Abstract: Even though Kai Tak Airport has been replaced by Chek Lap Kok Airport since 1998, it continues to stay in the mind of many people, and influence the city in both video game world and the real world. In this article, we will review through these characteristics. Through this we can see the charisma of this legendary airport.
Hong Kong is excellently located at the heart of Asia. North of it there are China, Korea and Japan. South of it there are Malaysia and Singapore. It was indeed one key reason why Britain chose to establish the place as her colony in 1842 to support her sea trade with China and Southeast Asia. As aeroplanes came out in the early 20th century, travel and logistics were moving to this new kind of transport. The Hong Kong government took over the reclaimed land in Kowloon by Ho Kai and Au Tak who failed to realize their housing estate business plan there, and opened an airport named Kai Tak in 1925. The airport began as a facility for Air Force and local flying club, before serving commercial airlines in 1936. In 1998, it was replaced by a new airport in Chek Lap Kok (Wikipedia, 2017, December 21).
Location of Hong Kong relative to China and the world. Source: Wikipedia
Locations of Kai Tak Aiport and Chek Lap Kok Airport. Satellite image source: Wikipedia
In the Hong Kong Airport of Heart of China (Dynamix. Amiga/DOS/Macintosh. 1991). This game is set in the 1930s.
In Kai Tak Airport of Lost Horizon (Animation Arts, Microsoft Windows. 2010). This game is set in 1936.
Kai Tak Aiport was wrongly set to be in Sha Tin in Lost Horizon (Animation Arts, Microsoft Windows. 2010), though Sha Tin was used briefly as an airfield, and it was where the first flight of Hong Kong flew back in 1911.
Charisma of Kai Tak
Before it was closed in 1998, Kai Tak airport might just look like yet another typical modern airport - it had waiting areas, shops, security checkpoints and a runway.
Public entrance to Kai Tak Airport. Source: tcatmon.com
Public entrance to Kai Tak Airport, portrayed in Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009)
Different parts of Kai Tak Airport terminal. Source: Youtube (1, 2, 3, 4)
Outside the airport of Hong Kong in Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 - Global Terror! (Azeroth, Inc.. DOS: 1992)
Kai Tak Airport Terminal in Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon (Universal Interactive. Xbox: 202)
Planes parking by the terminal of Kai Tak Airport. Source: Wikipedia
Planes parking by the terminal of Kai Tak Airport in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft Winodws: 2004) with FlyTempa's Hong Kong Kai-Tak plugin
The runway of Kai Tak Airport portrayed in Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009)
A 2D map of the Kai Tak Airport runway (top left) in Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009)
However, it was indeed a busy airport. Excellently located at the heart of Asia -- with all the Asia's key markets within 4 hours reach by flight, and half of the world's population is within five hours' flight time (Cheung, T., n.d.), Hong Kong has already been regarded as a transportation hub to many international locations around the world since Kai Tak era. In 1996, two years before it was closed, Kai Tak Airport was the third busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger traffic, and busiest in terms of internal cargo throughput. It was overloaded with 29.5 million passengers while the original design is for 24 million maximum. (Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong Government, n.d.).
The excellent geographical location of Hong Kong in terms of key Asian markets and population reachability. Source: InvestHK
Meanwhile, with numerous skyscrapers and mountains located in the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour, landing and takeoff at the airport were dramatic to experience especially to passengers but technically demanding for pilots. The History Channel program Most Extreme Airports ranked it as the 6th most dangerous airport in the world (The History Channel, 2010, August 26).
Below is the highlight on landing approach of its Runway 13, the most spectacular and world-famous among the various approach and departure.
An aircraft took a descent heading northeast, passing the crowded harbor and the densely populated western Kowloon.
Upon reaching a small hill above Kowloon Tsai Park marked with a huge "aviation orange" and white checkerboard, the pilot needed to turn 47 degree to line up with the runway and complete the final leg. The aircraft would be just 2 miles or 3.7km from touchdown, at a height of less than 1000 feet or 3m. Typically the plane would enter the final right turn at a height of about 650 feet (200 m) and exit it at a height of 140 feet (43 m) to line up with the runway.
