XN000022-1976-08-29 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 1976

U.K. MAN LEAVES AFTER 12 YEARS' ATTACHMENT TO C.A.D.

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A MAN WHO HAS HAD THE AIRWORTHINESS OF LOCAL AIRCRAFT AT HEART FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS IS LEAVING HONG KONG NEXT MONTH ON RETIREMENT.

HE IS CYRIL WRAY, A PRINCIPAL SURVEYOR OF THE UNITED KINGDOM CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SINCE MAY 11, 1964 AND IS THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE TWO-MAN C.A.A. OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

AMONGST VARIOUS OTHER DUTIES, THE OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE 20 HONG KONG REGISTERED AIRCRAFT AND ALSO ACTS AS AN ADVISOR TO THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE CONCERNING THE AIRWORTHINESS OF ITS THREE HELICOPTERS AND TWO FIXED WING AIRCRAFT.

MR. WRAY, WHO IS WELL KNOWN IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY, DESCRIBES HIS JOB AS MOST INTERESTING AND REWARDING IN VIEW OF THE MANY FACETS INVOLVED AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE HE MEETS,'

HIS JOB INVOLVED CONSIDERABLE TRAVELLING WHICH HAS TAKEN HIM MANY TIMES TO THE U.S.A, AND AS FAR AFIELD AS VENEZUELA BESIDES TRIPS TO LAOS, CAMBODIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA.

ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING ASPECTS OF MR. WRAY'S DUTIES HAS BEEN THE TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS INVOLVING LARGE AND SMALL AIRCRAFT, HELICOPTERS AND A GYROCOPTER.

HE WAS PART OF THE TEAM INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS ACCIDENT OVER VIETNAM IN WHICH A BOMB EXPLODED IN THE AIRCRAFT KILLING 81 PEOPLE. HE WAS A PRINCIPAL WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION IN THE SUBSEQUENT TRIAL IN BANGKOK.

MR. WRAY HAS SPENT MORE THAN 43 YEARS IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY AND HAD WORKED FOR A NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BEFORE JOINING THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY IN 1949.

HE HAD SERVED IN SEVERAL AREAS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND IN CALCUTTA, PAKISTAN, THE WEST INDIES, SOUTH AMERICA AND BURMA BEFORE COMING TO HONG KONG.

HE WILL BE REPLACED BY MR. ROY ROWDEN WHO HAS WORKED IN THE AIRWORTHINESS DIVISION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. MR. PETER CRONK WILL BE ARRIVING FROM LONDON SHORTLY TO TAKE OVER MR. ROWDEN'S PLACE.

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