XN000022-1980-03-22 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1980

AUXILIARY FLYERS HAVE BUSY YEAR

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THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE WENT THROUGH A HECTIC PERIOD LAST YEAR, CONTRIBUTING TO A RECORD

TOTAL OF 2 890 HOURS OF ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, EMERGENCY AND RESCUE OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE TASKS.

THE CALL-OUTS REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF 11.6 PER CENT, COMPARED WITH A TOTAL OF 2 590 FLYING HOURS IN 1978.

DURING THE YEAR, THE FORCE CARRIED OUT MORE THAN 571 FLYING HOURS IN ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND VIETNAMESE REFUGEES OPERATIONS OVER THE BORDER AREA AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, SAID STAFF OFFICER OF THE RHKAAF, SON. LEADER JOHN SHAWCROSS TODAY (SATURDAY).

THESE OPERATIONS, CONDUCTED JOINTLY WITH THE POLICE, WERE TIME-CONSUMING AND DEMANDING.

DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES INFLUX, NON-STOP LONG-RANGE FLIGHTS WERE CARRIED OUT DAILY OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA TO SPOT SUSPECTED HUMAN-CARGO VESSELS APPROACHING HONG KONG.

THE MISSIONS WOULD USUALLY TAKE A WHOLE DAY, COVERING AN AREA AS FAR AS 480 KM FROM HONG KONG. HOWEVER, THEY WERE THE MOST POSITIVE AND MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF SURVEILLANCE,

AS FOR ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS, MR SHAWCROSS SAID DAILY DAWN SEARCHES ALONG HONG KONG'S COASTLINE FOR THE LAST 15 MONTHS HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE ROUNDING UP OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.

WHILE THESE LARGE-SCALE OPERATIONS WERE GOING ON, THE FORCE CONTINUED TO MAN ROUND-THE-CLOCK EMERGENCY FLIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

A TOTAL OF 140 PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM VARIOUS MEDICAL EMERGENCIES REQUIRING IMMEDIATE HOSPITAL ATTENTION WERE EVACUATED BY RHKAAF FLIGHTS FROM INACCESSIBLE AND OUTLYING

ISLANDS.

IN ADDITION, 10 SEARCH AND RESCUE FLIGHTS FOR LOST OR INJURED HIKERS AND PICNICKERS WERE CARRIED OUT. THREE MAJOR OFFSHORE SEARCH AND RESCUE FLIGHTS WERE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE NEW TITAN FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT.

ON ONE OCCASION DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, THE RHKAAF RESPONDED TO FOUR CASUALTY EVACUATION CALLS WITHIN A SINGLE DAY.

THE FORCE ALSO HELPED FIRE SERVICES AND AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES PERSONNEL IN COMBATTING FORESTRY FIRES BY DROPPING +WATER BOMBS+ ON THE BLAZES.

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