Fly Kai Tak

Update · Flying & Procedures

The checkerboard turn tightens at the end

A gentle bank past the checkerboard, then about 25° for the last few seconds before roll-out, as pilots flew it.

2 min readFly Kai Tak
A 747 in a steep right bank low over Kowloon City, with the runway just ahead.
The steep end of the checkerboard turn.

The checkerboard turn now tightens as you go, the way pilots flew it. It still starts about 2 NM out at roughly 650 ft and rolls out at roughly 140 ft, but the bank builds up toward the end instead of staying shallow all the way round.

What changed

  • First part of the turn: a gentle bank of about 6° past the checkerboard, for roughly 2 km.
  • Tightening: over the next 600 m the turn steepens smoothly.
  • Last few seconds: a 1,300 m radius, about 25° of bank at approach speed, low over Kowloon City until you roll out on runway heading.
  • IGS course: the 088 course now crosses the runway centreline about 1.5 km out and points closer to the checkerboard.
A 747 in a steep right bank low over Kowloon City, with the runway just ahead.
The steep part of the turn, seconds before rolling out on the runway.

Flying it

Start the turn when the "Checkerboard ahead" prompt appears with a light bank, then add bank as the hoops curve more sharply near the runway. The approach guide, the autopilot and the AI traffic follow the same curve.

What did not change

  • The entry and roll-out heights, the 3.1° glidepath and the 3,100 ft start over Tsing Yi.
  • The autopilot still lands in every weather preset, and flying with no input still ends in a crash.

格仔山轉彎而家會越轉越急，同機師真實飛法一樣。仍然係大約 2 海里外、約 650 呎開始，約 140 呎對正跑道，但傾側會喺尾段加大，唔再成程都咁淺。

改咗咩

  • 轉彎前段：經過格仔山時輕輕傾側約 6°，大約 2 公里。
  • 收緊：之後 600 米轉彎平滑地變急。
  • 最後幾秒：半徑 1,300 米，以進場速度約 25° 傾側，低飛過九龍城，直至對正跑道。
  • IGS 航道：088 航道而家喺大約 1.5 公里外同跑道中線相交，更加對準格仔山。
一架 747 喺九龍城上空大角度右傾，跑道就喺前面。
轉彎最急嗰段，幾秒後就對正跑道。

點樣飛

「Checkerboard ahead」提示一出就輕輕傾側開始轉，到接近跑道、指引圈彎得急啲嘅時候再加大傾側。進場指引、自動駕駛同 AI 航機都跟同一條彎線。

冇改嘅嘢

  • 開始同完成轉彎嘅高度、3.1° 滑翔道，同喺青衣上空 3,100 呎開始。
  • 所有天氣下自動駕駛照樣識降落，完全唔操作照樣會墜機。

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