Spend last week in Hong Kong, during Chinese New Years' festivities. Although this wasn't a spotting trip, I did manage to squeeze in one day of spotting, and make some pictures of aircraft in the city as well during the rest of the week.
As I didn't find a previous topic about Hong Kong, I thought it might be helpful to give some information about the possibilities overthere as well...
I flew in on flight CX270 from AMS (B-HUG), and during my walk out of the airport, I was able to read off some aircraft. Views from the terminal are perfect, through vertical windows (fewer reflections, although those can still be annoying).
Hong Kong - Chek Lap Kok, Sunday 25 January 2009:
B-KPG 777 CATHAY
B-HNJ 777 CATHAY
B-HUA 747 CATHAY
B-HNL 777 CATHAY
B-HYG 330 DRAGONAIR
B-6076 330 AIR CHINA special c/s
RP-C-3194 320 CEBU PACIFIC
Nearby the airport is a Dakota preserved in front of the Cathay Pacific office buildings ("CX City"):
VR-HDA DAKOTA CATHAY PACIFIC
Chek Lap Kok has two parallel runways (25L/07R & 25R/07L). When I was there, 25L and 25R were in use. All cargo flights land at the runway nearest to the cargo apron (i.e. 25L), passenger flights used 25R (with only very few landing at 25L). All departing flights took off from 25L (in HKG a more or less general rule is that one runway is used for landings, and the other for take-offs, so I was told).
With these operations, probably the best place to spot from, is the Skydeck on top of Terminal 2. From there, 360 degrees views can be had of all landing aircraft (200-300 mm), and in the distance (over 400 mm) the flights taxiing from and to the gates. The sun is in your back most of the time (when facing 25R), so in clear weather perfect side-on shots can be had.
Unfortunately, "clear weather" wasn't the case when I was there: a thick fog tried to enter the land from the sea and kept struggling with the sun that tried to prevent that. This fog also prevented me from venturing around the airport to find other decent spots, although I have read that there are some other places as well.
And now for the winning numbers. I have included the locals as well, to give you an idea about the number of landings that can be seen in the timespan I was there:
Hong Kong - Chek Lap Kok, Thursday 29 January 09:30 - 17:30
3B-NBE 340 AIR MAURITIUS
4R-ALA 330 SRILANKAN
4X-ECB 777 EL AL
5Y-KQX 767 KENYA AIRWAYS
9M-AFJ 320 AIR ASIA
9M-MKS 330 MALAYSIA
9M-MMH 737 MALAYSIA
9M-MRF 777 MALAYSIA
9V-JSH 320 JETSTAR
9V-SPE 747 SINGAPORE
9V-SYC 777 SINGAPORE
9V-SYJ 777 SINGAPORE
A7-AGA 340 QATAR
B-16403 747 EVA
B-16405 747 EVA
B-16710 777 EVA
B-16828 ER9 MANDARIN AIRLINES
B-18203 747 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18205 747 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18210 747 CHINA AIRLINES dreamliner c/s
B-18211 747 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18301 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18308 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18310 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18312 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18316 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18351 330 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18612 737 CHINA AIRLINES
B-18617 737 CHINA AIRLINES
B-2065 777 AIR CHINA
B-2208 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2209 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-2222 319 CHINA EASTERN
B-2228 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2256 MD90 CHINA EASTERN
B-2291 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-2336 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2338 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2357 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2360 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2412 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-2420 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-2530 737 AIR CHINA
B-2566 767 SHANGHAI AIRLINES
B-2680 737 CHINA EASTERN
B-2828 757 XIAMEN AIRLINES
B-2924 737 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-2926 737 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-5043 737 AIR CHINA
B-5074 737 CHINA EASTERN
B-5155 737 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-5189 737 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-5196 737 AIR CHINA
B-5217 737 AIR CHINA
B-5316 737 SHANGHAI AIRLINES
B-5340 737 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-5395 737 SHANGHAI AIRLINES
B-6009 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-6015 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-6029 320 CHINA EASTERN
B-6099 330 CHINA EASTERN
B-6269 320 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-6282 320 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-6290 320 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-6319 321 CHINA SOUTHERN
