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emergencies as that which occurred last year, be confined to
the use of the landing ground by units of the Fleet Air Arm
accompanying the Fleet and the provision of buildings of
purely temporary construction.
The Council are not aware of the views of the Hong
Kong Government regarding the immediate development of any civil
air communications with Hong Kong and as they have not been:
approached on this subject by any parties likely to be interested
in this country they had assumed that the development of the
site as
a civil air port would be a matter for future
consideration.
They attach great importance to any proposed layout
of the station for civil air communications being such that
it would meet Royal Air Force requirements if at a later date
it were decided to station units permanently at Hong Kong, and
are equally anxious that any developments contemplated by the
Government of Hong Kong should not impair the value of the site
for the purposes for which it is at present being used by the
Fleet Air Arm or for which it may be required in the event of
Royal Air Force units being sent to Hong Kong to meet a
temporary emergency.
If this is a correct analysis of the position the
Council assume that the advice required by the Hong Kong
Government in the immediate future would relate to the prepara-
tion of the aerodrome surface, covering in nullahs, etc. having
regard to the probable layout of buildings to be erected in
future and to the probable weight of aircraft, together with
questions regarding the proposed camber for flying boats,
having regard to their weight, dimensions and draught.
Advice in regard to such questions could, the Council
think, best be given by a Civil Engineer versed in aeronautical
requirements. They regret that it will be impossible to spare
for this purpose the services of their Works Officer at
Singapore - Mr. C.E.O. Woods
though if he should elect to