XN000022-1972-08-03 — Page 1

P.R.H. 7 (AEVIBED)

4000021

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

DAILY

INFORMATION SERVICES

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Thursday, August 3, 1972

GOVERNMENT USING OWN AIRCRAFT FOR RELIEF MISSION TO PHILIPPINES

The Government has donated a quantity of anti-cholera vaccine and

anti-biotic drugs for the relief of flood victims in the Philippines.

The medical relief will be flown early tomorrow (Friday) morning to

Manila by the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. It is the first time that

the Government has sent its own aircraft abroad for a mission.

Carrying out the mission will be the twin-engined Britten-Norman "Islander"

aircraft recently acquired by the RHKAAF primarily for aerial survey, search-

and-rescue duties and advanced pilot-training.

The aircraft will take off at 6.30 a.m. tomorrow and will arrive in

Manila five hours later. The trip to and from the Philippines capital will

cover a total of 1,260 miles.

The $1.2 million aircraft will be piloted by Flt. Lt. Bob Lee. With

him will be Flt. Lt. John Shawcross, the co-pilot, and Flying Officer I.R.S.

Robertson, the Navigator.

The medical relief consists of 20,000 doses of anti-cholera vaccine and

The drugs were put on board

80,000 tablets of Eryphromycin, an anti-biotic.

the "Islander" aircraft this afternoon ready for the mission.

/Commenting