Flying from Chek Lap Kok to Kai Tak

Yesterday I piloted a Boeing 737-800NG simulator. It was my first attempt at a flight from Hong Kong’s new airport Chek Lap Kok to the now out of service old airport Kai Tak. I control the yoke (steering) and yaw. My co-pilot controls the thrust, flaps and trim (and generally gives me some helpful directions since he’s a pilot and I’m not).

The 737 NG has some pretty sophisticated navigational equipment which is very helpful. One of the nice things was an indicator that shows your turn trajectory and projects it onto a runway extension – very useful for landings at Kai Tak.

Of note is that pilots who landed at Kai Tak back in the day had no such help, making those landings all the more impressive.

My landing is not on the runway centreline, but on the runway and close to where one should hope to land, so I’m happy with that for a first attempt at flying a 737 in a proper sim.

Link to video: Chek Lap Kok to Kai Tak in B737-800NG (Cockpit View)