RAF Kai Tak

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RAF Kai Tak HMS Flycatcher HMS Nabcatcher
at Kai Tak Airport, in Kowloon, on the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong
Kai Tak Airport with runway 13/31 extension project, 1950s
Station badge
RAF Kai Tak Location of RAF Kai Tak within Hong Kong Show map of Hong Kong RAF Kai Tak RAF Kai Tak (China) Show map of China
Coordinates	22°19′43″N 114°11′39″E / 22.32861°N 114.19417°E / 22.32861; 114.19417
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	British Hong Kong
Operator	Royal Air Force (1927–1941, 1945–1978) Royal Navy (1939–1941, 1945–1947)
Controlled by	Far East Air Force (1945–1971) Fleet Air Arm (1939–1941, 1945–1947)
Site history
In use	1927–1941, 1945–1978 (Royal Air Force) 1939–1941, 1945–1948 (Fleet Air Arm) (Lodger facilities 1948–1978)
Battles/wars	Second World War Pacific War
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH/VHKT
Elevation	10 feet (3.0 m) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 07/25 1,585 yards (1,449 m) x 70 yards (64 m) concrete 12/30 1,525 yards (1,394 m) x 110 yards (101 m) concrete 13/31 2,800 yards (2,560 m) Asphalt
Source: Royal Navy Research Archive[1][2]

Royal Air Force Kai Tak or more commonly RAF Kai Tak is a former Royal Air Force station situated in Hong Kong, at Kai Tak Airport, Kowloon. It was established by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.

It was also the location of HMS Nabcatcher, a Royal Navy Mobile Operational Naval Air Base, (MONAB) VIII, which was there between 1945 and 1947. At the start of April 1947, it was decommissioned and concurrently re-commissioned as HMS Flycatcher. At the end of December, HMS Flycatcher was officially decommissioned at Kai Tak, although the Royal Navy retained lodger rights.

The lodging facilities ceased to operate following the official decommissioning of RAF Kai Tak on 30 June 1978, at which point all RAF units and responsibilities were transferred to RAF Sek Kong.^[2]