Up, up and away: Hong Kong’s first homebuilt aircraft has successful debut flight
Hong Kong sees its first locally constructed aircraft circling the skies in a team effort between St. Paul’s Convent School and Cathay Pacific
The two-seater propeller aircraft soared 900 metres into the cloudy skies at around 7:30 am, making two rounds in the air before descending 15 minutes later.
The HK$1.5 million plane, named B-KOO “Inspiration”, is the first aircraft constructed, registered and certified in Hong Kong.
“The ‘Inspiration’ project has been a labour of love for a big group of people over the past seven years and I would like to thank everyone who helped to make my childhood dream become a reality,” said Cathay Pacific captain Hank Cheng Chor-hang who piloted its maiden flight.
Cheng bought the kit from Van’s Aircraft Inc, an American aircraft manufacturer, and built it from scratch along with 10 other team members and hundreds of secondary school students from St. Paul’s Convent School over the years.