Outstanding performance:
Senior Radar Specialist Mechanic Yau Lai-kin has been praised for the excellent maintenance of the airport's meteorological instruments.
Self advancement:
Mr Yau says continuous learning is essential to keeping abreast of the ever-changing developments in science and technology.
Safe skies on the radar
February 06, 2011
Accurate weather information is essential to the safety and efficiency of flights in Hong Kong, one of the busiest aviation centres in the world.
Advanced meteorological equipment at Hong Kong International Airport collects important weather data and a team of experienced mechanics keep the sophisticated systems in top working order.
Senior Radar Specialist Mechanic Yau Lai-kin, who has been serving the Hong Kong Observatory as a mechanic for almost two decades, was recently awarded the Secretary for the Civil Service’s Commendation for his professionalism and dedication in maintaining weather equipment, particularly those at the airport.
Career turning point
Mr Yau recently told
news.gov.hk he initially joined the observatory as a scientific assistant, responsible for observing weather and plotting weather charts. He later applied for the post of mechanic because he had great interest in electronics.
“A radar specialist mechanic mainly works on development, installation and maintenance of electronic equipment including weather radars, computer-based equipment and telemetry systems.”
As Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world’s busiest, radar specialist mechanics there work under pressure, sometimes conducting emergency maintenance and repairs on the runway in adverse weather conditions.
Grace under pressure
Mr Yau was praised for making sound judgement in deciding actions to be taken for the timely maintenance of the meteorological instruments at the airport, even under very urgent situations.
During the approach of Typhoon Koppu in September 2009, lenses of the runway visual range, equipment for measuring runway visibility, were contaminated by rain and dust, affecting the accuracy of readings crucial for airport operations.
“Anticipating the No. 8 signal might be lowered in the morning and aircraft services would resume, we decided to carry out emergency maintenance work at midnight. It was an unforgettable experience braving the wind and rain, and we had to compete against time.”
Other duties
Apart from repairing equipment, radar specialist mechanics also need to work on equipment-design and development when commercial products cannot meet the observatory’s requirements.
“When our department decided to upgrade the anemometers near the runway, which are equipment used to measure the wind direction and speed, my colleagues and I were involved in the design of some of the electronic components.”
With the rapid advancement in modern technology, the radar mechanics’ work has shifted from mainly hardware to both hardware and software, Mr Yau said, adding continuous learning is essential to keeping abreast of science and technology.
He said he is happy to get the commendation, attributing the achievement to the concerted effort of his team of colleagues.
