European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 22, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9emissions tests in Britain begin nov. 1 by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau starting nov. 1, Britain a department of transport will begin requiring exhaust emission checks on vehicles trying to pass the country a statutory annual Road worthiness tests. But an estimated 40 percent of those vehicles tested May fail such an emissions test a British National automobile association predicts. The new emissions test applies Only to Gas fuelled vehicles with four or More wheels. Also starting nov. 1, fees for vehicle inspections a commonly known As ministry of transport or Mot tests based on the departments previous name a will be raised to cover the Cost according to a department statement. Cars and other vehicles More than 3 years old must be tested once a year at department qualified testing garages for safety and Road worthiness. Motorcycles and three wheelers also must pass safety and Road worthiness inspections but not for emissions. Things such As Windshield wipers brakes and headlights Are tested to make sure they Are in proper operating condition. Its not uncommon for British police to conduct Roadside spot checks to make sure vehicles comply with the departments test standards. Britain a Royal automobile club estimates that about 40 percent of cars older than 3 years will fail the emissions test based on spot checks conducted by the Rac Between november 1990 and oct. 14, club spokesman Michael George said. The Rac checks also showed that some cars 3 years old or less would also fail the test. Even though that category is not required to take the emissions test the Rac would like to see some sort of emissions Check for those cars As Well he said. The boost in Mot fees will be the second increase this year. The fees were raised aug. 1, to a reflect inflation since the last increase on july 2,1990,�?� according to the department. The new test fees will be 20 pounds about $35.20 for cars up from 16.65 pounds $29.30. Light delivery vehicles such As trucks will Cost 22.60 pounds $39.78up from 19.30 pounds $33.97. The fees for motorcycles and three wheelers will not increase. The emissions test will measure Carbon monoxide fumes and hydrocarbons in the cards exhaust. The hydrocarbon test is administered to ensure that vehicle owners do not tamper with the exhaust to produce a Low Reading on Carbon monoxide emissions the Rac said. Tampering leads to a disproportionately High level of hydrocarbons the association noted. Any vehicles registered after aug. 1, 1983, will fail the test if they Emit More than 4.5 percent Carbon monoxide in the exhaust fumes. Cars registered Between aug. 1, 1975 and july 31, 1983, will fail if they Emit More than 6 percent Carbon monoxide. There will be a visual smog Check for cars registered before aug. 1, 1975. In addition to the emissions test the department of transport is also adding four other checks which it considers a safety  checks will be made to ensure that anti lock Brake system warning lights Are working that rear scat belts Are properly fitted and functional and that there is no corrosion on the Belt fittings. Moreover rear wheel bearings will be checked to make sure they arc correctly adjusted a department spokeswoman said. Instead of simple visual checks inspectors will be making extended a More scientific tests for corrosion the Spok Swo Man  plan deep dark voyage to inside of Earth Mexico City a a dozen explorers plan a Jules Verne Type journey into the bowels of the Earth beginning with a descent of nearly a mile in a Marble walled Cave along a thundering subterranean River. The journey a Claustro Phoben a Nightmare will take the explorers into a dark underground world for weeks at a time. In an emergency someone would need 24 hours to carry a message to the surface. Radios Are useless underground. After descending 4,439 feet Maryland Engineer William Stone and his team Hopes to dive through a Pool that blocks the rest of the Cave emerging in a dry passage somewhere beyond. They plan to Start in late february or Early March when Mexico a Day season makes the flood prone Cave passable. Success could Cany them deeper into the Earth than anyone has gone. It also would help reveal the extent of the Cuautla caves 170 Miles Southeast of Mexico City. Explorers have spent More than a decade probing the Cave system from two entrances and swam through subterranean pools in places. But they were eventually frustrated by the problems of hauling along heavy air tanks and supplies and. The time limits imposed on divers by conventional tanks. Retired Pitburg official begins new chapter of of love Story by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Pitburg Germany a Lydie Hengen formally retired but she Hasni to quit yet. Hengen Pitburg Abs former Community relations officer retired last dec. 31. But the outgoing woman can to seem to keep away from the air Force. One maintains her close ties by taking the american newcomers on Tours of Pitburg every week. They tour the Pitburg brewery and share lunch at one of the local restaurants where she introduces them to German cuisine. A she gave All her life to her duty and German american relationship. She did an excellent Job a said Horst Biittner bit Burgos mayor. A a she a still dedicated even after  Biittner who first met Hengen in 1987, described her As Friendly and said she always con Hengen nested German and american interests. Hengens Volunteer work Isnit unusual said longtime Friend George Price. A she just can to stay away from Here the base a Price said. A she wants to be part of Pitburg because bit urge a a Winner and she a a Winner. Winners go  Price the Pitburg athletic director said he a known Hengen a since Day 1.