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Planespotting Guides for Hong Kong's Airfields and Airports

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Spotting locations, viewing areas, the best spotting hotel rooms and advice on access for plane spotters travelling to airports and airfields in Hong Kong. Use the hotlinks above or scroll down for spotting information on spotting locations, airfield hangar access, aviation museums, preserved aircraft. Plus all the information has been plotted as Points of Interest and can be downloaded to your SatNavs, Google Earth and Google Maps to make planning your spotting trips abroad so much easier and helping you log many more


HONG KONG-CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT

General Info
Two parallel runways - the north one (07L/25R) is used for arrivals by passenger planes and the south one (07R/25L) is for cargo arrivals and all departures. Buy an on-loan Octopus Card upon arrival and it makes it so easy, just top-up with enough to last your visit and then hand the card back when you're leaving. It also means that if you use the A21 bus from Hong Kong to the airport, the day return will only cost 49.5HK$ as the return trip is half price. Check in at the Airport Express Train station in Kowloon early morning of your flight (if allowed), check in your bags and you are free for the rest of the day. From arrival, if you plan on using public transport, get an Octopus card from the customer service desk on the ground floor near arrivals - this will help with the travel to and from the rocks by HAECO, and in to the city centre.

Spotting Info
The Sky Plaza viewing deck on terminal 2 has excellent views, you shouldn't miss any movements. Follow the signs for Sky Plaza and Aviation Discovery Centre (ADC). As you enter T2 from T1/station, you go up escalators from the trans-border coaching area in to the main airport/shopping mall. In the far left past 7-Eleven (stock up here) there is a further set of escalators going up, and the Discovery Centre is round to the left. Tickets for the terrace cost 15HKD (about £1) and are bought from the first desk on the right. The terrace is open 10am-10pm and does not permit the consumption of food or drink, but many locals openly do so. The terrace is on the roof of an office block, at about the 10th floor, and offers views across the whole field. The contents of cargo can be read but HAECO, remote parking by HAECO, HK Government Flying Service, and some of the General Aviation can not be seen, so the S52 bus from Tung Chung to HAECO rocks is needed. There's no shelter and no facilities so stock up before you enter. If you need to leave to go to the cafe or toilet within the ADC, keep the ticket as it's good for re-entry but only if you stay within the Aviation Discovery Centre. If you wish to keep going to and from the Terminal, you'll need the 45HKD ticket. There are also 5 Nikon binoculars fixed to the deck which are free to use, and may be useful as it can get very windy on the deck and heat haze can get in the way logging the parked aircraft over the other side. Before the deck opens, if they're on 07s, before 9am 07L only is used, so you can make your way to that end of the terminal frontage, where there is a bench outside overlooking the Regal Airport hotel and a car park. If they change to 07R at 9am, head to the on-ramp end of the frontage until the deck opens. Take bus S1 or S64 from the airport to Tung Chung for 4HKD (30p). Then take bus S52 from Tung Chung to HAECO Aircraft Maintenance for again 4HKD (30p). The bus stops at Asia Airfreight Terminal, Government Flying Services and Haeco - all 3 stops offer views of freight, biz and maintenance. A visit is a must as you won't see all aircraft in these areas from the terrace. Buses are frequent, approx every 10-15mins. This will get you to the rocks near to HAECO. Stay on the rocks side and you'll have no problems with the Police, but be warned, take plenty of food and water and sun cream as you're miles from anywhere. Police do patrol the perimeter, particularly by the HAECO hangar, but are happy for you to spot. When you're on the S52 and you pass by Cathay City, you should be able to see the preserved DC-3, carrying markings of VR-HDA (c/n 9525). In the terminal, you can spot from the departures level of the terminal to see the departures on climb out. If you are after Air Hong Kong, you should see them all between 2345-0045. Just be aware that for the majority of the time, the wind is across the runway, and they often change runway direction.

Planespotting Hotels
  • The Regal Airport Hotel is connected by a walkway to the terminal. Rooms on the west side of the airport face the apron. Rooms 6036 to 6048 (sixth floor), 7036 to 7048 (seventh floor) and so on, until the eleventh floor (1136 to 1148), are great for viewing. 10th and 11th floors are Club Rooms which cost extra and are expensive. The twin rooms have views of the airport but of only 1 runway. If you want the best views, you'll need a room with a double bed. If you upgrade to Club Rooms, you get free cable internet for 24hrs, breakfast, free items from the mini bar, and free drinks (local beer spirits etc) in the lounge between 6pm and 9pm. Anyone taking an SBS, there are adaptors for plugs in the room. Because of the dirty windows and double glass the room is not very suitable for photos. The double glass in the corridor is slightly better for photos. Landing traffic on 07R can be seen from the hotel by taking the lift on the south wing of the hotel (the one closest to the airport) and going to the 11th floor. Next to the escalator going to the 12th floor are windows overlooking the approach. After dark things parked nearby could be read with ease under the floodlights.
    The Regal Airport Hotel features on for reviews, prices and room availability

  • The Novotel Citygate has some rooms that offer a view of the airport, though a powerful scope would be required for reading off movements. You need as high a floor as you can get, with the Business rooms starting on either 20th or 21st floors, ask for an odd-numbered room. There is a courtesy bus to and from the airport. A change of runway direction will result in arrivals not being seen and poor visibility may mean a few smaller types won't be read on departure. The S52 bus goes from the Citygate bus centre, adjacent to the MTR station; this will take you to the hangars and exec area. An Octopus travel card is used on all buses and MTR and is very cheap.
    The Novotel Citygate features on for reviews, prices and room availability
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    NOTE: This site in no way gives permission to enter any airfield or private property and stresses permission should always be sought before visiting any airfield.
    © Copyright 1997-2017 C.Blackmun. If any information from this site is to be used in any way, in any form of communication, be it printed or electronic, then permission must be requested and granted by me, prior to publication. You are welcome to use the information on trips but credit MUST be given to me, as I have done to all who have contributed. If you can update or add to any of the airport spotting locations please contact me. This site exists because the very social planespotting hobby is one of sharing and, I hope, your planespotting trips, whether you are a civil planespotter, a military aircraft spotter, or both, will benefit greatly from the spotting locations and spotting information contained within. My site contains airport spotting locations and airport spotting hotels and rooms at airfields and airports in the UK, Europe, USA, Asia, North America, South America, Oceana and Africa.