Guardians | ALH gives teeth to Navy's airborne ops

From a flying machine with many issues, the naval variant of ALH has now
matured by miles. The enormous potential of the platform has been harnessed
after the fitment of new equipment was carried out. From the initial role of a
helicopter training just pilots, the ALH has definitely progressed
undertaking multi-role ops in the last 5 years. -- Indian Navy

READ  http://bit.do/INAS-322-Guard

Post-EASA certification, smart marketing strategies key for Dhruv’s success

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, May 26: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is hopeful of bagging the much-awaited European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the civil variant of Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv by the end of this year.

An official with the Department of Defence Production told Mathrubhumi that the EASA certificate would give HAL enough room to aggressively market the Dhruv once again.

“EASA certification means that HAL can comfortably sell Dhruv to those countries which accept EASA certification. With majority of countries favouring EASA norms, HAL must put in some smart marketing strategies to sell Dhruvs now. They should not wait for the final certification to come and rather begin the ground work right away,” the top official said.

He felt that Dhruv fits in perfectly into the NDA government’s Make in India template, with immense export potential.

“The helicopter market is tough world over and HAL have got a taste of it in the last 10 years. Once EASA nod comes in, HAL must go all out to export the Dhruvs to new markets in Europe. It’s a first in India’s aviation history. Dhruv can be cash cow, if put through good sense of marketing,” he added.

LUH project to gain from current certification: HAL insides are of the opinion that it will be a challenge to enter new markets already on the radar of its competitors. HAL hopes that the process for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for Dhruvs (must to market the helicopters in America) will be taken up bilaterally between India and the US governments.

“It will be a challenge to enter new markets of the world. It’s a tremendous learning process for all of us in HAL. Nobody has done such extensive certification process before in India. It will come handy for the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) certification as well,” an HAL official said.

The LUH is HAL’s latest product set to undertake its maiden flight soon. “The certification process for LUH will be definitely faster,” the official adds. 

HAL insiders feel ALH already over-tested: According to one school of thought in HAL, the Dhruv chopper has already been ‘over-tested’ in the last many years. 

Many feel that HAL’s whole prototype testing and certification programme was tailored to meet EASA\FAA certification requirements, in addition to the stringent requirements of the Services.

“Indian agencies like CRE (Certified Reliability Engineer), Certification Review Item (CRI) and DGCA strictly went by the book. We had a tough time in explaining and educating the authorities to look at the practical side of the requirement and not be theoretical. At the end, we passed all the tests with flying colours,” an HAL official told Mathrubhumi.

Dhruv was again put through a series of trails ahead of it being sold to Chile. The Chilean equivalent of DGCA went through the whole test results comparing with FAA requirements.

“Wherever they required any additional results, they were furnished. Before flying in Turkey we again went through the process of explaining the certification results to their authorities as they would not permit us to fly there unless we met FAA certification requirements,” says the official.

“In short, Dhruv has been over-tested. The DGCA ensured that we met all FAA and EASA requirements in many ways,” the official added.

Crucial noise measurement trials completed: HAL had recently announced that the mandatory noise measurement flight trials on Dhruv were carried out at the Mysuru Airport in Karnataka towards obtaining the EASA certification.

HAL Chairman T Suvarna Raju said that during the process, external aircraft noise levels of Dhruv in three flight conditions were measured, including take-off, approach and flyover.

“The noise measurement test programme starts with the identification of low acoustic profile test site and meeting the geometrical size of runway and cross runway distances. We are happy that the weather parameters and the aircraft parameters show that the noise levels are within the acceptable limits for ALH,” Raju added.

He said the EASA representatives witnessed the entire flight test and preliminary analysis of the recorded noise data. Anotec Consulting, a Spanish company, provided the hardware, software and technical support for the programme.

The civil variant of Dhruv is currently cleared by Indian certifying agency – the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). 

Over 140 Dhruvs operated by armed forces: Around 140 Dhruvs are being currently operated by various armed forces logging over 1, 30,000 flight hours. While the Army Aviation has been extensively using Dhruvs for various operations, the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and the Border Security Force have also inducted the Dhruvs.

