Hong Kong aviation museum could be built at West Kowloon arts hub
His contention that such “a museum would be very popular”, echoes the suggestion put forward by the Hong Kong Historical Aircraft Association more than 20 years ago.
In fact, there was a 11/2-hectare site for an aviation museum shown on the first planning layout for the Kai Tak redevelopment. Over the years, this proposal was quietly removedfrom all planning layouts for Kai Tak, and the cruise terminal is now located on the site of the planned museum.
Queries to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department as to the fate of the museum have gone unanswered.
We agree with Mr Chow that the museum “could house planes that were an integral part of our aviation history”. This was one of the objectives of the group of volunteers who collected donations to build the replica of the first plane to fly in Asia, the Farman biplane. That project was a success, and it took to the air at Hong Kong International Airport before it opened, in November 1997.
The airport has shown its dedication to Hong Kong aviation by putting the replica on permanent display in terminal one. If there was an aviation museum, the Farman could be displayed with other treasures, such as the original Cathay Pacific C-47 “Betsy”,the Auxiliary Air Force’s Mk 24Spitfire (on loan to the Duxford Museum in the UK), and replicas of many other commercial aircraft.
I don’t know if the museum would be big enough to house a Boeing 747, butnothing is impossible in Hong Kong.
Let’s hope that our “collective memory” will carry these ideas forward, and, who knows, Hong Kong could finally get its aviation museum.
I have three suggested locations. It could be constructed inside the passenger terminal following the construction of the third runway. This is what has been done at San Francisco International Airport and, from the pictures I have seen online, it looks great.
A second option would be to find space at SkyCity, again located at the airport.
If these airport-related venues were ruled out, then what about West Kowloon Cultural District?
Duncan Pescod, CEO of the cultural district authority, has plenty of arts projects planned for West Kowloon, but how about a Hong Kong aviation museum, bringing joy to kids of all ages?
Gordon Andreassend, Hong Kong Historical Aircraft Association
