Dauphin pilots to make Bangalore their playing field | DGCA nod for 3rd HATSOFF simulator in striking range | Dhruv military variant simo getting ready

 The HATSOFF facility in Bangalore warming up for Dauphin certification. Photos: Yugesh Kumar 

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service 

Bangalore: Chopper pilots from India and abroad, flying the Dauphins will find a new abode to hone their flying skills -- swiftly, surely and safely – at the Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF) in Bangalore. The facility, a JV project between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE-Canada, will throw open a Dauphin 365 N3 simulator to pilots, after it is evaluated and qualified by the Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) of UK on behalf of European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India. 

Once this qualification is in (likely any time now) , HATSOFF will join the exclusive league of very few simulator training institutions in the world (US, Europe, Singapore) who can boast of six synthetic training devices for helicopters. At the end of this qualification phase, expected to be by the third week of December 2011, HATSOFF will have the Bell 412 EP, HAL civil/conventional Dhruv and the Eurocopter's Dauphin 365 N3 units – all certified as Level D, FFS/FFMS (Full Motion/Full Mission Simulators), which is the highest qualification for flight simulators. 

HATSOFF is also approved to impart training for under slung operations and rescue hoist operations. Both of these operations is expected to be exploited by the Indian industry, as is being commonly done in the West. “The visuals of the simulators already have the roof top helipads. We will be ready to train pilots for roof top operations which are bound be become popular in India in the near future. Approval for imparting such training is expected to be granted by the DGCA very soon,” says Wg Cdr (Retd) C.D. Upadhyay, CEO, HATSOFF. 

DHRUV MILSIM: The military variant of Dhruv simulator with ‘glass cockpit’ and full weapons integrated is getting ready in Montreal (Canada). By the end of 2012, it will arrive at the HATSOFF facility in Bangalore and subsequent qualification. 

Till then, the Dhruv pilots can train in the existing civil simulator at the facility, but will only be able to do electronic warfare (EW) training when the military version arrives. “The Dhruv pilots flying this variant will be able to train on night vision goggle flying, weapons firing, EW and host of other military operations as required by the Indian Army Aviation, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard,” says Capt N S Krishna, Chief of Training, at the facility. 

HATSOFF also imparts role and mission training modes on synthetic flight devices. It is cleared to train helicopter pilots for off shore operations on oil rigs, helipad operations on helipads from sea level to 20,000ft, catering for the Indian conditions requiring operations in plains, mountainous areas of wooded Eastern sector and the cold desert of the Northern sector. 

Says Capt Jatindar, Dauphin pilot, engaged in the integration of the Dauphin 365 N3 cockpit at HATSOFF. “I have seen many simulators all over the world and HATSOFF is outstanding. We are now approaching the final portion of the integration process and this will be one of the best Dauphin simulators in the world. The visuals are excellent and feels like a real helicopter,” says Capt Jatindar with more than 14000 hours on helicopters since 1967. 

(Copyright@The New Indian Express)

Boeing crash and a black box ballet in Mangalore!

TRIUMPH: An official holding the black box of the crashed Boeing 737-800 Air India Express flight, after it was salvaged from the debris in Mangalore on May 25, 2010. Photo: t-arch-2010

TARMAK007 EDITORIAL

IT only happens in India. And as they say, IT doesn’t get bigger than this. Sadly, IT happened at a spot that snuffed the lives of 158 and dented many more. The IT in question is the event that emerged out of Mangalore on Tuesday morning. The breaking news of the moment was: FDR found intact.

People were congratulating each other. Smiles all over. A sense of great achievement. News channels reported non-stop about the ‘major find of the day.’ Shoving and pushing at will to get a glimpse of the secret box. Adding to the drama was a light drizzle, as if summoned to douse the heat.

Emerging out was a man lifting the ‘precious metal piece’ that could throw light into the reasons of the crash. He lifted the black box in one hand and waved in all direction. Left to right. Then right to left. Amidst security officials, media personnel and the search and rescue team, the man of the moment stood like a sports star holding the black-box like a coveted trophy during a presentation ceremony. Triumph Time!

These were possibly the first (as media would put it live and exclusive) visuals mankind could ever see that of a black box getting so much of attention. If you still feel what’s wrong in doing so, then read on.

Minutes later a group of search teams were seen flashing victory symbols to the battery of media men. There were also mad scramble for splitting the owner of spotting the FDR. Media debates ranged over the exact spot from it was located; who found it; exact time; amount of debris on it; angle at which it lay and so on. Every TV channel tried their very best to educate the viewer of the significance of black-box. Its use, after every crash. What it can do and what it can’t. And as a result, the whole of India now know that color of black box is: Orange!

"What will all those who lost their loved ones think after seeing these scenes of ‘celebrations’? How much of significance is a recovery of a black-box to those who are still shell-shocked and mourning?," an airport official asked tarmak007, fafter witnessing the 'black-box ballet' in Mangalore.

If it is vital to investigation, which in this case it is, then the DGCA and Air India officials should have ensured some method in madness. Media has a job to do and are well within their rights to go to any accepted levels to get the first byte and exclusive visuals and it's but natural that at times things might go out of hands as seen on TV channels. A DGCA official said that the unusual exhibition of black-box was due to immense media pressure, who were shouting repeatedly to get a glimpse of the equipment.
A Mangalore Airport official told tarmak007 that the incident has left a bad taste and even one of the experts, who came from abroad to assist DGCA officials, is said to complained about the 'fanfare' associated with a sensitive operation.

Thank God, the official holding the black box didn’t plant a kiss on to it followed by a victory lap.

And, that could have been worse than the crash!

Debris cleared from Boeing crash site

By Anantha Krishnan M. | Aviation Week

Bangalore, India | May 24, 2010

Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials completed their preliminary investigation late May 24 into the Boeing 737-800 Air India Express crash near Mangalore on May 22 that killed 158 people. A senior Mangalore airport official told AVIATION WEEK that Air India security officials will continue their search for the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR). Two Kenyan crash experts have joined the search and probe team to look at all possible angles and speed up the investigation.

For complete report, please visit:

http://www.aviationweek.com/india