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doubled by the despatch of H.M.S. "Eagle" to replace H.M.S.
"Hermes", but the Council believe that the contemplated activities
of the Far East Aviation Company are likely to be such as to
make it desirable in their own interests that they should not be
subject to interruption or to the restrictions which it iscessary
to impose at stations where Service training is carried out.
In this country and in other overseas commands, flying
training schools are without exception excluded from ordinary
Service aerodromes and conducted at special aerodromes set apart
for the purpose.
?
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Although the dimensions of the landing ground at Kai Tak
are not markedly inferior to the normal landing areas at Croydon
and Hend on, the total area available at these two aerodromes is
much greater, that at Croyd on being approximately double the area
of Kai Tak; they are moreover not subject to the limitation of a
range of hills in the direction of the prevailing wind.
In these circumstances the Council feel most reluctant to
withdraw their opposition to the proposed establishment of a flying
training school at Kai Tak, but as they are anxious to assist the
Far East Aviation Company in their enterprise they desire to suggest
for the consideration of the Hong Kong Government a proposal which
has been put to them by Air Marshal Sir John Higgins, Chairman of Sir
W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd., and A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd.,
who is interested in fostering the British aircraft trade in China.
This proposal is that the Far East Aviation Co. should be
allowed to house their training aircraft at Kai Tak but not
undertake training on the aerodrome, the machines being flown by
British instructors from Kai Tak to the racecourse where all
training would take place.
If it is possible to arrange for one or other of the
two racecourses at Hong Kong to be made available for the
purpose, the Air Council have no doubt that suitable arrangements