XN000022-1975-06-30 — Page 6

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MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1975

RHKAAF COMMEMORATIVE COVERS *****

SPECIAL POSTAL COVERS COMMEMORATING THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE'S SILVER JUBILEE HAVE BEEN RETURNED BY THE R.A.F. MUSEUM IN HENDON FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THOSE WHO HAVE PLACED ORDERS.

THE COVERS WERE FLOWN ON FEBRUARY 1 THIS YEAR BY TWO OF THE SQUADRON'S AIRCRAFT - AN ALOUETTE MARK INB HELICOPTER AND A BRITTEN NORMAN ISLANDER. THE FORMER WAS DOING A FLYING DOCTOR RUN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MAKING STOPS AT NIM WAN, WU KAU TANG AND SAM A TSUEN WHILE THE LATTER WAS CARRYING OUT A TRAINING FLIGHT TO CLARK AIR BASE IN THE PHILIPPINES,

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DETAILS OF THE TWO FLIGHTS WERE OVERPRINTED ON THE COVERS AND SENT TO THE RAF MUSEUM FOR AN INSERT GIVING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RHKAAF. THEY HAVE NOW BEEN RETURNED FOR DISTRIBUTION.

ALL THE 1,298 SPECIAL COVERS FLOWN IN THE ISLANDER HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY AIR VICE MARSHAL CAIRNS, WHO WAS ADJUTANT OF THE RHKAAF IN 1955, AND THE CREW OF THAT FLIGHT. A TOTAL OF 3,140 COVERS OF THE 13,803 CARRIED BY THE ALOUETTE HELICOPTER WERE ALSO SIGNED BY THE CREW.

OF THE TOTAL NUMBER, 340 ORDINARY COVERS AND 383 COVERS SIGNED BY THE HELICOPTER CREW WERE ORDERED BY MEMBERS OF THE RHKAAF AND THE PUBLIC. OF THE SPECIAL COVERS FLOWN BY THE ISLANDER, 128 WERE ORDERED BY THE UNIT AND SOME 100 BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN HONG KONG.

ALL THE COVERS HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT AND NO MORE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED.

THE COVERS, DEPICTING A SPITFIRE MARK 24B AIRCRAFT AND AN ALOUETTE IIIB HELICOPTER, WERE ISSUED BY THE RHKAAF IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE RAF MUSEUM IN HENDON. SALE PROCEEDS WILL BE HANDED TO THE MUSEUM FOR GENERAL PURCHASES AND FOR BUYING AND MAINTAINING OLD AIRCRAFT.

NOTE TO EDITORS: COPIES OF A PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING A SPECIAL

COMMEMORATIVE COVER ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.

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