SP's Aviation November 2011

SARANG: Symphony in the Air

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News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India. 75.00 ( I ndi a -b ` Aviationwww.spsaviation.net november • 2011

+ • Environment & Commercial Aviation • Chartered Services in India • LCC Model - How Viable IAF • Business Aircraft Operators • C-130J Induction & Capacity Association Enhancement • Helicopters for Medevac • Sarang Team • NBAA 2011 • 79th Anniversary Celebrations • MMRCA Update • Selection of Apache • Training Mechanism Introspection RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199

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Table of Contents News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India. AviationIssue 11 • 2011 a plane and a partnership. C-130J. redefining capability and commitment.

38 IAF Special: 26 IAF Special: The Sarang team of the IAF has carried C-130Js delivery ahead of schedule out numerous displays in India and abroad has ushered a new era of Indo-US performing in more than 35 air shows relationship

Tecknow 47 Helicopter Selection 12 Fly Faster & Safer Cover Story One & Only 50 Air Force Day first 79 Going Strong 14 Manned Multicopter So Unique, So Special Show Report Since 1956, more than 40 Civil 54 NBAA variants of C-130 Hercules 15 Environment A Festive Affair The Way Forward have enhanced the tactical airlift capability of over 50 Hall of fame 19 Business Aviation 59 Bessie Coleman Charting a Path nations across the globe. The C-130J Super Hercules is 22 Helicopters Regular Departments Life Savers the latest in the series. • 5 A Word from Editor 24 Business Association SARANG: SYMPHONY IN THE AIR 6 NewsWithViews Growing Albeit Slowly SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION Results Soon

News Flies. We Gather Intelligence. Every Month. From India. 75.00 (INDIA-BASED BUYER ONLY) BUYER 75.00 (INDIA-BASED 49 Seminar Report ` Aviationwww.spsaviation.net NOVEMBER • 2011 8 InFocus The Decade Ahead Low-Cost Saddle IAF Special 9 Forum C-130J Super HerCuleS + Conflicting & Dogmatic THIS IS HOW • Environment & Commercial Aviation C-130J • Chartered Services in India 34 LCC Model - How Much Viable • IAF • Business Aircraft Operators • C-130J Induction & Capacity Association Enhancement 60 NewsDigest India’s C-130J Hercules • Helicopters for Medevac Sarang Team • • NBAA 2011 The C-130J is more than the aircraft that redefines airlift capability. It is a symbol of commitment and partnership. • 79th Anniversary Celebrations • MMRCA Update • Selection of Apache 36 C-130J • Training Mechanism Introspection 64 LastWord Configured and equipped to meet India’s needs. Meeting every development and delivery milestone on time Powering the IAF RNI NUMBER: DELENG/2008/24199 Train to Succeed SP's Aviation Cover 11 final.indd 1 11/11/11 12:58 PM and on budget. Building a foundation for long-term partnership is all a question of how. And it is the how that Sarang 38 Cover Photo: Lockheed Martin delivers. Symphony in the Air The C-130J will soon start training with the Garud Next Issue: 44 ALH Special Forces, Para Commandos & NSG Middle East & Business Aviation Glory in the Sky Image By: Anoop Kamath lockheedmartin.com/c130j

2 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net

301-62434_APlane_IAFS.indd 1 10/17/11 11:53 AM a plane and a partnership. C-130J. redefining capability and commitment.

THIS IS HOW C-130J Super HerCuleS The C-130J is more than the aircraft that redefines airlift capability. It is a symbol of commitment and partnership. Configured and equipped to meet India’s needs. Meeting every development and delivery milestone on time and on budget. Building a foundation for long-term partnership is all a question of how. And it is the how that Lockheed Martin delivers.

lockheedmartin.com/c130j

301-62434_APlane_IAFS.indd 1 10/17/11 11:53 AM Table of Contents

PLUS... Publisher And Editor-in-Chief design & LAYOUT Jayant Baranwal Senior Art Director: Anoop Kamath Designers: Vimlesh Kumar Yadav, Deputy Group editor Sonu Singh Bisht Prakash Chandra DIRECTOR SALES & MARKETING Assistant Group editor Neetu Dhulia R. Chandrakanth SALES & MARKETING Head Vertical Sales: Rajeev Chugh Senior Visiting Editor

