Greetings! Here's the 7th edition of #TarmakTalking
and we bring to you Team Nirbhay in a 2-part series. In this first
part, we have two top scientists part of India's subsonic cruise missile
development programme taking our questions.
For the first time, we have incorporated questions from Tarmak followers
in the final script. #TarmakTalking
is brought to you by Inspired Indian Foundation®.
(www.inspiredindianfoudation.org) and it is produced with the help of a
few well-wishers who support India's Aerospace and Defence programme.
Please do leave your feedback after watching this high-quality
production. You could also write to anantha.ak@gmail.com or
ak@billionbeats.
Sit back and enjoy #TarmakTalking! Thank You for being part of our inspiring missions.
Part-2 will be released soon.
“I was born on December 30, 1945 at Chambakkulam. I have passed SSLC (10th grade) and my dream was to join the Indian Air Force (IAF),” says Kuttappai a.k.a Antony Koorippurackal Joseph.
He sits placidly in his kothumbuvallam (a small, narrow boat), in one corner of which is piled a heap of fish — the day’s catch.
Chambakkulam is a village in Kerala’s Kuttanadu region, known for its beautiful backwaters, lush greenery and paddy fields. And Kuttappai is something of a household name in the area. He seems to know everyone, and everyone seems to know him.
Not surprising perhaps, since he rows up and down the Pookaitha river (a tributary of the Pampa meandering here), selling fish from morning to evening every day.
Buttonholed when he is returning from the early morning fish auction in the nearby by Alappuzha market, Kuttappai is initially wary, and not very enthusiastic about a media interview.
But a little cajoling is all it takes to make him loquacious. He drops his air of reserve and decides he’s comfortable being interviewed. “Not that I was worried… I anyway keep talking about myself and my dreams to tourists who visit Kanjippadam (another Kuttanadu village). I like meeting people and chatting with them. Even the small waves of this Pookaitha river and the cool breeze across Kanjippadam probably know bits and pieces of my story,” says Kuttappai lyrically. “But when I realized that you are a journalist, I wasn’t sure what to speak,” he says, suddenly bashful again.
Kuttappai alternates between impassive silence and eloquence.
He is mildly curious but mostly impassive when told that he is being interviewed for this new series — Inspiring Villages — capturing stories of people, places in the hinterland and their passion.
His boat is anchored at the private jetty belonging to the Green Palace Resort in Kanjippadam, the help of whose staff Mathrubhumi had to take to cajole the 72-year-old fisherman to talk freely about himself.
Kuttappai, born to farmer parents and youngest of seven siblings, wasn’t initially comfortable when he realised that he was speaking to an aerospace journalist. And with good reason too: it was as if his past was catching up with him…
A lie cost him his dream job in IAF: Memories come flooding back. In 1966, at the age of 21, Kuttappai, along with four friends boarded a train to (the then) Bangalore to attend an IAF recruitment drive. At the selection centre, he cleared all the medical and physical tests.
“Just before the interview, our agent Mohammed Ali told us that when the officer asks us about our age we must say 19 and not 21. We were not aware of the rules and we trusted Ali,” recalls Kuttappai, his voice cracking.
The officer, a Punjabi, grew suspicious after he lied about his age. “I think Ali had tampered with even our attested marks-sheets… The officer informed the police, but we somehow managed to escape from there. But the story didn’t end there. Back home, we received several letters from the government and finally, we were barred from attending any government interviews for five years,” says Kuttappai. The feeling of betrayal still hurts.
He says he lives with great regret even now for having lost the opportunity to serve in the IAF. His parents were terribly upset too, he recalls.
“When I see my friends, when I meet people working in the IAF, I have a deep sense of regret for not making it… But, I am happy I did not lose my focus. I took to fishing, and I am happy that in the last 40 years of being a fisherman there hasn’t been a dull day. God has been kind to me,” he adds.
His four daughters are all educated and married, and working in the Gulf.
A visit to INS Vikrant triggered his passion:Kuttappai says he was a volleyball player and represented his school in many tournaments.
During a trip to the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, their team was taken onboard INS Vikrant (now decommissioned). It was there that he saw a plane for the first time and was absolutely fascinated by it. The fascination has remained undiminished till today.