A diagram showing the arrival and departure of flights of Kai Tak Airport.
Runway 13 approach illustrated with the bird's eye view of Kowloon Peninsula and Kai Tak Airport runway of Microsoft Flight Simulator X (Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft Windows: 2006) with FlyTempa's Hong Kong Kai-Tak plugin
Making turn at the checkerboard for Runway 13 approach. Source: Flickr
Turn at the checkerboard, portrayed in Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009)
Aircraft flying over the short buildings in Kowloon City while approaching Kai Tak Airport. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft Windows: 2004) with FlyTempa's Hong Kong Kai-Tak plugin
A flight about to land on the Kai Tak runway. Source: Flickr
The landing was already difficult with normal crosswinds. Even if the wind direction was constant, the crosswind exerted on the aircraft was changing relative to the aircraft during the 47° visual right turn. The landing would become even more challenging when the weather turns bad, which could be quite often in subtropical Hong Kong during summer time. The low-lying rain clouds block visibility. Crosswinds from the northeast could be strong and gusty during rainstorms and typhoons. The mountain range northeast of the airport also makes wind could vary greatly in both speed and direction.
Description of the challenging landing and takeoff due to subtropical weather in the game information website of Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009) : http://www.technobrain.com/atc3/hongkong/scene.html
Influences
Missing wall in Kowloon Walled City
Next to the airport was once the famous Kowloon Walled City. Even though the city came with "walled" in its name, after World War II nobody could find its wall anymore. It was because when the Japanese occupied Hong Kong during World War II, the wall was demolished and its stone were taken away to build the drainage of Kai Tat Airport.
Model of Kowloon Walled City in the mid 19th century. Source: Wikipedia
The Walled City seen from White Crane Hill in 1865. Source: cityofdarkness.co.uk
Kowloon Walled City in 1910s. Source: Hong Kong Museum of History via wsj.com
The South Gate of Kowloon Walled City. Source: Wikipedia
Therefore, in video games which reproduce the Walled City in post-WWII time (see here for the complete list of games), you never find the wall. The only exception is Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002).
Concept art of 光輝歲月 (Lakoo. Android/iOS: since 2015) showing the edge of Kowloon Walled City on the left
The city wall of Kowloon City in Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002)
Remnants of the City's South Gate and its entrance plaques. Source: Wikipedia
Short building around the Kowloon City area
While in many city areas of real and virtual Hong Kong, you can easily find commercial and even residential buildings of over 40 floors, in Kowloon City it was not the case. Located just 800m away from the Kai Tat Airport and thus close to the path that flights took to approach the airport, building in the City could not get more than 14 floors in order to avoid collisions with the planes.
The path for flights to approach Kai Tak Airport. Source: SCMP
As a result, if you check out games that reproduce the Walled City, the buildings are never skyscrapers.
Runway 13 approach illustrated with the bird's eye view of Kowloon Peninsula and Kai Tak Airport runway of Microsoft Flight Simulator X (Microsoft Game Studios. Microsoft Windows: 2006) with FlyTempa's Hong Kong Kai-Tak plugin. The buildings along the path are short compared with others not on the path.
Buildings in the Kowloon Walled City of Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OS X/Linux: 2015)
Again, forget Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002) which indeed builds its Kowloon Walled City on top of a hill and allows a skyscraper with more than 40 floors to erect there.
Heading to the Kowloon Walled City which is on top of a hill in Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002)
After the airport has been moved, the height limitation has been lifted. As it takes time for old building to demolished and new building to be constructed, you could still find relatively short buildings in the Kowloon City area nowadays.
Aeroplanes overhead
Because Kowloon City and Victoria Harbour are on the final landing and initial takeoff path, people in that neighborhood could often find aircrafts passing above their head in close proximity. You can see the same thing in video games that are set in Kowloon City.