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Chairman & Managing Director New Delhi 110 003, India. Jayant Baranwal Tel: +91 (11) 24644693, 24644763, 24620130 ADMIN & COORDINATION Fax: +91 (11) 24647093 Bharti Sharma Email: [email protected] Survi Massey Representative Office Owned, published and printed by BENGALURU, INDIA One and Only Jayant Baranwal, printed at 534, Jal Vayu Vihar 47 Kala Jyothi Process Pvt Ltd and Kammanhalli Main Road published at A-133, Arjun Nagar Bengaluru 560043, India. (Opposite Defence Colony), Tel: +91 (80) 23682534 New Delhi 110 003, India. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be MOSCOW, RUSSIA reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or LAGUK Co., Ltd., (Yuri Laskin) transmitted in any form or by any means, Krasnokholmskaya, Nab., photocopying, recording, electronic, or 11/15, app. 132, Moscow 115172, Russia. otherwise without prior written permission Tel: +7 (495) 911 2762 www.spguidepublications.com of the Publishers. Fax: +7 (495) 912 1260

4 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net A Word from Editor The C-130J package being provided by the US Government is said to be comprehensive. The airlifter has already been deployed in relief operations and the IAF is pleased as punch about its capabilities.

n the growing India-US relationship, President ment and A.K. Sachdev finds that China has scored over In- Barack Obama had put it succinctly, stating dia in the all-important initiative of harnessing indigenous that it is “one of the defining partnerships of biofuel production capability for addressing the long-term the 21st century”. Taking a cue from there, the necessity of replacing fossil fuels. US Department of Defense has embarked upon Talking about the Chinese, they swamped the annual strengthening defence relations with India. NBAA event at Las Vegas. LeRoy Cook reports how the 2011 Irrespective of the fall-out of the medium multi-role com- NBAA show will go down in history as the year of the Chi- Obat aircraft (MMRCA) deal in which the two US contenders— nese buyout, when billions of dollars in orders were placed Lockheed Martin and Boeing—did not make the grade, the for all sorts of business aircraft. US has come up with a very positive approach. While it has Unlike the Chinese growth, India’s business aviation in- made an offer for the joint strike fighter F-35, the US has dustry has also found momentum as Sucheta Das Mohapatra categorically stated that it remains committed to a broad de- finds out from the Business Aircraft Operators Association of fence trade relationship that enables transfers of “some of India which has forecast threefold increase. In a separate our most advanced technologies”. article, R. Chandrakanth mentions how the industry is gung- In this background, the IAF acquisition of six C-130J ho about the opportunities with Indian airports registering Super Hercules aircraft has to be seen. Joseph Noronha nearly 34 per cent more general aviation flights during the in his article dwells on what the C-130J Hercules aircraft last four years from 2006. We at SP’s Aviation hope that it is means for India. This is India’s first experience with the ‘good times’ for all! Happy landings! aircraft and the package being provided by the US Govern- ment is said to be comprehensive. The airlifter has already been deployed in relief operations and the IAF is pleased as punch about its capabilities. In a short span of time, the Sarang team of IAF has earned a name for itself as a professional display team. Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey speaks about the pride of the nation’s ‘symphony in the air’. Moving away from defence to commercial aviation, there is turbulence in the skies as the ‘King of Good Times’ is going through ‘bad times’. Financially strapped Kingfisher Air- lines has cancelled several of its flights ahead of the winter schedule, explaining that it was on ‘rejigging’ its aircraft, giving emphasis to ‘business class’. It was not long ago that Vijay Mallya’s airline had bought India’s pioneering low-cost airline Air Deccan, and rechristened it as ‘Kingfisher Red’ and ironically it remained in the red. While low-cost carriers in India seemingly are having a good run, Kingfisher Airlines has not been able to manage the operations of a full-service carrier and a low-cost carrier at the same time. Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia analyses on what went wrong Jayant Baranwal with the airline in “In Focus and Forum”. Publisher & Editor-in-Chief In this issue, we are trending on aviation and environ-

