the South American country's fascist ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet.

And it is not known if the plane will return to Chile via Bermuda if Pinochet is finally released from custody in the UK.

The aircraft -- the military version of the Boeing 707 left the Island at the weekend for an RAF base just outside London after spending nearly two weeks on the tarmac at Bermuda International Airport.

The jet -- painted in military camouflage and carrying a medical team -- is understood to have left in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The High Court in London is expected to rule today on whether General Pinochet -- wanted by several countries to stand trial on torture charges during his 17-year reign of terror in Chile -- should have a confidential medical report on his fitness to stand trial released to Belgium and six human rights groups.

Belgium has now started court proceedings to extradite General Pinochet so it can put him on trial.

Along with Amnesty International and other groups, Belgium wants a new medical exam of General Pinochet to take place and have asked the High Court to review the decision not to release the results of the original examination of the General's health, carried out by UK doctors.

Bermuda Amnesty International spokesman Rod Attride-Stirling has already said that Bermuda should do everything it could to block a jet carrying Pinochet from touching down in Bermuda on any return flight to Chile.

Pinochet -- then head of the Chilean armed forces -- launched a coup, toppling democratically-elected socialist Salvadore Allende.

Dr. Allende was killed following an attack on the Chilean parliament by Pinochet's troops.

AIRPORT FLY