Hangar of the Pacific Air Maintenance Supply Co.'s workshops. The excellent diffused lighting in this building is obtained by "Perspex" roof and wall lights. This photograph was taken at 4 p.m. with
1-second exposure at F.22 on Super XX Film › Photograph by Roy Tsang).
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Looking across the runway at the Jardine Air Maintenance hangar.
Jardine Aircraft Maintenance Co., Ltd.. and Pacific Air Maintenance and Supply Co., Ltd., have recently established large workshops capable of complete overhauls of aircraft and engines.
Two flying schools, the Far East Flying School Ltd.. and the Hong Kong Flying Club Ltd.. maintain a fleet of light aeroplanes for flying instruction and local pleasure flights.
The Airport. The Colony's only airfield, Kai Tak is con- veniently located ten minutes drive from Kowloon's main hotel. Situated as it is under a range of steep hills rising at one point to a height of 1,800 feet, it is an airfield which by modern standards, indeed by any standards, leaves much to be desired, Although the Japanese considerably increased the area, the aerodrome remains inadequate for sircraft above 70,000 lbs. in weight and its short-comings are emphasised by the aeronautical developments which have taken place in recent The dimensions of two concrete runways are 4,580 years. ft. X 321 A. and 4.730 ft. X 221 fl., but the approaches to them are not good and from one direction landing is prohibited. The airport is open from sunrise to sunse
Kai Tak will necessarily be used for some time to come and consequently certain essential new buildings were recently constructed. These included one to house air traffic control, meteorological and signals sections; a new airfield control tower which affords a full view of the runways; and the construction by operating companies of offices, workshops and one hangar. There is now very little land left for further expansion. Other improvements are the installation of runway electric lighting for emergency night landings, direction finding equipment on Victoria Peak and much increased facilities for communication with aircraft and airports. Full though some- what overcrowded facilities for passenger handling are pro- vided in a Terminal Building and include customs, immigra- tion, medical departments, airline offices, restaurant and wait- ing rooms.
Although Hong Kong is a free port and duties are levied on only a few classes of goods the riovement of currency and bullion is controlled. The profits made on gold lead to many attempts at evasion of regulations and valuable seizures have been made by the airport customs officials. It is the aim to make immigration formalities as simple as possible and the unrestricted movement of Chinese between China and Hong Kong is allowed. An agreement between the neighbouring Portuguese Colony and Hong Kong has made it easier for residents to travel between these two places.
Planes lined up at the C.N.A.C, servicing area.
The Department of Civil Aviation. Civil aviation is operated and the airport administered by the Hong Kong Government through a Department of Civil Aviation. This was established as a separate department on 1st May 1946 under a Director of Civil Aviation, assisted by a Deputy Director who is also Airport Manager, a Senior Air Traffic Control Officer, an Air Signals Officer, and a staff of 160 most of whom are Chinese. The revenue for 1948, 9 from aircraft landing and housing fees was $791,143.10.
The Future. It has been obvious for some time that air- craft and airline traffic are outgrowing the present airfield and the decision has been reached to build a new airport which will conform with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The topography of Hong Kong makes the location of a modern airport a most difficult pro- blem but after a careful survey of possible sites one which is aeronautically suitable has been found. The advantage of close proximity to the city will be lost and it may prove necessary to keep Kai Tak in use for the smaller short-haul aircraft. The Unted Kingdom Government has provided a loan of £3,000,000, free of interest, and it is expected that work on the new site will begin this year.
Meanwhile certain improvements are to be made at Kai Tak including the resurfacing of the runways made necessary by the continued increase of traffic.
A good deal of credit is due to the Civil Aviation authorities of the Hong Kong Government that they have not viewed Kai Tak's difficult problems wth a one-track mind. They are always trying to overcome nature's challenge. The topography of the area is as though nature was in her most tempting mood when she moulded local features. She tempted with a small stretch of reasonably level land, but dared mere man to make anything of it in the shape of an airport because she fashioned hills and brought the sea in close. In spite of nature's challenge, however, an airport of utmost importance has been nursed along and to-day, Kai Tak is the modern and vital link between Hong Kong's trade, finance and commerce and those of her overseas clients.
One does not have to be more than normally air-minded to see that Kai Tak is also of strategic importance, and just to complete the picture of this very busy civil airport, the Royal Air Force operate both landplane and flying boats. A wel-established R.A.F. camp, of the concrete bungalow type of building, nestles beneath the hills at the take-off end,
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