“With a 32-33 inches chest and being about 5.6 feet tall, I was among the fit boys in Kanjippadam. I saw a plane for first time in my life on INS Vikrant. We were taken around the ship by the officers. I think I fell in love with the plane instantly. The wings, the propeller… everything attracted me,” he says. His bleary eyes shine at that memory. It was then that he had decided that he wanted to join the IAF.
Even today, he is enthralled as he watches flights taking off and landing at Nedumbasserry Airport near Kochi whenever he goes there to see off or receive his daughters.
His love for English is infectious: Kuttappai discloses a little bashfully, that he loves speaking English. He has been fascinated by the language right from childhood.
“At the back of a fish truck, I once noticed a painted English sentence: ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice.’ I wasn’t sure about the meaning and so I asked the lorry owner. He wasn’t sure either. Then I asked the driver, and he didn’t know either. I kept asking around. My search for the meaning finally ended with a man in our locality, who people said was suffering from some mental imbalance. But he cleared my doubt. From then on I learnt as many English words as I could,” says Kuttappai, who rows up and down the Pookaitha river selling fish from morning to evening.
Most of his customers are clueless about English. Indeed, they have no need to learn the language, he concedes.
“When I speak English, people laugh at me,” he admits ruefully. And then gets defensive: “To catch, to sell, to buy or to cook fish you don’t need to know English. But what’s wrong in learning it?”
His wife Annamma Anthony (54), also loves English, he claims. However, she hasn’t done much to learn the language, he confides, a little disappointed.
A very popular fisherman in Kanjippadam:Apparently Kuttappai is as popular as Kerala’s yesteryear football hero I M Vijayan, in every household of Kanjippadam.
“I have heard about this fisherman and he even met me once. I understand he is a very hard working soul,” says Fr Peter Mathirappilly, the Vicar of Holy Cross Church in Vaisyambhagom, a village near Kanjippadam.
Gigi Thomas, Managing Director of Green Palace Resort, who regularly buys fish from Kuttappai, has a soft corner for him, having known him from childhood.
“He is a man with integrity. He is not greedy, and does his job with great passion. Kuttappai has carried me around when I was a kid and even given me boat rides during my school days,” says Gigi, who is also a former Kerala hockey player.
But the best compliment comes from Sabu Thomas, who is a manager with the same resort.
“Kuttappai is the soul of Kuttanadu. We can’t match his energy levels, despite his advancing age. His presence brings warmth. He is probably the guardian of Kanjippadam,” says Sabu, who interacts with Kuttappai on a daily basis.
Youngsters are talented, but look for shortcuts…:So, finally, when asked for his views on the current generation and their ability to take on challenges, Kuttappai’s face falls. Most of them lack depth, he says.
“Youngsters these days don’t have the patience to understand things. They seek shortcuts for everything in life. Unless you have patience, unless you have the knowledge, it is difficult to achieve any results. But who listens?”
But Kuttappai also sees a bright spot: “But today’s youngsters have many talents. May God bless them all,” he adds.
Incidentally, Kuttappai’s nephew Saji Thomas is a recipient of the Arjuna Award in rowing.
When he is gifted a miniature model of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Kuttappai looks at it keenly for a while before putting it into his pocket with a grin.
As he rows away, there is a look of satisfaction on his face. After all, he is now the owner of a Tejas!
(Inspiring Villages is a series that seeks to capture stories of ordinary people, places and passion. @writetake )
Bengaluru, May 24: The naval prototypes of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) – NP-1 (trainer) and NP-2 (fighter) – have begun their night flying activities for the first time from the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa.
This is virtually a back-to-back campaign for the NLCA team, considering they only finished the previous trials at the end of April. The detachment includes scientists and engineers from Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The current trials began on May 21 and are expected to continue through this week.
“The night trials are critical for the project. This is for the first time that both NP-1 and NP-2 are undertaking night operations from SBTF. Both have done extensive night trials from normal runways,” says an official.
So far both platforms have carried out four sorties with the time duration ranging from 25 to 30 minutes.
