XN000022-1983-03-31 — Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1983

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NEW APPOINTMENTS AT AUXILIARY AIR FORCE

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THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE COMMANDING 10ER OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, WING COMMANDER 3$ PENLINGTON, HAS BEEN APPOINTED HONORARY AIR COMMODORE OF KAAF FROM TOMORROW (APRIL 1).

HE WILL BE SUCCEEDED AS COMMANDING OFFICER BY SQUADRON LEADER ALISTAIR ASPREY, WHO WILL BE PROMOTED TO WING COMMANDER WITH EFFECT FROM THE SAME DATE.

WING COMMANDER PENLINGTON JOINED THE RHKAAF IN 1965 AS A PILOT AND WAS APPOINTED COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE FORCE IN JUNE 1975.

DURING HIS TERM OF OFFICE, A NEW RHKAAF HEADQUARTERS WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT, AND WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR IN MARCH 1979.

MORE AIRCRAFT WERE ADDED TO THE FLEET, INCLUDING TWO BRITISH-MADE BULLDOG TRAINING AIRCRAFT IN 1977, A TWIN-ENGINED FIXED-WING CESSNA 404 TITAN AIRCRAFT IN 1979 AND THREE TWIN-ENGINED DAUPHIN HELICOPTERS IN 1980.

THE RHKAAF PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN STEMMING THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN 1979-80 BY SUPPORTING ANTI-II OPERATIONS AND PROVIDING REGULAR LONG-RANGE FLIGHTS OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA FOR CRAFT SUSPECTED TO BE CARRYING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES,

WING COMMANDER PENLINGTON WAS AWARDED THE AIR EFFICIENCY AWARD IN 1971, THE FIRST CLASP IN 1978, THE QUEEN'S SILVER JUBILEE PEDAL IN 1977 AND OBE IN 1980.

APART FRON HIS APPOINTMENT AS HONORARY AIR COMMODORE OF THE RHKAAF, WING COMMANDER PENLINGTON WILL CONTINUE HIS PUBLIC SERVICE AS A HIGH COURT JUDGE AND AS CHAIRMAN OF THE AIR TRANSPORT LICENSING AUTHORITY.

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THE NEW COMMANDING OFFICER, SQUADRON LEADER ASPREY, WAS ENROLLED IN 1967, AWARDED THE AIR EFFICIENCY AWARD IN 1974 AND THE FIRST CLASP IN 1981.

SQUADRON LEADER ASPREY, WHO IS A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, IS CONFIDENT THAT THE UNIT WILL CONTINUE TO ADAPT TO HONG FONG'S CHANGING AND EXPANDING NEEDS FOR FLYING SERVICES WITH CETERMINATION AND PROFESSIONALISM.

MEANWHILE, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT DICKY YIP, WHO IS ALSO A HOLDER OF THE AIR EFFICIENCY AWARD, HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO SQUADRON LEADER. HE WILL BE THE NEW OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE FLYING SQUADRON WHICH COMPRISES HELICOPTERS AND FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT.

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT YIP, WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION, HAS CHALKED UP MORE THAN 2 000 HOURS OF FLYING IN HIS 16 YEARS OF VOLUNTARY SERVICE IN THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE.

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