TNAG-1909-FCO40-2713-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-voluntary-and-mandatory-repat-1989 — Page 6

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Cathay. A RAF Tristar 500 crew would have to spend between one and two weeks on a ground school conversion course and simulator flying with Cathay, followed by a 1 hour conversion flight on a Cathay aircraft. Even then, the insurance costs to Cathay of flying a RAF crew on this type of operation would be very high in fact HMG (ie FCO) would probably have to accept full liability both for loss of the aircraft and injury to any third party. Finally, after the operation was completed the Civil Aviation Authority could well ask for the Cathay aircraft to be fully overhauled, as military flights can operate outside the normal civilian aircraft use regulations.

5. The MOD'S charges to the FCO for providing a Tristar crew for this single operation would be based on the extra cost (travel, subsistence and accommodation - we would charge full costs if the HKG were paying), but Cathay would wish to charge for the crew conversion course (including the additional 11⁄2 hour Tristar flight) and for any additional insurance indemnities or servicing which might arise out of the use of military aircrew.

6. In sum, the RAF air crew could only be used on Cathay Tristars with the airline's full support, and at considerable extra cost. I very much doubt that Cathay would wish one of their aircraft to be flown by a RAF crew if their own pilots felt the operation was too dangerous. Moreover, the RAF crew would have to be trained alongside and by Cathay pilots, who I am sure would take a pretty dim view of the whole business, and we could not possibly keep the training secret prior to the operation itself taking place. I should also point out that the RAF would face severe operational penalties if asked to provide crews (or aircraft) on a regular basis, and our charges would have to be set on a full cost basis.

7. Overall, I am sure you will agree that there would be enormous practical and presentational problems involved in substituting RAF air crew for Cathay pilots, and there would seem to be no arguments in favour of such an idea (certainly none have been presented to the MOD). We would certainly have to seek Ministerial agreement if we were asked to carry out this task and I suspect that we would wish to go back to OD(K) also.

ete

Yours

Gamis

G G BARLOW

Secretariat (Overseas) (Commitments)

CONFIDENTIAL