“It’s important that we complete these sets of trials before Monsoon sets in. Pre-Monsoon winds are favourable for undertaking the tests. We are also fine-tuning some of the parameters we have tested in April. Ahead of the current campaign, both platforms underwent some stress analysis tests in Bengaluru,” says the official. @OneIndia
Kochi, Oct 14: A Sukhoi (Su-30MKI) fighter will be on chase duties when the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) undertakes a crucial flight trial of the home-grown sub-sonic cruise missile, Nirbhay. Top military sources have confirmed to OneIndia on Wednesday that the third flight trial of Nirbhay will be scheduled on October 16 from Launch Complex-III of Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur (near Balasore) off Odisha coast. As this piece goes live, the final Flight Readiness Review (FRR) and Launch Authorization Board (LAB) meeting is underway. An official said that this time the scientists are preparing the missile for a low-altitude flight, a challenging task. The missile will be likely to be brought down from around 4.8 km to 20 m. "This time we are using a Sukhoi as a chase aircraft as it has long-endurance and can capture the flight parameters till the end,” an official said. The current launch will be crucial for DRDO after the Modi government brought in changes on the top with a new Director General (Dr Selvin Christopher) and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister (Dr G Satheesh Reddy) taking charge. The trial will be also a litmus test for ADE’s recently-appointed Director M V K V Prasad.
Bengaluru, Oct 07: India’s only Aviation Toxicology Laboratory (ATL) has gone live and kicking with state-of-the-art-facilities in Bengaluru.
Situated inside the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), a premier Indian Air Force (IAF) unit next to HAL Airport, the ATL has already developed protocols for evaluating 20 different drugs (molecules) which are required in aviation accident investigation.
The need for an ATL was felt soon after the Air India Express Boeing 737 crash in Mangalore, in May 2010, which killed 158 people onboard. A Court of Inquiry had blamed the pilot for the crash.
In an exclusive interview, IAM Commandant Air Commodore Deepak Gaur says that the ATL has the latest technology and expertise for the analysis of samples from air crashes in a highly refined manner.
“This laboratory was established with an objective to augment aircraft accident investigations. The lab also aims at improving flight safety by conducting exclusive scientific research in the field of aviation toxicology,” says Air Commodore Deepak, an MD in Aerospace Medicine.
The ATL is now refining the sample preparation techniques which will enable analysis of postmortem specimens from air crashes including blood, urine, muscle and other tissues.
INS Venduruthy (Kochi), Aug 14: India’s mission to build a Blue Water Navy is slowly and steadily receiving the impetus, thanks to a series of modernisation plans that have taken off in the last couple of years.
With the Indian Navy being in the forefront of backing indigenous efforts, compared to other wings of the Services, the last one year alone saw the addition of many assets comprising of war ships, submarines, aircraft carriers, patrol vessel, naval bases, marine stations and coastal radar chains to name a few.
In an exclusive interview to OneIndia on the eve of India’s 69th Independence Day, Vice-Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi, said that post 26/11, the very dynamics of coastal security has changed in the country. Here are the highlights of the interview.
* SNC’s role in taking on the challenges of future
* More teeth to coastal security measures
* IUHDSS is a game-changer
* New safety SOPs come to play
* China’s increasingly bold posturing in the IOR monitored
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.
Bengaluru, April 11: Thirty-six Rafale jets for the plane-deprived Indian Air Force (IAF) from Dassault Aviation! That’s news all around since last night after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprang yet another surprise.
Finally, the much-hyped mother of all deals jettisoned out of the red-tape-trap, with even the number 36 surprising many.
Plane pundits are already out with many theories, with some even wondering the ‘logic’ behind going for such a small order, which is just enough to fill only two Squadrons.
But, those who saw the Rafale script from close quarters confirm to OneIndia that the story is far from over. Any more surprises on this front? “Can’t predict,” they say.
Sources confirm that the Modi government is in no mood to push Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) away, despite a strong private lobby wanting it to be out of the Rafale frame.
“Any additional orders for Rafales will have to be via the Make in India route and it will be HAL who will be manufacturing the same. The private sector too will be roped in subsequently,” an official in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
Reacting to the deal, Air Marshal M Matheswaran (Retd), former Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (Policy, Planning and Development), IAF and currently an Advisor to HAL, told OneIndia the government’s was keen to find a quick solution.
“The PNCs are good if they find a logical solution. In my personal opinion the RFP is a closed chapter now. I am sure the government will take a fresh call. All the future moves will be linked to Make in India, ToT (Transfer of Technology), production standards, delivery schedules and HAL’s role,” says Matheswaran.
Tarmak007 officially turned 5 years yesterday (April 5, 2015). Five years on blogspot (http://tarmak007.blogspot.in) and 2-plus years on FB. (https://www.facebook.com/Tarmak007). Combined reach: 5 million-plus! A quick Google search would tell YOU it's standing among other Indian defence blogs in India!
