XN000022-1990-08-09 — Page 4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1990

3

211 VBP RETURN VOLUNTARILY

A GROUP OF 211 VIETNAMESE RETURNED TO VIETNAM UNDER THE UNHCR'S PROGRAMME.

BOAT PEOPLE TODAY

(THURSDAY) VOLUNTARY REPATRIATJON

GIRLS, THEY WERE

HAVE RETURNED

COMPRISING 69 MEN, 53 WOMEN, 38 BOYS AND 51 THE 30TH BATCH TO GO BACK UNDER THE PROGRAMME.

SO FAR, A TOTAL OF 4,005 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE VOLUNTARILY.

ACTING GOVERNOR VISITS RHKAAF

* * * * *

THE

VISITED THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (THURSDAY) ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE (RHKAAF) TO SEE FOR HIMSELF THE WORK OF THE FORCE.

ARRIVING

AT THE RHKAAF HEADQUARTERS BY HELICOPTER, ONE OF THREE NEWLY COMMISSIONED SIKORSKY HELICOPTERS, SIR DAVID WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER, WING COMMANDER ROY BROOKS, AND OFFICER, SQUADRON LEADER JOHN SHAWCROSS.

THE

CHIEF

MET BY STAFF

SIR DAVID WAS BRIEFED ON THE RHKAAF'S PRESENT ROLE, FUTURE EXPANSION, CURRENT PROJECTS REQUIRING THE PROVISION SERVICE, AND THE IMPACT ON RHKAAF OF TAKING OVER THE ROLES FROM THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND ARMY.

OF AIR POLICE

SURVEY SUPPORT

HE RESPONSIBILITIES

SEARCH

AND

RESCUE

WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE КЕНКААР

WOULD BE INCREASED TO COVER NIGHT AND OFFSHORE OPERATIONS WITH THE AID OF INFRA-RED SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT.

ON THE ORGANISATION SIDE, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE RHKAAF BEING TRANSFORMED INTO A FULL-TIME CIVILIAN DISCIPLINED SERVICE AND PROGRAMME HAD ALSO BEEN SET TO LOCALISE THE FORCE'S PILOTS.

WAS

30 HE

TO WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERK PLANS TO TRAIN UP PILOTS TO OPERATIONAL STANDARD OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND THE BATCH OF EIGHT LOCALLY RECRUITED FULL TIME CADET PILOTS HAD TAKEN THEIR APPOINTMENTS EARLIER THIS MONTH.

CADET FIRST

UP

SIR

DAVID LATER TOURED THE VARIOUS FACILITIES RHKAAF STAFF. HE CONCLUDED HIS VISIT BY TAKING A FLIGHT IN A KING AIR,

HIMSELF WITH ONE OF THE FORCE'S FIXED WING AIRCRAFT, TO FAMILIARISE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION.

AND

MET

WITH

0

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