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-200 (B-HNC) on final approach to Kai Tak runway 13, overflying Kowloon at low altitude.. Source: Wikipedia
The opening cutscene of the Hong Kong stage of Real Bout Fatal Fury Special (SNK. Arcade et. al.: 1997)
The Hong Kong stage of Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Capcom. Arcade et. al.: 1998) featuring aeroplanes flying close to the Victoria Harbour
A cutscene of Shenmue II (Sega. Dreamcast: 2001, Xbox: 2002) showing an aeroplane flying ovehead while Ryo was walking inside Kowloon City
An aircraft (left) flying just above the rooftop of Kowloon Walled City in Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision. Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/Microsoft Windows/Wii/Nintendo DS: 2010, OS X: 2012)
Opening of 光輝歲月 1988 (Lakoo. Andorid/iOS: 2016) of showing a myriad of clinics and dentists in Kowloon Walled City
As a result, some game developers consider aeroplanes to be a弓 icon of Hong Kong and add planes to their virtual Hong Kong, even though they are modelling a different part of Hong Kong or a time when the airport has already stopped operation.
An aeroplane lifting off into the sky in the Hong Kong stage of Metal Slug 2 (SNK. Arcade et. al.: 1998). The game is set in 2029 in which Kai Tak Airport has long retired.
Replacement by Chek Lap Kok airport
It is no doubt stunning to the passengers to be flown so close to the city construction. However, it imposes great nuisance and health hazard to the residents there. Meanwhile, the airport has already been overloaded. The British colonial government identified the use of Chek Lap Kok as early as 1974. In 1989, the British colonial government decided to move forward the plan. The new airport was finally completed and the switchover was done in mid-1998 (Wikipedia, 2017, December 21).
The last day of Kai Tat Airport featured in the final stage of Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009) , described in the information website of the game: http://www.technobrain.com/atc3/hongkong/scene.html
The new airport continues the legend of Kai Tak Airport in terms of capacity and quality of services. More than 100 airlines operate flights from the airport to over 200 cities across the globe. In 2015, HKIA handled 68.3 million passengers (Hong Kong Airport Authority, n.d.), making it the 8th busiest airport worldwide by passenger traffic (Airport Council International, 2016, April 11). Since 2010, it has also become the world's busiest airport by cargo traffic. (Denslow, N., 2011, January 26). The airport was awarded Skytrax World's Best Airport in 2001–2005, 2007–2008 and 2011.
A bird's eye view of the new Chek Lap Kok Airport. Source: Wikipedia
The Chek Lap Kok Airport portrayed by Microsoft Flight Simulator X, enhanced by taxi2gate scenery plugin
Inside and outside the airport terminal of the Chek Lap Kok Airport. Source: Wikipedia
Inside and outside the airport terminal of Lupin the 3rd Rupin Zenigata ni wa koi wo game (Banpresto. PlayStation 2: 2007). The game is based on a fictitious Asian City which in many way resembles Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong stage in Radar Chaos: World Edition (Big Fat Simulation. Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/iOS/Android: 2014)
Radar-based air traffic control in Radar Chaos: World Edition (Big Fat Simulation. Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/iOS/Android: 2014)
The Hong Kong stage in Airport Madness 3D: Volume 2 (Big Fat Simulation. Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/iOS/Android: 2017)
Managing air traffic for Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport in Airport Madness 3D: Volume 2 (Big Fat Simulation. Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/iOS/Android: 2017)
Associated with the new airport are the supporting infrastructures in the neighborhood. The most notable one is perhaps Tsing Ma Bridge. Having a main span of 1,377 meters, it bridges Lantau Island where the new airport is located to Hong Kong main Island and Peninsula and is currently the longest of all bridges in the world carrying rail traffic (Wikipedia, 2017, December 27). As a result of this construction, more and more games include a suspension bridge in their virtual Hong Kong.