So many wishes poured in. So many e-greetings, videos and creatives, including an angry query why not a single post on celebrating the blog's birthday.
The reason was simple. It was a really newsy day.
So, five years of journey in YOUR company has been great. Satsifying. My knowledge levels have improved, thanks to YOUR suggestions. As I always share, Tarmak007 is a blog propelled by YOUR passion.
The numbers have grown substantially. Numbers means more people are now reading Tarmak007. Stats point towards more youngsters hitting the blog on a daily basis. That’s inspiring and hence it’s more important that we keep the blogspace clean. To be honest, crystal clean comments only.
Clean blogging: Over the years I have blocked many followers for their abusive comments which lacked sense and substance. The other day one regular blog follower said if I ban people for posting their opinion the way they want, then many people would leave the blog.
My reply: Tarmak007 is blog that painstakingly follows Journalism of Purpose. The blog’s primary goal is not to attract more Likes, Comments and Shares. But to be a balanced institution that would ensure that the next-generation of readers (especially youngsters) get on to a disciplined way of learning.
I have a young follower Athira Venu, a 12th Standard student, writing to me saying that it’s the clean content that’s driving more youngsters to Tarmak007. There could be more Athiras out there whom we should cater to. Care for.
All bloggers are facing this new-age phenomenon of abuse and absurd and the only way to keep these elements at bay is to block and ban. And, not to take on with counter-comment.
Being critical can’t be abusive. And, being abusive can’t be critical either. So, YOU are welcome to join my mission of chasing a dream of spreading good content, sans the muck!
Policy change: At this juncture I would like to share another important policy change on the blog from now on. In addition to aerospace and defence, you will soon find my reports on Indian politics and badminton – two new areas, now on my radar. I cannot keep opening new pages for different areas I write. So, Tarmak007 will be a home for all that I write, of which 85 per cent of the content will be on aerospace and defence. The rest politics, badminton and probably everything under the Sun, Moon and Mars!
It’s a great pleasure to wake up every day to survive. And, I need to write to survive, a challenge that I’ve been loving for the last 23 years as a journalist. Post birth of Tarmak007, this journey has been truly satisfying in YOUR company.
Thank You for believing in Tarmak007. It’s not a blog. It’s my life. Your life. Our life.
Bengaluru, April 05: Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that he has sought a whitepaper on the research activities of National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru.
Responding to a specific question from OneIndia on the status of NAL’s civil aircraft programme, the minister said he has asked Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) acting Director-General (Dr M O Garg) and NAL Director (Shyam Chetty) to make a white paper on the civil aircraft programme and other activities of NAL.
“I am of the opinion that we need to re-orient our research. The CSIR needs to definitely take a fresh look at the activities they have been doing in the last six decades,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and NAL have already formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to undertake a 70-90-seater civil aircraft programme on a public private partnership (PPP) model.
The SPV was necessitated after the much-hyped National Civil Aircraft Development (NCAD) programme was put to a slow death during the UPA-2 regime.
Bengaluru, April 01: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) successfully carried out the first flight of a Jaguar DARIN III upgraded ‘strike’ aircraft at its facilities in Bengaluru recently.
HAL officials confirmed to OneIndia that the first flight of the upgraded Jaguar ‘strike’ aircraft lasted for about 15 minutes.
The maiden flight was followed by another flight of the upgraded Jaguar that lasted for an hour on March 25 for an hour.
In November 2012 HAL had carried out the first flight of Jaguar DARIN III upgraded ‘maritime’ aircraft, with an unhappy Indian Air Force (IAF) wanting more features to be added on to the aircraft.
“The IAF had some concerns with the Mission Computer used in the maritime aircraft. It was of DARIN-II standard. We have now upgraded all possible systems on the aircraft as per the user requirement,” HAL Chairman T Suvarna Raju told OneIndia.
Three Jaguar prototypes (strike, maritime and trainer) have been set aside for testing the DARIN-III features. Raju says that HAL is mandated to upgrade 59 Jaguars that were inducted into the IAF, forming the original batch.
Bengaluru, March 16: A Sukhoi for India’s Aviation Capital -- Bengaluru? If the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has its way, an aircraft that can reach supersonic speeds would enter Bengaluru’s celebrated list of fighters enjoying permanent residency.
