Sam Chui

Join me on the last flight of Air Hong Kong A300-600F and experience life as a cargo pilot.

Air Hong Kong is an all-cargo airline based in Hong Kong. The airline operates for DHL to 13 destinations in nine countries with a fleet of 13 A330F. The airline is retiring its last A300-600F in June 2025. I was able to fly on the mighty A300F from Hong Kong to Osaka Kansai and back, not only to experience the flight but also to experience life as a cargo pilot by following the crew on the entire duty trip.

I met up with Captain Scott and First Officer Frankie, who operate the flight at 2am in Hong Kong Airport. Welcome to the secret world of air cargo. A lot of busy happenings in the middle of the night before our takeoff. Captain Scott gave a quick orientation of the A300F and discussed tonight’s flight plan to Osaka Kansai.

After a delay in the air, we encountered some thunderstorm activity near Taiwan and then saw a beautiful sunrise as we headed East. Both pilots discussed the A300's handling characteristics and their experiences as cargo pilots.

After landing in Kansai, we’re off to the hotel for 14 14-hour layover. We met again in the evening and were ready to head back to Hong Kong. The cargo pilot's life story continues…

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I’ve flown over 3000 commercial flights, but these 10 flights will leave you absolutely speechless! They’re the most scenic, exciting, and spectacular flight you can fly out there as a passenger today. If you love aviation, you gotta watch them! Buckle up and prepare for take-off!

10. Flight to Antarctica
 
You can fly on an Airbus A340 to the seventh continent, Antarctica. Flying all the way from 33 degrees South to 71 degrees South in latitude and landing on an ice runway!
 
9. Flight to Bora Bora, French Polynesia
 
Tahiti is made up of 118 islands and atolls. One of the most famous flights is from Papeete to Bora Bora. Look at the turquoise-blue ocean and crystal-clear lagoon. The scenery was just out of this world, making it one of the most beautiful flights.
 
8. Flight to Queenstown, New Zealand
 
Queenstown is one of the best scenic and most tricky airports in New Zealand. There are multiple challenge factors due to the terrain, wind, low clouds, and short runway. Enjoy the scenic ride!
 
7. Flight to Funchal, Portugal
 
Funchal is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with an airport that is built out to the sea. The variable wind on the final approach and the draft from the mountain have created tough conditions for planes to land. The passenger clap their hands after a successful landing!
 
6. Flight to Saba and Saint Barth
 
Join me on a flight to 2 of the most dangerous airports in the Caribbean; Here, you are not afraid to fly, but afraid to land! It was such a thrill that I had to stop filming to watch out for the landing.
 
5. Flight to Skardu, Pakistan
 
I flew to Skardu in the Northern area of Pakistan. This is definitely the most exciting flight in the country. You can see K-2 (the second-highest peak in the world) and Nanga Parbat on the flight.
 
4 Flight to Jomsom, Nepal
 
Flying in Nepal is not for the faint-hearted due to the many high mountains around. I flew on a Let410 from Pokhara to Jomsom. The route has seen many fatal accidents, nearly all due to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during bad weather. The flight flies through a narrow valley passage around two 8,000m mountains!
 
3  Flight to Paro, Bhutan
 
Paro Airport in Bhutan has long been one of the most dangerous and challenging airports because of the many terrain features during the jet approach. Only a handful of the pilots are able to land there. The pilot even prayed to god before the landing!
 
2. Flight to Mount Everest and Lukla, Nepal
 
You can now fly a helicopter to see Mt Everest without climbing it. The whole trip took about 5 hours. The cost of doing it is about $1200 per person. The helicopter made a stop in Lukla, which is also one of the most dangerous airfields, before proceeding up to 20,000 ft on Mt Everest. 

1. Zero Gravity Flight
 
Experience Zero Gravity onboard the Zero-G Boeing 727. There’s nothing quite like this! We flew a total of 12 parabolas on our flight before we returned to land. This is the flight that makes you feel like an astronaut in training!