The IAF’s Sarang aerobatic display team, consisting of Dhruvs, has been performing since 2003, demonstrating its finest maneuverability skills.

During the ongoing Operation Raahat in Nepal, the choppers being operated by the Army Aviation demonstrated its ability to fly at hostile weather conditions. In Nepal, the pilots executed extremely difficult landings during rescue operations.

Dhruv is an all-weather helicopter which can carry 10-16 people at heights of 10,000 feet, in the 5.5 tone class.

Copyright@Mathrubhumi

Dhruv, a savior for thousands of families in Sunabeda

By Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Sonabeda, Dec 16: The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) top management has touched the hearts of thousands of employees and their families of its Engine Division in Koraput by dedicating a civil helicopter to meet any medical emergencies.

The civil variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv (VT-HAQ) has become a huge relief for the Division’s 3700+plus workforce and their families.

The HAL Engine Division is situated at Sunabeda in Koraput district of Odhisa, which is a remote area with fluctuating climate, at times. During a recent visit to the facilities, OneIndia was taken around the helipad, which is on an upgradation mode in the last couple of years.

The employees credit HAL Chairman R K Tyagi for instantly agreeing for their request for a helicopter service so as to reach Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Visakhapatnam during emergencies. “The need for a helicopter was projected in May 2012 and our Chairman ensured that in September 2012 Dhruv started its operations. The availability of Dhruv is a huge morale-booster for the workforce here,” Maloy De, General Manager (Koraput), tells OneIndia.

Pawan Hans, HAL teams available 24x7: Today the Dhruv is operated by a team of pilots and ground engineering team from Pawan Hans Ltd (PHL). They are supported by HAL team headed by S Pandit, Additional General Manager (Helicopters and Services). HAL’s Helicopter Division in Bengaluru is in constant coordination with Sonabeda. In addition to medical evacuation, the Dhruv is also being used for VIP movement and aerial survey.

“The Dhruv has the capability to carry patients and other passengers in different approved configurations. The copter has come to the rescue of many families since 2012. Dhruv is a savior for all the employees of HAL Sonabeda. It’s a relief for the employees to have a chopper to fall back on,” says A B Pradhan, Additional General Manager, HR.

HAL upgrades helipad and infrastructure: The helicopter operations in the region began in 2005 with the Odhisa government setting up two temporary helipads at the HAL facility. “Presently, the helipad has been upgraded and it constitutes of four concrete helipads and a non-concrete one. We can operate five helicopters at a time from this facility,” says HAL Chairman Dr R K Tyagi.

Mandatory facilities like fire tender, ambulance, refueling, ground handling and ground-support equipment are available here. “In addition to Dhruv, bigger helicopters like MI-17, MI-8 and VIP helicopters like Dophin, Bell have operated in the last two years,” says Dr Tyagi.

Commercialisation of ALH helicopter operation: HAL is keen to convert the Dhruv’s operations into a profitable venture and have taken up the matter with the Odhisa government. “Koraput district has many tourist destinations and it’s also the land of NALCO, COBRA battalion of the CRPF, naval ammunition depot, Central University, paper mills among others. There is no helicopter or aviation service that connects this remote town to other communication centers. The scope is huge and we are hopeful of positive responses from various agencies,” says an HAL official, who wanted not to be named.

Tourism potential high if Jeypore airstrip is extended: HAL officials say that the runway at the nearby Jeypore airstrip (40 km from Koraput) needs to be extended for tourism and other commercial purposes. “It is currently of 998 m in length and if extended larger aircraft can land here. If the IL-76s can land, then it would help us ship engines directly to various Indian Air Force (IAF) bases,” says the official.

Currently the engines are being transported by road to various IAF bases, which is a risky and cumbersome process. “If the runway at Jeypore is extended to 3000 m, even the Boeings could land here. The Centre and state government should join hands for the benefit of this region. The Centre should include Jeypore too into the network of airports to be developed. Currently the airstrip is being used only during elections. The Vaydoots had operated from Jeypore in the 1990s,” adds the official.