B-6330 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-6332 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-6345 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-6363 321 AIR CHINA
B-6369 321 CHINA EASTERN
B-HIH 747 CATHAY
B-HKJ 747 CATHAY
B-HKT 747 CATHAY
B-HKU 747 CATHAY
B-HLB 330 CATHAY
B-HLC 330 CATHAY
B-HLD 330 CATHAY
B-HLE 330 CATHAY
B-HLG 330 CATHAY
B-HLH 330 CATHAY
B-HLI 330 CATHAY
B-HLJ 330 CATHAY
B-HLL 330 CATHAY
B-HLN 330 CATHAY
B-HLO 330 CATHAY
B-HLS 330 CATHAY
B-HLV 330 CATHAY
B-HLW 330 CATHAY
B-HNB 777 CATHAY
B-HNC 777 CATHAY
B-HND 777 CATHAY
B-HNE 777 CATHAY
B-HNG 777 CATHAY
B-HNI 777 CATHAY
B-HNJ 777 CATHAY
B-HNL 777 CATHAY
B-HNM 777 CATHAY
B-HNN 777 CATHAY
B-HNP 777 CATHAY
B-HNQ 777 CATHAY
B-HOO 747 CATHAY
B-HRM SUPER PUMA GOVT. FLYING SERVICES
B-HRS J41 GOVT. FLYING SERVICES
B-HSD 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSE 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSG 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSH 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSI 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSJ 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSM 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HSN 320 DRAGONAIR
B-HTD 321 DRAGONAIR
B-HTE 321 DRAGONAIR
B-HTF 321 DRAGONAIR
B-HTG 321 DRAGONAIR
B-HTI 321 DRAGONAIR
B-HUD 747 CATHAY
B-HUG 747 CATHAY
B-HUL 747 CATHAY
B-HWF 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HWG 330 DRAGONAIR 20th anniversary c/s
B-HWG 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HWH 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HWI 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HWK 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HXC 340 CATHAY
B-HXI 340 CATHAY
B-HXJ 340 CATHAY
B-HXL 340 CATHAY
B-HXN 340 CATHAY
B-HYA 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYB 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYD 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYE 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYF 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYG 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYH 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYJ 330 DRAGONAIR
B-HYQ 330 DRAGONAIR
B-KBI 737 HONG KONG AIRLINES
B-KBK 737 HONG KONG AIRLINES
B-KBM 737 HONG KONG EXPRESS
B-KBP 737 HONG KONG EXPRESS
B-KBQ 737 HONG KONG EXPRESS
B-KBR 737 HONG KONG EXPRESS
B-KPA 777 CATHAY
B-KPH 777 CATHAY
B-KXE 737 HONG KONG EXPRESS
B-LAB 330 CATHAY
B-LAC 330 CATHAY
B-LAF 330 CATHAY
B-LAG 330 CATHAY
B-LIB 747 CATHAY
B-MAC CL604 ???
B-MAG 321 AIR MACAU
C-FIUJ 777 AIR CANADA
D-ABVC 747 LUFTHANSA
D-AIHR 340 LUFTHANSA
G-BNLR 747 BRITISH AIRWAYS
G-CIVY 747 BRITISH AIRWAYS
G-VSSH 340 VIRGIN ATLANTIC
HL7417 747 ASIANA
HL7484 747 KOREAN AIRLINES
HL7562 737 KOREAN AIRLINES
HS-PGS 319 BANGKOK AIR
HS-TEB 330 THAI
HS-TEF 330 THAI
HS-TGN 747 THAI
JA607J 767 JAL
JA8085 747 JAL
JA8096 747 ANA
JA8358 767 ANA YOKOSO! JAPAN tls
N120UA 747 UNITED
N121UA 747 UNITED
N168CL 747 CHINA AIRLINES
N624FE MD11 FEDEX
N744AX 767 ABX AIR ANA MKS
N752PR 747 PHILIPPINES
OE-INP CL604 VISTAJET
PK-GPF 330 GARUDA Indonesia 2008 tls.
RP-C3245 320 CEBU PACIFIC
RP-C7475 747 PHILIPPINES
RP-C8611 320 PHILIPPINES
V8-RBK 767 ROYAL BRUNEI
VN-A344 321 VIETNAM
VN-A357 321 VIETNAM
VT-JEF 777 TURKISH lsf. JET AIRWAYS
ZK-NBW 747 AIR NEW ZEALAND
ZS-SXC 340 SOUTH AFRICAN
In all a very interesting list, with a lot of Chinese narrow bodies. Unfortunately, some of the regular airlines decided to change types and used larger, more common aircraft (to us Europeans). So I have seen a lower number of Asian A330's than can be expected normally, but nevertheless HKG shows some interesting aircraft.
Hong Kong Shun Tak Centre - HK Macau Ferry terminal heliport - Friday 30 January 2009
B-MHG S-76 HELI EXPRESS
B-KCC S-76 HELI EXPRESS
B-HRY DAUPHIN GOVT. FLYING SERVICES (seen flying over)
B-HJR S-76 HELI EXPRESS
This heliport is in use by Heli Express, a company that performs flights between Hong Kong and Macau and Macau and Shenzhen. The walkway between Shun Tak Centre and the parking garage (between Shun Tak and the IFC) proved to be an excellent place to spot the helicopters from. I have been there only for a short while. Every half an hour, a flight arrives and departs ten minutes later for the twelve minute hop to Macau. During my stay, the above three were the only helicopters I saw. The Dauphin was seen flying over Victoria Harbour and was a welcome addition to the Super Puma seen the day before.
Other helicopters seen during my week in Hong Kong were the following two:
B-HRL SUPER PUMA GOVT. FLYING SERVICES (carrying a "bambi bucket")
B-HKS ECUREUIL HELISERVICES
I hope this log was useful to anyone.
Richard
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