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PUBLIC ORDER
A new training camp is being developed at Tai Tan, Sai Kung, to provide accommoda- tion and classrooms for persons wishing to take part in all forms of water-borne activities. It will be ready by mid-1988.
In addition to the 3 697 adult volunteer officers and members, the Cadet Corps, comprising 3 030 youths in 28 units, expanded its activities. From mid-1987, girl cadets were being enrolled into the Corp Cadets entering at the age of 12 to 14 go through a series of useful and beneficial studies. They leave the corps on reaching the age of 18. Tuition includes training in basic mechanical and electrical engineering, carpentry and fibre- glassing, printing and book binding as well as useful training in photography and interior decorating. The cadets are trained in countryside preservation, fire fighting, first-aid, crowd control psychology, road safety, rock climbing, orienteering, expeditions and trekking. They are encouraged to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and in 1987, six cadets qualified for Gold Awards, 14 for Silver Awards and 95 for Bronze Awards.
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, based at Hong Kong International Airport, provides a variety of flying services for the government. It operates a fleet of seven aircraft: a Beech B200C Super King Air Twin Turbo-prop (which replaced a Cessna Titan in November 1987), a Britten-Norman Islander, two Scottish Aviation Bulldog trainers and three Aerospatiale Dauphin twin-engined helicopters. With a self-sufficient engineering squadron and an establishment of 85 permanent staff and 133 volunteers, the RHKAAF can operate round-the-clock for seven days a week during an emergency. About 3 000 hours were flown during the year.
The RHKAAF responded to 200 requests for emergency medical evacuation and rescues during the year. Some of these requests came from the local fleet of about 5 000 fishing boats, many of which now have high-frequency radios enabling them to call for assistance when necessary. Sixty search and rescue operations were carried out, involving both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. During the dry season, the Dauphins assisted in over 60 fire-fighting operations and dropped over 1 000 tonnes of water on bush and forest fires in areas inaccessible to conventional fire-fighting appliances.
The Police Force and the Correctional Services Department made frequent use of helicopters for training and operational purposes. Helicopter flights were routinely pro- vided to transport engineering staff to hilltops to carry out maintenance and repair work at communications repeater stations. During the year, about 5 700 government officers were flown to various areas in the course of their duties. Flying services were also provided to give official visitors from overseas an overview of the territory.
The Islander, Titan and subsequently the Super King Air maintained regular offshore patrols in connection with anti-illegal immigration operations and were also heavily employed in support of the Buildings and Lands Department's continuing need for aerial survey, photography and map-making. The Bulldogs are used for pilot training for the squadron's own volunteers and student air traffic controllers.