Our Take | OneIndia

• With the IAF having no operational base in Odhisa, it could be a wise move to develop the Jeypore airstrip,
• The Ministry of Defence should also look into from a strategic point of view so that the facility can be made into a chopper training centre.
• In addition, the IAF can also use the HAL helipad for extending their training.
• From quality assurance point of view, it is better to develop the Jeypore airstrip, so that the engines manufactured and overhauled at HAL Sonabeda will have a snag-free journey to various bases.
• It will be a shot in the arm for all agencies involved in the anti-Naxal operations in the region.

Copyright@OneIndia

Dhruv clocks 1,00,000 flying hours

Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv achieved a new milestone by completing flying a total of one lakh hours today. The land mark has been achieved in the early hours today with the flying of helicopter IA 3104 of 301 Army Aviation Sqn (Spl Ops).
“One lakh hours flown by the machine is an awesome feat to achieve. It is a dream machine for any pilot," an HAL release said, quoting Lt Col Kapil Agarwal who completed the landmark flying hours.
ALH is being operated by Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, BSF and state governments since 2002. Currently, more than 132 Dhruv helicopters are serving the Indian Defence Forces. HAL has also built 12 civil variant Dhruv helicopters and they are being used by its customers. The Ecuador Air Force (FAE) operates six Dhruv helicopters with their President choosing to fly in them. (Edited Release)

HAL upbeat over Dhruv's role in Char Dham Ops | 24 choppers & 550 hours of SAR missions

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: The designers, engineers, Test pilots and the maintenance crew at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are a delighted lot, thanks to stupendous search and rescue (SAR) missions undertaken by the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv), during the recent Op Rahat in Char Dham.
Dhruv's compact size and high agility enabled pilots to fly in most of the narrow, high altitude valleys of Uttarakhand. “Even the Mi-17s could not negotiate the hostile terrain. Dhruv's best-in-class cabin space can accomodate 14 fully equipped troops, while its sliding and large rear clamshell doors provide easy loading of stretchers\bulky loads. The chopper's high-power engines and hinge-less composite main rotors too came handy during operations in Charm Dham. Other helicopters might have powerful engines, but the control power of their conventional rotors reduces drastically with altitude. Dhruv’s rotors are designed to operate in typical Indian extreme weather conditions,” an HAL official told Express.
During a rescue sortie at Kedarnath, a Dhruv airlifted 17 passengers from the high altitude helipad, whereas the much larger Mi-17 airlifted fewer passengers from there. In another specific case, a Dhruv landed on a high altitude postage-stamp sized clearing to pick up stranded people. The crew of a much smaller civil Bell-407 was not able to land there.
HAL's technical crew too played a role in keeping the machines in good shop, at very short notice. “There were no major down-times or maintenance issues reported during the operations. Precautionary maintenance back-up was also given by our crew stationed at ALGs (advanced landing ground) for the rescue operations. Dhruv has definitely carved a niche for itself in the weight gap between the Chetak and Mi 17,” sources said.
As part of Op Rahat, 24 Dhruvs (18 from IAF and six from Army) flew over 550 hours from multiple locations in the SAR role. “The desperateness of the Indian Air Force for Dhruvs was visible when all serviceable choppers were pulled out, even from the aerobatic team Sarang team, which were ferried all across from Sulur in Coimbatore,” the official said.
Dhruv's advanced avionics suite include a state-of-the-art terrain approach warning, accurate navigation systems, auto pilot and weather radar. “The avionics are integrated with digital autopilot which has adequate redundancy, enabling the helicopter to be operated confidently in adverse weather conditions by day and night. The Mk-III & IV Dhruvs also have stabilised day and night IR & video cameras capable of detection and identification at long ranges. Although optimised for military operations, the long-range sensors can also be gainfully used during rescue and calamity operations,” he said.

(Copyright@The New Indian Express)

Now flying: Ecuadorian President falls in love with the classy Dhruv

These are some of the exclusive shots made available for Tarmak007 during the just-concluded Aero India-2013. According to HAL officials, the above Dhruv with custom-made interiors, is one of the most-favourite flying assets of Ecuadorian President. Seven Dhruvs are now flying with the Ecuador forces.

