Pilots would set their onboard navigation systems to fly the Instrument Guidance System (IGS) path straight towards a large red and white checkerboard on the side of the hill, then once the checkerboard pattern was sighted and identified, they would make a low-altitude right-hand turn to align visually with Runway 13.

Following the decommissioning of Kai Tak and the opening of Chek Lap Kok International Airport, the hill and the checkerboard became abandoned, wherein the latter became faded and overgrown with new trees.

The checkerboard was not restored probably because it may confuse pilots landing at Chek Lap Kok, since the Kai Tak Runway 13 approach also involved flying over Lantau Island.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020 to 2021, restoration work was carried out on both the west and south sides of Checkerboard Hill.

[2] The checkerboard pattern was repainted to its original colors and now acts as a monument to Kai Tak Airport.