I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tide

[BrendanS]

Here you go Bob - warning, lot s of photos, so slow loading

Not my pictures or text. I got this via email, and it struck many chords as I used to fly in there very regularly some years ago.

===========================
Someone close, once told me that pilots were nothing but high priced Bus drivers. Try to make a size 10 airplane fit on a size 3 runway sometime.
Enjoy.


Here is where I used to fly my 747 in the old days with UAL
The Old Hong Kong Airport

Normally, at the bottom of an ILS approach, (Instrument Landing System)
you are looking for a runway...This was long before we could trust the
autopilot for an "Auto-Approach" hook up, so you always hand flew it.

This ILS approach guides you right to the top of a hill, not the runway. If
you did a good job flying the ILS all the way to "minimums" you got to see
that checkerboard panel in photo #3. If you dropped below minimums in
bad weather, you got to die right on the tippy top of the mountain...!!

The drill was to fly to minimums, (the hilltop) and then crank it over into a
hard right turn and dive for the runway. There was usually a cross wind, which explains some of the other pictures. It was pretty easy to drag a wing tip, or an outboard engine. Some of the lucky ones got both outboard engines, the first at impact (photo # 8) and the second trying to recover from the first engine strike. (photo #9) And you couldn't cheat by going below glide slope or turning in early because of all the tall buildings downtown.

And if the approach wasn't enough fun, note that the runway is short.
More than one went off the end, or the side, and into the bay.

Missed approach? See those hills ?
Yep, another hard right turn and climb, baby, climb!

The weather was usually not clear. Clouds were the norm, with fog or mist, and sometimes heavy rain. It's tropical there. There was an approach to the other end of that single runway. It wasn't much better. More hills and the "missed approach" was a hard left turn to avoid hitting the tall buildings and checkerboard mountain...!

Yeah, just another day at the office.

The new airport is almost easy. There are still the hills all around the bay,
but at least the ILS takes you to pavement. And you don't have to look up
at the people in the higher floors. You don't really appreciate flying in
America until you have flown out of it. Washington National is a piece of
cake by comparison. There were some airports in South America that
were almost the equal of Hong Kong. Did I mention what braking was like
on a rainy day on that short runway? Or the huge puddles that formed because the airport was sinking, and no one would spend any money because they were building the new airport?


Photos # 1 and # 2 were taken from the high rise balconies .
( I never quite had time to take a lookback photo from the cockpit here. )
.....Sort of like driving thru midtown Manhatten to Times Square...!!!

No autopilot stuff here...hand fly that sucker, and don't screw up...!!!
The prayer : "Lord, if I'm gonna die...please don't let it be pilot error"

At ILS "Minimums"...you break out of the clouds at the top of a hill..!!!
First one to see it calls "Checkerboard in sight"...!!

Now...hard right turn and dive !!!...and don't mess around, or you simply
won't make it...!! Is that a short runway or what...!!

Woe to you if you're too high...!!!

Strong cross winds were common...so you had to "crab" all the way to the runway...!!!

Sometimes the cross-winds were stronger than others...

Over shoot, and you're in the drink...kick it out of the crab too soon, and
you're blown back off the runway...wait too late and "crunch"...# 4 engine..!!!

Overreact on the crab correction, and "Crunch" # 1 engine...!!!

Don't "Float" or try to make a smooth landing...Just put it on...!!!
"Firm" landings help dissipate energy, and help you stop...!!!

Drop too low, and you'll drag your wheels thru the high rises...!!!

What I said was: "I think we're a little high and fast"...!!!
...that was a nice smooth touchdown though, Sir !

 

[Sammo]

Than go on the Peripherique


.............

 

[BrendanS]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

You should try this one then. The last picture says it all!

if anyone wants to know about the ride - http://www.topthrilldragster.com/public/inside_park/rides/thrill/ttd/video/index.cfm

 

[jimi]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

What a brave girl .. she has my utmost admiration!

 

[knotgood]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

brave yes, but a bit silly to bring a cup of coffee on a ride like that!

 

[Sybarite]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

I am loathe to go on these things. I went on one and later on that day the chain which takes the car up to the start point broke and the thing ran down backwards with serious injuries including a broken back.

John

 

[cameronke]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

Now your talking Bob !!!

I landed at Kai Tak in the jump seat off a Cathay Pacific 747 in the tail end of Typhoon Whinnie, August 1997.

The pilots had explained to me their contingency plans to carry on to Taipei if they were not happy.

Up ahead, we heard other aircraft aborting and heading off to other airports.

