Shek Kong Airfield  石崗機場 | |||||||||||
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 Approach view of Shek Kong Airfield runway | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator |
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| Serves |
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| Location | Shek Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1950 | ||||||||||
| Built | 1938 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 15 m / 50 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 22°26′11″N 114°4′50″E / 22.43639°N 114.08056°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Shek Kong Airfield Location of Shek Kong Airfield in Hong Kong | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Shek Kong Airfield | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 石崗機場 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 石岗机场 | ||||||||||||
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Shek Kong Airfield (Chinese: 石崗機場, ICAO: VHSK, formerly RAF Sek Kong) is the sole airbase of the People's Liberation Army Air Force in Hong Kong, located in Shek Kong, New Territories. It falls under the Southern Theater Command Air Force and houses air force units of People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison (PLAHKG). It was previously open for restricted civilian use during weekends.
Prior the handover of Hong Kong, the airfield was used by the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong and known as RAF Sek Kong.
RAF base (1938–1997)
editBefore the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the airfield was used by the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong as a Royal Air Force (RAF) station. It was officially known as Royal Air Force Sek Kong, commonly abbreviated RAF Sek Kong. Construction started in 1938 and was completed in 1950, with a hiatus during 1941–1945 due to the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II.
Between 1989 and 1993,[1][2] RAF Sek Kong was also a Vietnamese Refugee Detention Centre for Vietnamese boat people arriving in Hong Kong.[1] Numbers peaked in 1992 with the centre hosting 9,000 refugees.[2][3] Half of the runway was temporarily closed and used for temporary housing (mainly tents, and some quonset huts).[3] As a result, only rotary aircraft operated from the base, until the refugee's centre closure – after which the runway was restored for use by fixed-wing aircraft in 1995.[citation needed]
The airbase was also used by private recreational flying organisation, Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC).[4] It moved most of its aircraft to Shek Kong in 1994, after Kai Tak Airport (then the city's international airport) sharply reduced the hours for general aviation to two hours every morning (07:00 to 09:00) that year.[5]
RAF Sek Kong hosted a single RAF squadron from 1950 to 1996. It was a permanent assignment, with personnel and their families living in Sek Kong for three-year tours of duty. The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHK AuxAF) was also a permanent air force unit operating at the airbase.
A partial list of RAF squadrons stationed at RAF Sek Kong before 1997:
- No. 80 Squadron RAF: 3 January – 1 February 1950, 7 March – 28 April 1950
- No. 28 Squadron RAF: 1 May – 7 October 1950, 28 March 1951 – 15 August 1955, 5 December 1955 – 14 June 1957, 17 May 1978 – 1 November 1996
- Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force 1979–1993
A list of RAF aircraft stationed at RAF Sek Kong:
| builder / model | type | number | dates | operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarine Spitfire F.24 | fighter | 1949–1951 | No. 80 Squadron RAF | |
| de Havilland Vampire | fighter | 1951–1954 | ||
| de Havilland Hornet | fighter | 1951–1955 | No. 80 Squadron RAF | |
| Westland Wessex | helicopter | 1978–1996 | No. 28 Squadron RAF[6] |
RAF Sek Kong 1983
Dauphin of RHKAAF
The British Army also operated a squadron of helicopters at RAF Sek Kong from 1970 until 1993, performing reconnaissance and troop-lifting roles at the city's border with mainland China, and supporting the army on exercises. The Army Air Corps (AAC) unit was heavily involved in stemming the influx of illegal immigrants from mainland China. No. 660 Squadron AAC operated from 1978 until the end of 1993.[7] The AAC squadron, 50 years old at the time, was the last overseas unit using Westland Scout helicopters.[6][8]
- Support equipment
| Manufacturer / Model | Type | Number | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | RL tipper truck | 1980s–1990s | ||
| Later model Thornycroft Antar (pre-1984) and Scammell Commander (post 1984) | tank transporters (tractor and trailer) | 1980s–1990s | By Gurkha Transport Regiment[8] |
PLAAF base (1997–present)
editAfter the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, Shek Kong airfield became an airbase of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) There is one PLA unit stationed in Shek Kong:
| builder / model | type | number | dates | details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAMC Harbin Z-9B | utility helicopters | 12 | 1997–present |
The PLA ground and naval forces also use Shek Kong, mainly for training and Open Day use.
With the PLAAF operating helicopters, the runway is mostly used for civilian fixed wing aircraft. There are four 'H's marked along the runway for the Harbin Z-9Bs to land, and avoided the need to create helipads at the base.
It is currently used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the week but, during weekends, members of the Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC) used to be allowed to use the airport facilities for operation of private aeroplanes and to conduct private flight training.[5][4]
See also
edit
References
edit- 1 2 Griffin, Kathy; Tam, Bonny (18 June 1989). "Local march to show anger at Viet policy" (PDF). sunzi1.Lib.HKU.hk. South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2021 – via University of Hong Kong Libraries.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - 1 2 Stoddart, Tom (1 January 1989). "Shek Kong Camp - Young Vietnamese refugees at the Shek Kong Airfield in Shek Kong, Hong Kong, 1993". www.GettyImages.co.uk. Tom Stoddart Archive / Hulton Archive / Getty Images. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- 1 2 Basler, Barbara (4 February 1992). "18 Vietnamese die in violence at refugee camp". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- 1 2 "High-flyers have licence to thrill". www.SCMP.com. South China Morning Post. 26 June 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
For anyone who has ever dreamt of flying, the first step to getting your wings is to join the Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC), the city's only flight training centre.[...] The Shek Kong Airfield is used by the People's Liberation Army during the week, with permission given to the club to use it during weekends.
- 1 2 Gilbert, Andy (22 August 1994). "Aviation club takes off for Sek Kong". www.SCMP.com. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- 1 2 Clarke, Rachel (15 October 1993). "660 Squadron named as first unit to disband". www.SCMP.com. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ↑ "660 Squadron". British-Army-units1945on.co.uk. British Army units from 1945 on. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- 1 2 Kneen, J. Michael; Sutton, D. John (1 January 1997). Craftsmen of the Army: The Story of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vol II 1969-1992. Pen & Sword Books Limited. pp. 327, 331–332. ISBN 1473813409. Retrieved 28 May 2021 – via Google Books.
External links
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