| Government Flying Service | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1993 |
| Preceding agency | Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) |
| Jurisdiction | Hong Kong |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong International Airport |
| Employees | 225 |
| Agency executive | MCP Chan, Controller |
| Website | |
| Government Flying Service official website | |
The Government Flying Service (GFS) is a disciplined unit of the Government of Hong Kong. It was established on 1 April 1993, when Hong Kong was under British rule. It then took over all the non-military operations of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF), which was an auxiliary unit of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force. After Hong Kong was handed over to the People's Republic of China in 1997, the GFS remains as a government unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and is responsible for search and rescue (SAR), air ambulance, firefighting and police operations.
The service operates from the southwestern end of Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. Before the opening of the Chek Lap Kok airport in 1998, it operated from the old Kai Tak Airport (i.e. the former Hong Kong International Airport). GFS patrols a 400-nautical-mile (740 km) radius of Hong Kong's Maritime Search and Rescue Region, as well as the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR), which covers most of the South China Sea basin.
In 2007, the former dispersal in the old Kai Tak Airport was re-opened as a sub-base, providing refueling and other supporting services for GFS's helicopters. The helipad is located near the foot of Cheung Ying Street.
| Government Flying Service (Hong Kong) | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 政府飛行服務隊 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 政府飞行服务队 | ||||||||||
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GFS is broken down to operational sections:
Helicopters can land on 5 highways in Hong Kong to attend to road related recovery operations. For long-range search and rescue operations, the GFS initially uses fixed wing aircraft which then guides helicopters to the location.[1]
The fleet currently comprises:
| Builder | Model | Type | Number | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Aerospace United Kingdom | Jetstream 41 | search and rescue/maritime surveillance aircraft (converted regional jet) | 2 (B-HRS and B-HRT) | 1999?- | Long range/offshore SAR missions, aerial survey and surveillance |
| Eurocopter Germany / France | AS 332L2 Super Puma | inshore/offshore search and rescue helicopter (medium lift utility helicopter); aerial fire fighting apparatus | 3 (B-HRL, B-HRM and B-HRN) | 2002- | replaced the Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk |
| Eurocopter Germany / France | EC 155 B1 | aeromedical services, inshore search and rescue, VIP and government personnel transfer (medium utility transport helicopter | 4 (B-HRU, B-HRV, B-HRW, B-HRY) | 2002- | A fifth one, B-HRX, crashed at Pak Kung Au during a mission in 2003. |
| Moravan Czech Republic | ZLIN Z242L | fixed wing trainer | 1 (B-HRA) | 2009 | succeeded the role of the Slingsby Aviation T-67M-200 Firefly |
Paint scheme for Jetstream and Super Puma is white and Safety orange, two tone grey for the EC 155 and some of the Super Puma to support police operations (tactical troops transport).
GFS ordered two Bombardier Challenger 605 in October 2011.[2]
The fleet has previously included:
| Builder | Model | Type | Number | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft United States | Super King Air | maritime surveillance aircraft; VIP aircraft (converted turboprop airliner) | 2 | 1993–1999 | from RHKAAF; replaced by BAe Jetstream 41 |
| Sikorsky Aircraft United States | S-70A Black Hawk | medium lift utility helicopters | 3 (B-HZJ, B-HZI, and B-HZK) | 1993–2002 | from RHKAAF; used for search and rescue and by the Hong Kong Police Force; replaced by Super Puma AS332 L2; S-70 sold back to the United States |
| Sikorsky Aircraft United States | S-76 Spirit | medium utility helicopter | 6 | 1993–2002 | from RHKAAF; used by the Government of Hong Kong and VIP service; replaced by EC 155 B1 |
| Slingsby Aviation United Kingdom | T-67M-200 Firefly | fixed wing trainer | 4 | 1993–1996 | from RHKAAF |
Prior to 2002, the fleet colours consisted of:
GFS pilots and crew are unarmed, as the services is a non-military agency. Standard equipment for GFS personnel is:
As the GFS is not a police or para-military unit, they are unarmed. Armed officers of the Hong Kong Police Force fly with the GFS on occasion.
GFS employs 238 personnel:
Most of the pilots in the GFS were localised prior to the handover in 1997, as former RAF and other British military personnel departed Hong Kong.
The GFS is led by a controller, who reports to the Secretary for Security. The current controller is Captain Michael CP Chan.
Other senior officers of the GFS are:
Prior to the creation of the GFS, the ranks within the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force were the same as the RAF. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the transition to local staff in the RHKAAF in preparation for the civil transfer to the GFS role. For details and insignia of the ranking, see http://www.gfs.gov.hk/eng/insignia.htm
Ranking of personnel of the GFS are civilian aviation roles and are as follows:
Pilot II and Cadet Pilot ranks were created in the 1990s for local pilots with less flying experience.
List of past controllers of the GFS:
The current crest of the force was adopted in 1997, prior to which the Hong Kong Coat of Arms was used on GFS aircraft:
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