The mantra for pilots during aerobatics: Fall in line and fly safe

Wg Cdr (retd) Unni Pillai, HAL's Chief Test Pilot and General Manager (Rotary Wing). According to Unni, a veteran of many air shows, a Test Pilot needs to stay calm all the time. He prescribes a best medicine: Yoga.

Photo: Sudhakar Jain 

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore:  Every pilot flying at Aero India, be it aerobatics or normal display, dread one man who controls the entire flying activities of the show -- the Flying Display Director. He ensures that no one spoils the sky party, by playing it to the galleries, knowingly or otherwise. Fall in line and fly safe – that’s the simple mantra for pilots at Aero India.

Explaining the features of validation flights to Express on Sunday, Wg Cdr (retd) Unni Pillai, Chief Test Pilot, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL),  said that an air show is a dangerous business and the pilots will have to always play the game as per the rules. “The pilots might in excitement cross some boundaries, which can end up in crash and resulting in injuries to the public, during air shows. This has happened many a times during air shows. Here, the role of display becomes crucial,” says Unni, a seasoned Test pilot.

The display director briefs the pilots about the margins as part of his policing role. “The edge of the runway is called the fault line. No aircraft can cross this while flying in air. Again, you cannot fly over the spectators. In special cases formation flights are cleared to fly over the people,” says Unni.

He said the pilots are also told about the vertical limits, which are monitored by high-end cameras. The pilots are also barred from flying below 500 feet in during any maneuver, except during take-off and landing. “During validation flights, ahead of the show, your capability to fly in the allotted areas, at an allotted time is checked. The director also checks whether you are performing within the space constrains,” says Unni, who has flown in air shows, world over.

During the show, the pilots are warned once for any transgressions and a repeat of the mistake will earn them termination from the show. Unni said that at Paris and Farnborough air shows, the display director provides the pilots with a trace of the path they have undertaken during the show. “The trace is given during the debriefing sessions and this practice is yet to come to India,” he added.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

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Here's the proof for Dhruv's Ecuadorian 'secret' affairs!

BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL:  Miss South American beauty pageant participants get floored by the macho looks of India's flagship flying machine -- the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv -- at an air base in Ecuador. While the HAL-built Dhruv is definitely having a great time in Ecuador, watch out Tarmak007 for some cool updates on Rudra and LCH ahead of Aero India.

Bareilly AF base gets Dhruv MK-III

Press Release

Air Force Station Bareilly, one of the premier air bases of the Indian Air Force witnessed the induction of the first batch of ALH MK-III in the IAF. Air Marshal PS Gill, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal, Senior Air Staff Officer, Central Air Command, Allahabad presided the induction ceremony. The Mk-III version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) is a light multirole and multi-mission helicopter with a full glass cockpit.
The helicopter, manufactured by HAL, differs from the previous version of ALH, or ‘Dhruv’ in the terms of the more powerful ‘Shakti’ engines, full glass cockpit and the integrated Electronic Warfare (EW) suite. The various systems integrated into the helicopter make it a highly manoeuvrable and potent platform for military operations by day as well as by night. The induction of ALH Mk-III at Air Force Station Bareilly is being regarded an important milestone in the Indian aviation industry as well as towards modernisation plan of the Indian Air Force.
A fine display of ALH Helicopters by Wing Commander KS Kakade Commanding Officer of the 111 HU along with five other Pilots, marked the induction ceremony. Capabilities of the aircraft in carrying under-slung weight , casualty evacuation and formation flying were the main features of display by the pilots in the newly inducted ALH helicopter. A large gathering of air warriors and their families witnessing the induction ceremony applauded the display by the newly inducted helicopter, which is now A pride for the people of Bareilly.
The ALH Mk-III is being inducted in 111 Helicopter Unit(111 HU), which was operating with Chetak and Cheetah helicopters earlier. With the new induction, the unit would be better equipped to continue the task of humanitarian relief, casualty evacuation from the Himalayan ranges as well as search and rescue operations along with regular military operations. The unit has also been earmarked for the presentation of the ‘President’s Standard’ for its glorious service for the past 49 years.

