11th Kowloon Scout Group (Kowloon Wah Yan College) is a "closed school Scout Group' with Scout membership open only to students of this college in the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong.
As a result the number of Air Scouts were limited and there was only one Air Scout Unit in the territory from 1967 to 1972 without any expansion of the Air Scout numbers (as limited by the student size of the this college).
In 1972 the Group added an Venture Air Scout unit when the original 1967 Air Scouts reached the age of Venture Scouts at 16.
In 1971 another aviation youth group enthusiasts went another direction and formed as the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC).
The students of Hong Kong Wah Yan College on the Hong Kong Island (the counterpart of the Kowloon Wah Yan College on the Kowloon Peninsular) were able to participate in air activities by joining as Flight 101 of the HKACC.
In order to promote and spread the Air Scout Movement and open up the Air Scout membership and activities to all the youth of Hong Kong, in 1972, the Chief Scout of Hong Kong appointed Mr.Francis Yiu Cheong Chin as the first Air Scout Leader of Hong Kong at the Commissioner level to develop and expand Air Scouting.
Mr. Chin is a Queen's Scout, the first one in Hong kong entitled to wear the Scout Pilot's Wing, and a Leader Trainer in the Scout Leader Training Team, Headquarters, Kowloon Region of the Sout Association.
Mr. Francis Chin is also a member of the well-known outstanding Hong Kong Chin Brothers aviators with the long distance flying record of successfully completed “The First 100-HP Single Engine England to Hong Kong Long Distance Cross-Country Flight in History”.
In the 1970s Air Scout Commissioner Francis Chin opened Air Scouting to all adult and teenage Scout members and built up a solid foundation for the promotion and expansion of the Air Scout Movement.
Apart from launching progressive training course series in Air Scouting at all levels, great emphasis was placed in the training of Air Scout Leaders and Air Scout Instructors so that they can start Air Scouting on their own.
Air Activity Board were set up at Headquarters and Regional levels to coordinate all Air Scout Activities and the distribution of aviation resources and flying opportunities in the territory.
After training, instructors and adult leaders were able to conduct Air Scout activities and establish new Air Scout Groups. For example, the present Headquarters Air Activity Commissioner was a teenager attending Air Scout Instructor courses ran by Francis Chin in the 1970s.
As a result Air Scouting spread and flourished after 1972 as new Air Scout units were established in Hong Kong.
Nowadays, most of the original Air Scout training courses set up by Francis Chin are still running annually. Notable courses are the Airman Instructor, Senior Airman Instructor and Master Airman Instructor Training Courses.
Air Scouting in Hong Kong is well organised under the Programme Branch of The Scout Association of Hong Kong with 18 Air Scout Units in 5 Regions of Scout Groups in Hong Kong.
All the Air Scout Units are coordinated by a Headquarters Air Activity Board attended by Air Scout Commissioners of the Scout Regions.
The Headquarters Air Activity Board reports to the policy-making Headquarters Air Activity Committee of aviation professionals.
In 2007 Air Scouting in Hong Kong made another milestone when the Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC) commissioned Mr. Francis Yiu Cheong CHIN, Q.S., J.P.(Aus), upon his return from overseas after retirement, to start an Air Scout Group under the sponsorship of HKAC.
The new Air Scout Group officially registered with the Scout Association of Hong Kong as the 1661 Kowloon Group of Air Scouts, with Francis Chin as the Group Scout Leader.
The 1661 Kowloon Group of Air Scouts is the first Air Scout Group in the Air Scouting History of Hong Kong and Greater China with its own Qualified Flying Instructor and direct access to aircraft and flying facilities as well as opening its Air Scout membership to all the residents of Hong Kong from age 7.
On 20 July 2007 the Chief Commissioner of Hong Kong, after hearing Mr. Francis Chin's return to Hong Kong, again appointed him to be the Chairman of the Air Activity Committee at Headquarters level to lead the operation and future development of the Air Scout Movement in Hong Kong.
Under Francis Chin's chairmanship, recent development and progress included the resumption of experience flying for all Scouts and Leaders through the Scout Flyer Programme ( asssisted by the Government Flying Service and the HK Aviation Club) and the Young Eagle Programme (conducted by the Hong Kong Aviation Club),
the provision of Ground School Scholarship to leaders and air scouts, the establishment of the Flight Simulator Instructor Training Programme,
the introduction of aircraft modelling and competitions, the proposed extension of air activities to all sections of Scouting from Grasshoppers (
the accredition of air scout training by university courses, as well as the Fly Scout Fly Project aiming to providing venue and facilities for leaders and age appropriate Scout members to expand their wings.
As a qualified flying Instructor, Mr. Francis Chin has also offered to teach leaders and commissioners flying so as to help them to get the Scout Pilot's Wing.
It is envisaged that the Air Scouting Movement in Hong Kong will open a new chapter in the 21st Century when the Scouts in Hong Kong finding that the sky is no longer their limit.
