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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1979
TITAN JOINS RHKAAF
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A TWIN-ENGINED AIRCRAFT TODAY (TUESDAY) JOINED THE FLEET OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE TO STRENGTHEN HONG KONG'S AERIAL SURVEILLANCE AS WELL AS SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS AT SEA.
THE 11-SEATER TITAN WAS DELIVERED TO THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE TODAY AND WILL BE PUT INTO OPERATION AFTER A SERIES OF TEST FLIGHTS.
BUILT IN U.S. AT A COST OF $3 MILLION, THE 12-METRE-LONG AIRCRAFT HAS A RANGE OF 3 400 KM AND A CRUISING SPEED OF 360 KM/H.
IT IS FITTED WITH MODERN COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND NAVIGATIONAL AIDS INCLUDING A SEARCH RADAR WHICH CAN COVER A RANGE OF 64 KM.
THE TITAN WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT WAS BEST SUITED TO HONG KONG'S REQUIREMENTS.
+WITH A COMPARATIVELY LONG FLYING RANGE, THE TITAN WILL PROVIDE THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE WITH GREATER ABILITY TO PERFORM SURVEILLANCE PATROL AND SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA,+ STAFF OFFICER OF THE RHKAAF, SQN. LDR. JOHN SHAWCROSS STATED.
+THE HIGH SPEED WILL ALSO ENABLE THE AIRCRAFT TO ARRIVE AT THE PLACE OF AN INCIDENT QUICKLY,+ HE ADDED.
SQN. LDR. SHAWCROSS POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE REFUGEE VESSEL +HUEY FONG+ WAS SPOTTED HEADING FOR HONG KONG IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ON DECEMBER 22 LAST YEAR, THERE HAD BEEN A REGULAR NEED FOR HONG KONG TO CARRY OUT FREQUENT AERIAL PATROL OVER THAT PART OF THE OCEAN.
THESE SURVEILLANCE FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN UP TILL NOW PERFORMED BY ANOTHER FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT OF THE RHKAAF, THE ISLANDER, WHICH HAS SERVED WITH THE FORCE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
FROM NOW ON, THE NEW AIRCRAFT WILL TAKE OVER THE SURVEILLANCE ROLE FROM THE ISLANDER AND RELEASE IT FOR OTHER FLYING DUTIES.
SQN. LDR. SHAWCROSS POINTED OUT THAT THE ACQUISITION OF THE LONG-RANGE AIRCRAFT WOULD ALSO MAKE HONG KONG INDEPENDENT IN SEARCH AND RESCUE COVERAGE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
PREVIOUSLY, HONG KONG HAD TO RELY ON AIRCRAFT FROM OTHER OVERSEAS BASES IF THE PLACE OF INCIDENT WAS TOO FAR AWAY FROM HONG KONG AND COULD NOT BE REACHED BY THE ISLANDER.
THE TITAN IS ALSO MODIFIED TO CARRY OUT AERIAL SURVEY FOR MAP MAKING PURPOSES WHEN THE ISLANDER IS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE.
+WITH THE ADDITION OF THE TITAN, AT LEAST ONE FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT IS AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES FOR PATROL, SEARCH AND RESCUE AS WELL AS AERIAL SURVEY DUTIES, SQN. LDR. SHAWCROSS SAID.
APART FROM THE TITAN AND THE ISLANDER, THE RHKAAF FLEET CONSIST OF TWO SCOTTISH AVIATION BULLDOG TRAINERS AND TWO ALOUETTE MARK 414 HELICOPTERS.
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