Significance of CHECKERBOARD at Kai Tak

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Member for

20 years 9 months

Posts: 407

Does anyone know how the checkerboard was used by the pilots while doing the IGS approach at HKG?

I mean, did the boxes align at the point of turn, or was there a distance calculated at which point you were supposed to make the turn?

Just curious, but informtaion would be appreciated.

Original post

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,497

I think it was just an aiming point on the side of the mountain at which point a 90 degree bank would take you onto the final approach path.

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

Actually it was a 47 degree turn.....!!!

When aircraft approached the checkerboard they used an IGS and needed to make a 47° visual right turn to line up with the runway. At this point all aircraft were roughly 2 miles from the threshold, and typically would enter the final right turn at the height of about 650 ft and exit it at the height of 140 ft to line up with the runway.

I used to be able to see it from my living room window!! Those were the days!

Member for

20 years 9 months

Posts: 407

So was altitude used as a measure (as in line the aircraft at xxx kts towards the checkerboard starting from xxx ft. when you reach 650 ft, make a right 47° turn and viola, you're two miles from the threshold, lined up with the runway)??!

xxx=pattern

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

sort of.....I think the max height you could be at the turn was 1000ft(!), but then you would have to instigate a major dive like a Stuka!!! If i am right anything more than 1000ft at the turn or a height of about 800ft at the end of the tuen would instigate a go-around......I saw one or two of those and they were FUN to watch!

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,495

If you could read the words printed on the white squares it meant you were to close :D

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 664

ROFLMAO !! :-)

Member for

20 years

Posts: 224

It would be the last thing you saw and the first thing to go through your mind if you got it seriously wrong :p

Member for

20 years 9 months

Posts: 407

My dad tells me that one of his flight-crew colleagues tranferred to SIA from PIA on deputation back in the days of B707s. During an IGS landing, instead of making the turn as we're discussing, he went "on top of" the checkerboard and then started the turn. Even more surprising, he was able to land the aircraft (ex-AF, what would one expect :))

The SIA crew named him "Capt. Checkerboard" after that...