Driving on a suspension bridge in the Hong Kong stage of Cruis'n Exotica (Midway Games. Arcade/Nintendo 64/Game Boy Color: 1999)
A suspension bridge in the Hong Kong stage of Dead or Alive 3 (Temco. Xbox: 2001)
A suspension bridge in H2Overdrive (Specular Interactive, Arcade: 2009)
A suspension bridge in Residential Evil 6 (Capcom. PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Microsoft Windows: 2012)
A screenshot of The Silver Key (Chinese Gamer. Android/iOS: 2018) showing the locations of the New Hong Kong International Aiport (香港國際機場) and the Tsing Ma Bridge (青馬大橋)
Meanwhile, the old airport site is put into urban redevelopment. The site is going to have a sports complex, a metro park, a cruise terminal, hotels, housing estates (which the Kai Tak reclaimed land was for) and commercial and entertainment construction projects (Wikipedia, 2017, December 04). Some virtual future Hong Kong is also going to similar direction. For instance, in year 2056 of Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OS X/Linux: 2015), Kai Tak riverfront has been populated with entertainment clubs and a technology exhibition center.
Part of the Kai Tak development area in 2017. Source: Wikipedia
Kai Ching Estate is the first housing estate to be built on the old Kai Tak Airport site. Source: Wikipedia
The Kai Tak riverfront in Shadowrun: Hong Kong (Harebrained Schemes. Microsoft Windows/OS X/Linux: 2015)
Nonetheless, what people remember most about the place, at least for this generation, is its aviation legend. In the real world, the Kai Tak Runway Park is constructed with the former runway number 13 preserved. There is also a plan to move a retried Jetstream-11 fixed-wing aeroplane to the site for display (東方日報, 2017, December 22). In the video game world, those Microsoft Flight Simulator sequels after 1998 continues to include Kai Tat Airport besides the new Chek Lap Kok Airport. The airport was also chosen to be the first foreign airport featured in the Japanese compute game Air Traffic Controller ぼくは航空管制官 series. The game was published in 2009, nearly 10 years after the closure of the airport.
Airport selection screen of Microsoft Flight Simulator X Steam edition (Microsoft Studios. Microsoft Windows: 2014) showing the old Kai Tak Airport alongside with the new Chek Lap Kok Airport
Game information website of Air Traffic Controller 3 Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport テクノブレイン ぼくは航空管制官3 香港カイタックエアポート (Technobrain. Microsoft Windows: 2009) advertising that it was the first in the series to use an airport outside Japan. Source: http://www.technobrain.com/atc3/hongkong/
Final Remarks
The unique geographical position of Hong Kong has overloaded Kai Tak Airport with passengers and freights. Its proximity to the Victoria Harbour, residences and businesses has brought visitors unique experience who arrived at the airport. However at the same time the airport imposed high pressure to pilots and air traffic controllers, and also brought nuisance, health issue and risk of serious casualty to those people living or working nearby every day. Replacing Kai Tak Airport with the new Chek Lap Kok Airport has eliminated those issues, and raised the air capacity of the city. While no longer be able to fly to the airport in the real world, game developers are working hard to reproduce the experience using computer simulation and display technology. It may perhaps be the best way to preserve this aviation legend.
References
Airport Council International. (2016, April 11). Year to date Passenger Traffic. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from http://www.aci.aero/Data-Centre/Monthly-Traffic-Data/Passenger-Summary/Year-to-date
Cheung, T. (n.d.). Strategically located for business in Asia. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from http://www.investhk.gov.hk/why-hong-kong/strategic-location.html
Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong Government. (n.d.). Kai Tak Airport 1925-1998. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from http://www.cad.gov.hk/english/kaitak.html
Denslow, N. (2011, January 26). Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airport Become Biggest for Freight. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from https://web.archive.org/web/20110417033044/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-26/cathay-pacific-hong-kong-airport-become-biggest-for-freight.html
Hong Kong Airport Authority. (n.d.). Welcome to Hong Kong International Airport. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/business/about-the-airport/welcome.html
The History Channel (2010, August 26). Most Extreme Airports.
Wikipedia. (2017, December 04). Kai Tak Development. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Tak_Development
Wikipedia. (2017, December 21). Aviation history of Hong Kong. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_history_of_Hong_Kong
Wikipedia. (2017, December 27). Tsing Ma Bridge. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsing_Ma_Bridge
東方日報. (2017, December 22). 啟德郵輪碼頭如死城 政府擬改闢設施救亡. Retrieved December 30, 2017, from http://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20171222/bkn-20171222211146905-1222_00822_001.html
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