Shek Kong Airfield Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Shek Kong Airfield

石崗機場

approach view of Shek Kong Airfield runway

IATA: none
ICAO: VHSK

Summary

Airport type

Military / public

Owner

Government of Hong Kong (1997–present)
Ministry of Defence (UK) (1938–1997)

Operator

PLA Hong Kong Garrison (1997–present)
Royal Air Force (1938–1997)

Serves

Shek Kong

Location

New Territories, Hong Kong

Opened

1950; 75 years ago

Built

1938; 87 years ago

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 in Hong Kong

Runway

Runway	Length		Surface
Runway	m	ft	Surface
11/29	1,905	6,250	concrete / asphalt

Shek Kong Airfield

Traditional Chinese

石崗機場

Simplified Chinese

石岗机场

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Shí Gǎng Jīchǎng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Sehk gōng gēi chèuhng
Jyutping	Sek6 gong1 gei1 coeng4

An aerial view of Shek Kong Airfield

The Shek Kong Airfield (also known as Sek Kong Airfield) is an airfield, or airbase, located in Shek Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. It has the international code VHSK.

Today, the base is home to air force units of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison (PLAHKG). It is also open for limited civilian use on weekends.

A Look Back: Royal Air Force History
Refugee Centre (1989–1993)
Shek Kong Today: PLA Air Force Base
Private Use of the Airfield
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: Royal Air Force History

Before 1997, when Hong Kong was under British rule, this airfield was used by the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. It was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station, officially called Royal Air Force Sek Kong (or RAF Sek Kong).

Building the Airfield

Construction of the airfield began in 1938. However, work stopped between 1941 and 1945 because of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. The airfield was finally finished in 1950.

RAF Operations and Aircraft

From 1950 to 1996, the Royal Air Force had a small squadron based at RAF Sek Kong. Personnel and their families often lived there for three-year periods. The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHK AuxAF) also had a permanent unit in Hong Kong.

Here are some RAF squadrons that were stationed at RAF Sek Kong before 1997:

No. 28 Squadron RAF (from 1951 to 1957, and again from 1978 to 1996)
No. 80 Squadron RAF (in 1950)
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (from 1979 to 1993)

Some types of aircraft used by the RAF at Sek Kong included:

Supermarine Spitfire F.24 (a fighter plane)
de Havilland Vampire (a fighter plane)
de Havilland Hornet (a fighter plane)
Westland Wessex (a helicopter)

After 1989, the base mainly hosted helicopters. This was because part of the runway was used for a refugee camp. The runway was fixed in 1995, but no RAF fixed-wing aircraft used it before the base closed in 1996.

British Army Helicopters

The British Army also had helicopters at RAF Sek Kong from 1970 to 1993. These helicopters helped with observation and moving troops near the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. They also supported army training exercises. No. 660 Squadron AAC operated from 1978 until the end of 1993. This squadron was the last overseas unit to use Westland Scout helicopters.

Refugee Centre (1989–1993)

From 1989, Shek Kong Airfield also served as a refugee centre. It housed Vietnamese "boat people" who arrived in Hong Kong. At its busiest in 1992, the centre held 9,000 refugees.

During this time, half of the airfield's runway was closed. It was used for temporary homes, mostly tents and some quonset huts. Because of this, only helicopters could operate from the base. The refugee centre closed in 1993, and the runway was then fully reopened for aircraft.

Shek Kong Today: PLA Air Force Base

Since 1997, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has had a presence in Hong Kong. One PLA unit is based at Shek Kong:

PLAAF Helicopter Regiment 39968
- Hong Kong Special Aviation Unit (for transport)

The main helicopter used by the PLAAF at Shek Kong is the HAMC Harbin Z-9B. There are 12 of these utility helicopters, used since 1997. The PLA's ground and naval forces also use Shek Kong for training and special events.

The runway at Shek Kong is mostly used by civilian fixed-wing aircraft. There are four 'H' marks along the runway. These marks help the Harbin Z-9B helicopters land without needing separate helipads.

Private Use of the Airfield

In 1994, the Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC) moved most of its aircraft to Shek Kong. The HKAC is a private group for recreational flying. They moved because the hours for general aviation at Kai Tak Airport (Hong Kong's international airport at the time) were greatly reduced. This meant private planes had very limited time to fly from Kai Tak.