XN000022-1977-11-26 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1977

TAO 'BULL DOGS' JO IN AUXILIARY AIR FORCE FLEET

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THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE HAS ADDED TWO NEW PLANES LAST WEEK TO ITS FLEET OF AIRCRAFT.

THE TWO SINGLE-ENGINED, THREE SEATER TRAINING AIRCRAFT - THE +BULL DOG+ - ARE BEING ASSEMBLED IN THE HANGAR AT RAF, KAI TAK AND ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME FULLY OPERATIONAL IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS TIME.

APART FROM BEING USED TO TRAIN VOLUNTEER PILOTS FOR THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, THE +FULL DOGS+ILL ALSO HELP IN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS.

THE NEW AIRCRAFT, EACH COSTING ABOUT 435,000 INCLUDING SPARE PARTS, HAS A RANGE OF 500 MILES AND A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 123 MILES PER HOUR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE SAID THAT THIS MODEL WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT COULD CARRY CUT THE KIND OF TRAINING ..HICH BEST SUITED HONG KONC'S REQUIREMENTS AND WAS CHEAPER THAN OTHER AIRCRAFT OF ITS TYPE.

THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, FORMED IN 1949, AT PRESENT OPERATES A FLEET OF FIVE AIRCRAFT- THREE ALOUETTE MARK 111 HELICOPTERS, A TWIN-ENGINED ISLANDER AND A MUSKETEER LIGHT AIRCRAFT.

IT HAS ABOUT 150 CHINESE AND EUROPEAN MEMBERS, OF WHOM 100 ARE VOLUNTEERS.

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