Sources confirm to OneIndia that the DRDO has already moved a paper to acquire a supersonic aircraft that will act as a FTB (Flying Test Bed).
A committee has already been set up to look into the possibilities of acquiring the FTB. In addition to members from the DRDO, the committee has representatives from the Indian Air Force and HAL. While Sukhoi is leading the fray, the advantages of MiG 29 are also being considered by the committee.
DRDO officials say that the modification work on Sukhoi done for launching the air version of BrahMos will come handy for DRDO.
“The BrahMos missile weighs around 2.5 tonnes while a Kaveri engine is around 1.22 tonnes. There are two pilots in a Su-30 MKI and one can easily monitor the engine and independently operate it,” the official said.
Bengaluru, Feb 28: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s maiden full-fledged budget gave India’s defence sector a hike of 9.46 per cent (Rs 2,46,727 crore) for the FY 2015-16. The increase of mere Rs 23,357 crore (current financial year estimates is Rs 2,22,370 crore) is seen as an indication of major policy changes this sector is likely to witness in the next six months.
The budget has disappointed those batting for more funds for the military modernisation. Even the SMEs and MSMEs too seem to be not jumping in joy yet, as they expected more from the Jaitley suitcase.
Bengaluru, Feb 25: Two days after curtains were drawn on the 10th edition of Aero India, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) seems to have got on to the task of analysing the inputs received from various stakeholders, exhibitors, foreign delegates, including the media, on the impact of the show and the idea called Make in India.
While Aero India 2015 was the first major opportunity for the MoD to source varied views on Make in India mission, sources confirm to OneIndia that the overall mood among the participants was that of hope and not despair.
With Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar going on record saying that the Centre is planning to roll out a dedicated ‘Make in India’ policy soon, these inputs are expected to be vital for the future flight of Indian’s aerospace and defence (A&D) sector.
While one section of the media jumped the gun and declared that the show failed to ink any significant deal (barring MoUs), and hence a ‘flop’, government sources say that mega deals are not announced at air shows.
“Aero India has always been an opportunity for companies to greet, meet and take their business ideas forward. This time we have taken it to another level, with ‘Make in India’ being the focus. We gave maximum opportunities to SMEs and MSMEs; and out of the 650 odd companies a major share of space was taken by them. It’s unfair to expect any magic from shows. The results will be known only in the next 6-8 months,” says a top official not wanting to be named. “It’s a good beginning,” he adds.
* Aero India 2015 has set benchmarks
* Some companies misused their desi tag
* Complaints from the foreign delegates
* Make in India idea needs a development model
* The Navy Model best bet for India
* Missing Naval and Army assets at show
* Where will be the next show be?
* DPR shows glimpses of change
Read the full report here: http://www.oneindia.com/india/inputs-from-aero-india-to-propel-mod-s-make-in-india-policy-future-shows-1665963.html
This the biggest recognition I have received so far. An award from Tarmak007 followers. Given during an informal get-together, post-Aero India 2015. My (late) Mom should be happy. Thank You Tarmak007 clan! I am indebted to your love and support.
Bengaluru, Feb 22:The metal birds have flown away. Curtains are drawn on Plane Carnival. The 10th edition of Aero India 2015, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 18, concluded at Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka today.
This year’s aerial extravaganza, branded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as the biggest ever show being hosted in South Asia, saw a record turn out on all fronts.
The number of visitors, participating nations, foreigndelegations, aircraft on both flying and static display, outdoor exhibits and floor area being used up by various companies -- all saw an increase during this year’s show.
This report appeared on OneIndia on 22 Feb 2015. Full report here: http://bit.ly/1EFqtWq
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Salam Kalam
We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us -- Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Onboard FDAJB
FDAJB is an initiative by Bangalore defence journalists to make reporting more professional. The members share information as much as possible, helping each other.
welcome to sree karthiyayani devi temple, one of the ancient places of workship in kerala. situated on the banks of the famous achankovil river, this temple, embedded with hundreds of eye-catching sculptures, was lately resurrected with the timely intervention of ASI after a prolonged legal battle by a group of well-wishers. it is located in kuttemperoor -- blogger's native -- in allappuzha district, kerala, south india. don't miss this enriching temple experience when you visit kerala, next. (click the image for a site visit.)
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