The Home Affairs Department, Marine Department, Civil Aviation Department (CAD), Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and Information Services Department make frequent use of helicopters to carry out their work. The Chief Executive also makes use of helicopters for official visits to outlying parts of Hong Kong.
Tasks performed for the CAD include the testing of existing runway visual aids. These flights involve night photography of the lighting on the approaches to check their serviceability. In addition, the GFS provides invaluable flying training for CAD officers.
GFS provides regular weather data collection services for the HKO, covering the approach and departure paths of Hong Kong International Airport, as well as weather data inside tropical cyclones.
The department's helicopters assist the Marine Department in the surveying of ships suspected of discharging oil in Hong Kong waters and spraying oil dispersant if necessary.
The work undertaken by the department for important visitors is considerable. As most of these visitors wish to see as much of Hong Kong in as short a time as possible, only helicopters can fulfil this need. Foreign government ministers and officials are often carried by the GFS aircraft during their visits.