A LIGHT plane from a top American atmospheric research group will arrive on Saturday to start testing turbulence around the Chek Lap Kok airport site.
The blue-and-white Kingair - the same model as used by the Government Flying Service (GFS) - will be in Hong Kong until at least November as part of the $118.7 million windshear warning project being conducted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
The project with the Royal Observatory will result in a state-of-the-art warning system for pilots landing and taking off at the new airport.
Legislators have expressed concern about the safety of the site, which the Royal Observatory admits suffers 30 per cent more thunderstorms that could lead to windshear than Kai Tak.
Windshear - a severe change of wind speed near the ground - was blamed for the fatal crash of a CAAC Trident at Kai Tak in 1988.
The plane would spend most of its time doing simulated take-offs and landings at Chek Lap Kok, said Dr Brant Foote of the US project partner, the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.