HATSOFF CEO Upadhyay quits; HAL says all is well

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: Veteran Test pilot and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bangalore-based HATSOFF Helicopter Training Private Ltd Wg Cdr (Retd) C D Upadhyay has quit . Sources confirmed to Express on Thursday that Upadhyay put in his papers on January 5 and will be out of HATSOFF (Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying) by the end of this month. HATSOFF is a JV of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and CAE Canada.

Sources say that Upadhyay emailed his resignation to the Board members expressing his desire to be off all activities of HATSOFF. “The CAE, while acknowledging the email thanked him for getting a world-class, leading-edge chopper training facility in Bangalore. He is now keen to share his expertise to promote helicopter industry and safe helicopter operations in India ,” sources said. He was appointed as the first CEO of HATSOFF in 2009.

HAL chairman's office told Express that Upadhyay was turning 65 years this month and hence it was a matter of days before he would have signed off from the post. An email sent to CAE's media department evoked no response. “He was informed that he could continue till March, which he rejected. There were some skirmishes over one armed forces' wing not agreeing to sent Dhruv pilots to train at HATSOFF despite repeated representations to them. He didn't budge a bit from the rulebook,” sources said.

For Upadhyay this will be the end of a hat-trick service spanning over 65 years. He commanded the Mi-8 Squadron while being with the Indian Air Force and later was the Chief Test Pilot (CTP) of HAL's rotary wing operations. “He was very much part of the design and development of Dhruv from its inception and has over 1000 hours of prototype testing experience on this helicopter. He has flown over 33 different types of aircraft and helicopters and has over 9000 hours of operational, prototype testing and instructional flying experience,” sources at HAL's Human Resources department said.

Upadhyay was not available for any comment.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

TOUCHDOWN 2012: Dhruv salute to all Tarmak007 fans!

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)

Simply Sarang: Daring Dhruvs on a Duet!

Robert Maria Clement

Some rare and hi-res photographs of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv of India Air Force's Sarang Helicopter Display Team. These stunning, low-flying photographs were taken by Bangalore-based photo-journalist Robert Maria Clement. Robert, an extremely-gifted shutterbug, worked with the blogger in The Times of India and later in HAL. He now works with Deccan Chronicle. There's no specific reason for uploading these images now, just that I chanced upon them while hunting for some archive images. If anyone want to have these hi-res photos without the watermarks, please email me.

IAF Dhruv pilots begin training at HATSOFF; Ecuador pilots with presidential fleet complete session

 By Abraham V. Kuruvilla

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has entered into a formal agreement with Bangalore-headquartered HATSOFF for training their pilots operating the Advanced Light Helicopter, Dhruv. The first batch of pilots have already finished their mandatory five hours of training on the Dhruv simulator at the facility.

Every pilot is scheduled to receive five hours of training spread across two-two-and-a-half-months. The IAF on its part has also deputed an officer to monitor the training. “This is going to be a huge morale-booster for the ALH pilots considering the issues we had with this chopper. We hope to bring down the accident rate and couldn’t have asked for a better facility than HATSOFF,” a senior IAF official said, not wanting to give out the number of pilots set to undergo the training.

The training exposes pilots to undertake dangerous missions, thereby giving them the confidence to practice and execute ‘bail-out-plans’ in the company of an instructor.  “The options are aplenty. Now we know what needs to be done during bad weather, ways to avoid the clouds and so on. Time saved, money saved and above all the confidence of having upgraded our training levels,” says an IAF pilot, who was part of the Sarang team earlier.

HATSOFF’s first overseas client is Telstra Child Flight from Australia. Telstra operates emergency helicopter retrieval service for children and babies in Australia.  Two pilots have already undergone training at HATSOFF. In addition, two Ecuadorian presidential pilots also have finished their training on the Dhruv simulator. The air force pilots from Ecuador are now likely to follow suit.

HATSOFF now hopes to have the third simulator (Dauphin 365-N3) installed by November this year, taking the total to three. The facility has also got on to Facebook (Hatsoff Bengaluru) for the benefit of helicopter community world-over.   

