has resulted in the closure of the famous Kai Tak runway and at present recreational flying is not permitted at CLK. All flying activities now take place at Shek Kong. The Club continues to provide flight training instruction including aerobatics and is currently running a young eagles program giving the opportunity for young people to experience flying. The HKAC prime objective is to continue to promote all aspects of recreational flying."

From their website. No idea where Shek Kong is

 

[Cazadores]

I know/understand that, no doubt there. The 8 can fly further and higher. The systems have very much been improved and been upgraded. Fuel use, redesigning of the wings, larger payload, etc., I get all of that, I really do. But I flew in a different era and in a different time. I flew regularly into one airport that does not even exist today. (Kai Tak) So in my time and the airframes used for international flying, the 400 was the ultimate for me and a very special time and aircraft. Lots of wonderful experiences and nostalgia attached to her. At that time, she still attracted a lot of attention where ever she flew. Just a wonderful experience. It's a history/back in the day thing that is probably not as understandable/known to younger pilots. It was an entire package that was also related to that experience. You often flew with the same crews (at least way more often than what happens currently) it was like a family in a sense. That plane afforded you the most wonderful of layovers and time with other 400 Captains from all over the world. Much as changed since then, and much of it in the industry- not always for the better.

It's not a contest of what is better now, it's the story of what flying the 400 was like for me and some others back in the day, the history of such a wonderful plane, the 747's that predated her and how they came to be.

My dad seems to have the same feeling for the -400. He liked the DC-10 a lot, and has fond memories of the 727 rolling up to a little station on gravel and loading through the aft air stair in the early 70s.

But it seems like the -400 was the pinnacle. He talks about the -200 and what a significant step forward it was over the -100, and all the quirky variants they had managed to scrape together as UA scrambled to find 747s in the Pacific expansion of the 80s and 90s. In the end the -400 is the only one he expresses any desire for one last ride.

Shame it seems like the era you speak of is more or less gone. Kai Tak was an exciting place, all the different tails from all over the world, the comraderie of sorts demonstrated among crews from every corner of the globe working so close together. Airports are still interesting places, but all the planes look the same, the terminals look like just another shopping mall.

Oh well.


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[z987k]

"The Hong Kong Aviation Club remains based at Kai Tak which is the focus of all social activities. The relocation of the main airport from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok has resulted in the closure of the famous Kai Tak runway and at present recreational flying is not permitted at CLK. All flying activities now take place at Shek Kong. The Club continues to provide flight training instruction including aerobatics and is currently running a young eagles program giving the opportunity for young people to experience flying. The HKAC prime objective is to continue to promote all aspects of recreational flying."

From their website. No idea where Shek Kong is

Huh, I never knew there was an airport out there.

 

[A300Capt]

My dad seems to have the same feeling for the -400. He liked the DC-10 a lot, and has fond memories of the 727 rolling up to a little station on gravel and loading through the aft air stair in the early 70s.

But it seems like the -400 was the pinnacle. He talks about the -200 and what a significant step forward it was over the -100, and all the quirky variants they had managed to scrape together as UA scrambled to find 747s in the Pacific expansion of the 80s and 90s. In the end the -400 is the only one he expresses any desire for one last ride

The 744 is nice. The -8 probably even better and both definitely a step up from the old -100/200 models. However, our -400's are very noisy and cramped up front.

For comfort, big spacious cockpit, quietness (don't need headsets), power, speed, system automation and the fact it just doesn't look like anything else out there....my fav out of all the types I've flown has to be the MD11.

There's a recently retired Capt here who's father flew the Clipper boats for TWA and eventually retired as a 747 Capt. Now that's walking history.....what a career!

 

[Cazadores]

The 744 is nice. The -8 probably even better and both definitely a step up from the old -100/200 models. However, our -400's are very noisy and cramped up front.

For comfort, big spacious cockpit, quietness (don't need headsets), power, speed, system automation and the fact it just doesn't look like anything else out there....my fav out of all the types I've flown has to be the MD11.

There's a recently retired Capt here who's father flew the Clipper boats for TWA and eventually retired as a 747 Capt. Now that's walking history.....what a career!

I really miss the three holers. Shame the MD-11 didn't get the orders/meet its promised performance right away. Of course ETOPS didn't help I guess.

I figure my career started with twins and will end in a similar way, only hopefully with a significantly larger check. At least I got to fly a turboprop and a twin with engines in the back.....I love the stories of guys who flew clippers, connies, Dakotas and end up crossing oceans on the top of a 747. Really truly amazing times. I like how safe and reliable those guys made it for us, but sometimes I think I was born 40 or 50 years late. ;-)


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[A300Capt]

I really miss the three holers. Shame the MD-11 didn't get the orders/meet its promised performance right away. Of course ETOPS didn't help I guess.

I figure my career started with twins and will end in a similar way, only hopefully with a significantly larger check. At least I got to fly a turboprop and a twin with engines in the back.....I love the stories of guys who flew clippers, connies, Dakotas and end up crossing oceans on the top of a 747. Really truly amazing times. I like how safe and reliable those guys made it for us, but sometimes I think I was born 40 or 50 years late. ;-)


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Agreed. It was simply bad timing for the MD11. By the time the engineers got close to the promised performance the B777 was announced. That pretty much killed the passenger variant of the Maddog but fortunately UPS and FedEx seem to like them...for now.

I'm very fortunate I got to fly 2 of the 3 holers (727/MD11). The only other jet I would've loved to have flown is the L1011. There's something about the history and character of these jets that present day jet's are missing. Nowadays they all look like clones of each other. However, like you, I feel I was born in the wrong era. I would've loved to have flown the more romanized golden years of the airlines flying Connies and DC6/7's when pilots had to be aviators not robotic button pushing managers....just my opinion.

Oh well, I'm sure future pilots will think the same of the current era. That's a scary thought.......

 

[Screaming_Emu]

The 744 is nice. The -8 probably even better and both definitely a step up from the old -100/200 models. However, our -400's are very noisy and cramped up front.

For comfort, big spacious cockpit, quietness (don't need headsets), power, speed, system automation and the fact it just doesn't look like anything else out there....my fav out of all the types I've flown has to be the MD11.

There's a recently retired Capt here who's father flew the Clipper boats for TWA and eventually retired as a 747 Capt. Now that's walking history.....what a career!

The ocho is still noisy and cramped. Plus I wish herpes on whoever designed the galley.

 

[MikeD]

....I love the stories of guys who flew clippers, connies, Dakotas and end up crossing oceans on the top of a 747. Really truly amazing times. I like how safe and reliable those guys made it for us, but sometimes I think I was born 40 or 50 years late. ;-)

Theres an elderly guy around ,my side of town here somewhere.....have seen him in his car twice already........who drives an older cadillac with a couple of small TWA stickers on the back window, and a personalized AZ license plate that says "L1649FE". I bet he has some stories he could talk.