At this point, our pilots announced that they were Cathay Pacific, this was their airport and they were going for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Came out of the clouds, heading for the checker board (red/white if I remember) Made THAT turn and final approach on the runway. As we made the final approach, we were yawing about 45% of the line of the runway due to the cross wind (remember that runway finished in Hong Kong harbour), a big footfull of rudder at the last moment and down safe but very very exhillerated. It was like something out of a Diehard film. Trully awesome !!!!!!!/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The new airport is far too civilised, really miss Kai Tak, love Hong Kong, Wo ai Zhong Guo !!!

Regards
Cameron

(a ski biscuit behind a severly overpowered 4m Searider (60hp) with a psychopathic driver is quite titilating too ! )

 

[cameronke]

Re: Here you go Bob - warning, lot s of photos, so slow loading

Many thanks for those awesome pics Brendan! Didn't see them before my first post

I have tried to describe Kai Tak to colleagues and often wondered if I was exagerating. Really brings it all back, cant wait to get back out there with hopefully some time in Shanghai enroute.

Regards
Cameron

 

[TheBoatman]

Re: Here you go Bob - warning, lot s of photos, so slow loading

Brendan
Brilliant, loved it, the piccies were out of this world!

BTW I’ve just cancelled my next flight to Milan, backside is too puckered up!

As an engineer I never liked the traces of oil running back from the engine cowling whilst flying at 29,000 feet over the Alps!

Peter.
PS
Why do some members want to send these types of nb threads to a “lounge”, it will only serve to reduce the “craic” here.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Here you go Bob - warning, lot s of photos, so slow loading

The flights into Kai Tak used to be the highlight of my business trips to the area. Used to love the flights that arrived late evening when Hong Kong was lit up like a christmas tree, and always tried to get a portside window seat. Only ever managed a jump seat once.

Nothing compared to the small aircraft (cant remember what it was, probably 10 to 14 seat) we flew out of Taipei to a small domestic airport to the south. We landed on a short runway in amongst mountains, and the plane literally had the wings bouncing and twisting as we sharply turned and dove for the runway in buffeting cross winds. I was a hang glider pilot, glider pilot and instructor, as well as other types of plane, with probably over 2000 hours at that point, and used to small planes and wind effects, and was only person on the plane who wasn't white knuckled. I was thoroughly enjoying it, as I knew what the pilot was doing. Others were creaming themselves.

The other memorable flight was from a gravel runway in Alaska, for a sight seeing flight around Mount McKinley, tallest mountain in US at about 20,000 ft. Small 4 seater, probably Cessna, and often at times in cloud. Real old fashioned hick seat of pants flying, by an old guy in dungarees, with a 4ft long beard, who obviously was a barnstormer way back when. We were flying over a huge national park that's protected, with limited access. Everytime we thought we'd spotted bears or other interesting wildlife, you just had to point. Over went the wing tip, and next thing you knew, you were at stall speed just over the animals. I've been an instructor, and flown with some excellent pilots, but to this man, the machine was just an extension of his own body. Best flight I've ever been on, and tipped him handsomely for his escapades.

 

[castaway]

Re: I rather go down the Alderney Race in a F6 wind against spring tid

As long as you dont ask the steward if he minds yr knees in his back! You wont be sailing with me any more...

Nick

 

[kds]

Re: Here you go Bob - warning, lot s of photos, so slow loading

Those are remarkable photos. Thanks.
During the war in Rhodesia, 2 passenger planes were shot down by terrorists with Sam 7 s. After that, the pilots landing at Salisbury flew in at great height and side-slipped the last few thousand feet to land. Meeting passengers as they walked down from the plane was an education - and the bar had a great turnover ! And I remember a DC3 from Kasama airport in Zambia - but too long a story !
Ken

 

[peterb]

Lining up

I used to be a flight test observer for Vickers Armstrong. Amongst other aircraft we flew a Washington (RAF version of the Superfortress) as a testbed. We normally flew from Wisley (near Weybridge) and our usual pilot was an ex-fighter type.

On one occasion we arrived back from Aberporth to find very low cloud, almost fog. Our diversion field was Hurn, near Bournemouth. But the pilot had a date that evening, and didn't want to be late, so decided on a radar controlled approach. Only problem was that Wisley didn't have radar, so we were guided in by Farnborough radar, more than 10 miles away. We tried three times, each time breaking cloud almost a quarter of a mile off line. Finally the pilot said he'd try once more, and this time came out about 250 yards off line, about 300 ft up. He slammed the Washington hard over as if it was a fighter, then slammed it hard back again just in time to touch down; all this at approach speed! I was sitting in the old gun position behind the wing, and I would swear that the wingtip missed the ground by less than 3ft.

He made his date.