(Posted by Abraham V. Kuruvilla, Tarmak007 intern from Madras University.)

(Below update on July 11, 2011)

Training comes handy: The practice of various emergencies and malfunction procedures at HATSOFF simulator has come in as a saving grace for Capt Paddy, COO of Swajas Air Charters Ltd. On July 7 2011, while take-off from oil rig Tahara, just after rotation, Paddy is said to have experienced a total power loss of engine No 2.

"The chopper was recovered without much problem, as we had practiced these emergency malfunctions at HATSOFF  last month. Hence, safe single engine flight was established and after identifying the fault, No. 2 engine was taken into manual control and was flown to Chennai, making a safe landing. The cause of this failure was due to a broken P3 air pipe which was rectified later. It was a simulator session, which made things very easy and helped us to handle the emergencies," the pilot was quoted as saying on the HATSOFF FB site.

HAL to hand over 15 ALH Mk-III to Army, IAF

By Anantha Krishnan M. | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report |

Aviation Week | March 7 | Bangalore | India |

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) soon will hand over five Mk. 3 versions of the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) to the Indian army. This is in addition to the five Dhruv Mk. 3 helicopters delivered to the service during the just-concluded Aero India 2011 symposium, which marked the first deliveries in a total order of 159 advanced Dhruv variants. HAL says the rest of the helicopters will be delivered in phases over the next five years.
“There were issues with the shortage of spares, which put the brakes on the production activities,” a senior HAL official says. “We have overcome the crisis, and the production plan has picked up momentum now. Ten Dhruvs for the Indian air force [also] will be handed over soon.”
The Mk. 3 variants are powered by Shakti turboshaft engines developed by HAL and Turbomeca. The helicopter underwent high-altitude trials in 2009. “The Mk. 3 sports a new electronic warfare suite, advanced laser warning systems, missile warning systems and electro-optical pods. It has a new-generation vibration-control system in place along with the glass cockpit. It also has an automatic chaff-and-flare dispenser,” the official says.

(Full report in AW here)

Update # 13: Only lip service; Jetly's family yet to get justice!

Close to three weeks after the demise of Wg Cdr Vikas Jetly, there seems to be noting substantiate happening from the side of IAF and India government. While, the IAF officials  have not yet made an official statement in this regard, India's defense minister A.K. Antony had at least the courtesy to reply to a letter written to him by Jetly's wife Shalini.

Here's what an IAF official wrote to Tarmak007, when asked why there's still a delay in getting justice to Jetly family. "I am told her case is under progress. While on it, there are a few things that need to be understood. She was offered a job as warden in Air Force Bal Bharti School where she could avail of accommodation and also have her children transferred for convenience, among other things. She turned it down and insists for a teaching job in The Air Force School only. She is a Home Science graduate, over 40 years and with no experience in teaching at school. She has only college teaching experience but as per the guidelines of the government her qualifications/age do not conform to the requirements for a fresh appointment of a new teacher. The AF is also considering seeking a special waiver for her from the Govt. Yet there is one problem. There is a vacancy for only one Home Science teacher and there is already someone serving for years. The teacher serving cannot be removed to accommodate Mrs Jetly. The administration is trying to figure out a workable way. While all sympathies exist for the family, some things do not find easy solution every which way the family wants. And rightly, as the minister wrote, things are being actually looked into," the official said.

Family members now confirm to Tamak007 that the Shalini Jetly is now planning to meet the wife of India's Air Chief through the Air Force Wives' Welfare Association.

It is indeed really sad that the widow of IAF's promising and ace stunt pilot is put to so much of difficulties by the administration. While it is great to see India's defense minister Antony has written to the family, what really needs to be seen is whether a solution would emerge without delay.

If not, it will be a major embarrassment to IAF, Ministry of Defense and other officials during the upcoming Aero India.

Justice for Jetly. Just that!

(A report in today's Deccan Herald)

Update # 12: Antony responds to late Wg Cdr Jetly's wife's letter

Jetly's family received this letter from Antony today.