A thread posted today regarding regrets not travelling on the Concorde made me dig up this old post, my greatest regret, not going to Hong Kong in the 1990's.

Travelers to Hong Kong arriving by plane would experience an amazing approach known as the checkerboard approach. The approach the to the Kai Tak airport was notorious due to the topology of Hong Kong, and the sights of huge 747 jumbos doing a 41 degree turn mere few feet above the rooftops of Kowloon city is amazing.

Now the airport is closed and will slowly turn into a cruise ship terminal. But the impact of the airport and checkerboard approach is still visible throughout Kowloon city, and in 2010, this gentleman documented the history and his travel to Kai Tak in this great post

In some days I will travel to Hong Kong my self, and it is apparent that this might be the last time to get a hands on view of what's left of this major aviation and Hong Kong history.

And then there are several videos on YouTube of the approaches, like this one of a Malaysian B747.