�?� she is a the Only person on this base that i have never heard a bad word  Hengen who had 28 years of service with the american military at Pitburg was honoured As the air forces Community relations adviser of the year for 1990. A i have a love Story with the air Force a she said in her no nonsense style. A the air Force was Good for me. I was Good for the air  her reflections of her time at Pitburg Are a collage of big names and Little details. A i remember when Young people came with families and they  afford furniture a Hengen said. A i began a program with the germans where they went around with big trucks. The germans wanted to give to repay what they had been  she describes the most hectic period of her career As former president Reagan a controversial trip to Pitburg and its local cemetery in May 1985. Some of the soldiers buried in the cemetery were assigned to is units in hitlers army during world War ii. She also recalled How the Day before Reagan a scheduled arrival a visit to the cemetery showed that someone had placed Flowers on every is soldiers grave. The German and american wives clubs quickly got together and placed Flowers on All the Graves so the Flower decked few would not stand out. As she wandered Between the Stone markers in the grass she pointed out that Many of those marked a a ssh were the resting places of teen age boys. A they were just soldiers a she said. A they did no to know what being is meant. They were so young.nco gets 2 years in jail for desertion larceny by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau Raf Mildenhall England a master sergeant who was on the Lam for More than a year was recently Given a two year jail sentence for desertion larceny of government property and wrongfully appropriating government allowances according to . Air forces Europe Legal officials. Master sgt. Leroy b. Hobbs 36, was also Given a bad conduct discharge reduced to the lowest enlisted rank of airman Basic and ordered to forfeit $500 a month for 24 months by military judge col. Michael Mcshane. The one Day general court martial was held thursday. At the time Hobbs left his unit the 513th equipment Maint so on aug. 21, 1990, he was already being investigated for overpayment of More than $4,700 in allowances. Anticipating that he would face a general court martial for that crime coupled with a a moral obligation to be with a woman who was expecting his child out of the country Hobbs decided to desert said capt. Brian Koza Safe defense counsel and capt. Bill Schireman Safe trial counsel. Hobbs who had 16 years of a honorable services at the time of his desertion according to Koza had been the noncommissioned officer in charge of his units aircraft structural repair shop. After spending his almost 13-month absence in various countries in Europe and Africa Hobbs returned to England in Early september planning to turn himself in Koza said. However while Hobbs was visiting a Friend in Hertford North of London on sept. 11, a British Constable ran a License Check on Hobbs Bow car. The Constable discovered that the car belonged to a military deserter. The fact that Hobbs was apprehended rather than turning himself in is considered a More serious degree of desertion according to Schireman. Under a pretrial agreement Hobbs pleaded guilty to amended charges of desertion larceny of government property in excess of $100 and wrongful appropriation of $3,500 in allowances. In september 1990 during his absence Hobbs initially was charged with desertion and two counts of larceny which included the theft of More than $1,250 of government property and stealing . Currency of about $4,700 for receiving allowances he was not entitled to Schireman said. Hobbs had initially been charged with stealing a paint Spray gun a Respirator a tubing flair kit and various other tools. Because of a proof problems a Hobbs however Only faced a charge of stealing the paint Spray gun during the trial Schireman said. The larceny charge was further amended to state that Hobbs had wrongfully appropriated the allowances rather than stealing them Between june 1988 and August 1990, Schireman said. Wrongful appropriation is a less serious crime than theft because it indicates intent to give Back the overpayment. Hobbs had collected Cost of living allowances Basic allowances for quarters and overseas housing allowances at the higher with dependent rate Between november 1987 and August 1990. However Hobbs was divorced and did not have de Pendents the lawyers said. Hobbs was held liable for repayment of the allowances from november 1987, but the amended charge Only reflected overpayment of the allowances As starting seven months later in june 1988. Since his apprehension last month Hobbs has repaid the allowances overpayment Koza said. The maximum sentence Hobbs could have received for his crimes was a dishonourable discharge 8v2 years of confinement a reduction to the lowest enlisted rank of airman Basic and total forfeiture of All pay and allowances during confinement. However under the pretrial agreement in Exchange for guilty pleas to the amended charges Hobbs could Only have been giver the bad conduct discharge a 32-month jail sentence a reduction to airman Basic and forfeiture of half his pay at his demoted rank during confinement Koza said. Hobbs who is currently jailed at the confinement facility at Raf Lakenheath will finish his sentence at the air Force confinement facility at Lowry fab colo., said Koza