I remember when all this was fields

In 1989, I think, on a sales and relationship-building trip to China, I managed to get my Economy class ticket from London to HK upgraded to Business class. The conversation I had with the traveller  next to me on that flight changed my life but, trying to impress me, as I realise now, he also managed to get me into the cockpit jumpseat for the landing into Kai Tak airport. Those who have landed at Kai Tak will never forget the hair-raising descent through the city highrises, where you could look into people’s windows and see what they were watching on TV and here I was, headset on, in the cockpit of a B747-400, with new-fangled wingtips that were to become standard.

I heard the contol tower commentary through my headset as the pilot eased us down the runway. As we came to a halt at the very end, a tiny wooden fishing boat ambled by, seemingly oblivious to the behemoth that had just appeared and stopped short before crushing it. The meeting of two worlds right there, the backdrop of mountain greenery showing no hint of what was to become the district of Quarry Bay.

Not too long after that, HK moved its airport over to Lantau Island and Kai Tak fell into disuse. More recently it’s become a cruise ship terminal, and last month they opened the first phase of the Kai Tak Runway Park, a sky garden, which is where my old mate Allyoops and I went for a little jaunt today. Really we were about six months too early as it isn’t complete yet, but I wanted to wander down memory lane and we had a great chat, as we always do.

Extra is an opportunity of a plane which has just departed (or about to land at HKIA) passing what used to be the control tower that issued those instructions over 30 years ago.