TNAG-0061-FCO40-97-Strength-of-Hong-Kong-garrison-1968 — Page 12

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The Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company

ANNEX A TO

CINCFE 3031/6130/12 Dated 24th September 1968

18. The Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAEC) is accommodated on the aerodrome at Kai Tak and is oquipped with extensive facilities, including hangars, workshops, GSE, test equipment, and the like: at present it employs nearly 2,000 men. For many years this British Company has effectively demonstrated its proficiency in aircraft maintenance and turnaround: its work standards are extremely good, its reputation is very high, and its prices are recognised as most competitive. A high proportion of the senior level staff are ex-RAF officers and in fact, a recently retired wing commander aeronautical engineer joined the staff this month as Assistant General Manager (Technical). The middle lovel management are, in the main, long service locally recruited technicians who have been thoroughly trained to Western standards on modern aircraft. The Company has always been regarded as strongly oriented to the Air Force.

19. HAEC already has FEAF contracts for aircraft servicing including the major servicing of Mk 9 Hunters. It has contracts with most civil airlines for all aspects of aircraft turn-round, rectification, and servicing. As an example, the Company does all of this type of work for BOAC at Kai Tak, and BOAC has come so to rely on HAEC that they do not now maintain their own representatives in Hong Kong. HAEC also has the contract for the staging turn-round of existing RAF aircraft, such as Shackletons, Canberras, and Hercules of FEAF, as well as VC10, Britannias and Comets of Air Support Command.

SCHEME A

The Concept

20. Servicing. There is no reason to suppose that any Chinese technicians recruited for the permanent staff of the HKAAF for Hunter servicing would be of a different calibre or ability to those currently working on Austers and Alouettes. As the latter are at present unsuitable for second-line servicing of these aircraft, it follows that they would be unsuitable for second-line servicing of the more complex Hunter without some years of specialist training. Schene A therefore envisages thoir ouployment on first-line servicing only. Additionally, as the technicians currently employed are not up to standard as supervisors, they could not man the supervisory posts associated with Hunter first-line servicing; these supervisory posts must be filled by qualified RAF tradesmen for some considerable time. Second-line servicing would thus fall on HAEC, who are quite capable of meeting all requirements.

21. Working Routine. Examination has failed to show a single field where the employment at Kai Tak of even one true auxiliary (i.c. a weekend member) would be in any way useful or advantageous. On the contrary, the use of weekend auxiliaries simply adds to the administrative and overhead costs without offering any kind of offset. It is particularly relevant that the present establishment of RAF Kai Tak is based on a normal five day week; were the Hunter unit to work at the weekends, establishment increases would be necessary in some sections of the Station. Additionally, there would be wookend complications in using the weapon range, the provision of GCI facilities, the re-supply of ammunition, and photographic processing. Accordingly, it is considered that, normally, the working routine of the unit should be from Monday to Friday, and that if members of the HKAAF are employed they should be permanent staff employed as pensionable Government servants.

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