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 5 Photograph: Dassault Aviation NewsWithViews T Boeing’s F/A-18 SuperHornet, LockheedMartin’s F-16IN, shortlisted this April aftereliminatingothercompetitors –US and technicalevaluationsthat Rafaleand Typhoon hadbeen accepted inprinciple. sented before the DAC by DG Acquisition Vivek Rae, have been Dassault (Rafale)andEurofighterconsortium(Typhoon), pre- civil aviationsector. Itislearntthat theoffsetproposalfrom Indian company(s)engagedinmilitary, homelandsecurityor in India, eitheraloneorinjoint-venturepartnership(s) with reinvest morethan` the winningfirmwouldhaveto fixed at50percentwhichmeans the offsetobligationshavebeen industry. For the MMRCA deal, sentially in the domestic military by thevendorstospurgrowthes- ` tary purchasesworthmorethan of 30 per cent of all foreign mili- procurement norms, aminimum according to the Indian defence deal. As is well knownbynow, role combataircraft(MMRCA) associated withthemediummulti- highly controversialoffsetissues final decisiononthenigglingand is understoodtohavetakenthe Minister A.K. Antony Defence by standably so—thepanelheaded about theDAC decisions—under Ministry officialsaretight-lipped tive commercialroute. processed throughthecompeti- defence equipment, whichwere decades tofinalisedealsforother it hasasanormtakenovertwo over fouryearsisaremarkablefeatindeed, consideringthat then on, toreachthepointoffinalisationtenderinjust of issuingtherequestforproposal(RFP)onlyin2007. From (RFI) in2001, Indiandefenceestablishmentreachedthestage of ditheringsincetheissuancerequestforinformation Acquisition Council(DAC). Itmayberecalledthatafter years VIEWS 6 300 crore are to be reinvested 300 crorearetobereinvested fighter Typhoon whileDassault’s offerisits ‘omni-role’ Rafalejetfighter. companies. EADSCassidianand French Dassault—the twoshortlisted from European consortium EADS Cassidian has offered itsmulti-role Euro- cameadayafterthe assertion Acquisition CouncilledbyDefenceMinister A.K. Antony gaveitsgo-aheadfortheopeningofcommercialbids Air ChiefMarshalN.A.K. Browneontheoccasionof Air ForceDayhaddeclaredthatthenameofwinnerwillbeanouncedInNovember. Browne’s The bidsforIndia’s $10.4billiontenderfor126combataircraftwasopenedonNovember4, thoughthenameofwinnerisyettobedeclared. Results soon

It was only after a series of highly competitive field trials It wasonlyafteraseriesof highly competitivefieldtrials Even thoughtheDefence SP’S AVIATION who just the previous day had attended the Defence who justthepreviousdayhadattendedDefence of the Air Staff, Air ChiefMarshal ‘Charlie’ Browne— nonetheless trueasitcamedirectlyfromtheChief he newsma 22,000 crore 22,000 crore

y hav e surprisedmanybutitwas Issue 11•2011 - ‘New Year’gift. but tohopeforanexpeditious outcome—perhapsasaperfect of thefinalselectionwithbated breath, theIAFcoulddolittle 4, 2011. While theentiredefencecommunityawaitsresult Defence Ministry to open the ‘commercial bids’ on November representatives of the two companies had been invited by the lations includinglife-cyclecosts, etcthelatestbuzz wasthat to be a daunting task as it would also involve complexcalcu- to betheclinchingfactor. Butdetermining theL1couldprove as amulti-rolecombataircraft. As amatteroffact, Dassault proclaim—was designedanddevelopedfromthescratch multi-role combataircraft. The Rafale—itsmakersproudly with thelatesttrancheacquiringcharacteristicsofatrue since itsveryinceptionhasbeencontinuouslyimprovedupon would beneckandinthe ‘technology’ race. The Typhoon ary upgrades. There islittledoubtthatRafaleand Typhoon reached inthesamestatusonlythroughaseriesofevolution- Gripen, theotherswereessentiallymucholdermodelswhich Russian UAC’s MiG-35andSwedishSaabGripen. Apart from

SP —Air Marshal(Retd) V.K. Bhatia that eventually ‘L1’ mayturnout followed inearnest, wouldmean concerning fulltransparency, if Antony’s thirdandlastdirective them on the path of self-reliance. the desiredtechnologiestotake industry/IAF wouldhopefullyget would alsosuggestthattheIndian Acceptance ofoffsetsproposals at the start of the programme. three directiveslaidoutby Antony market, intunewithoneofthe tion aircraftavailableintheworld one ofthefinestfourthgenera- is selected, theIAFislikelytoget attack, etcinasinglesortie. tronic warfare(EW)andprecision fence, aerialreconnaissance, elec- multi-faceted taskssuchasairde- from southernItalycouldperform over LibyawithRafalesoperating ganisation (NATO) air campaign ongoing North Atlantic Treaty Or amply demonstrated during the role’ capabilities. These were calling itanMMRCA with ‘omni- coined anewtermforRafale, Irrespective of which aircraft Irrespective ofwhichaircraft www.spsaviation.net - There are lots of risky options in life. Choosing the LEAP engine isn’t one of them.

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SP_Aviation_LEAP_BULL_267x210.indd 1 11/10/2011 12:29 Photograph: Sp guide pubns InFocus O press and Alliance Air,press respectively. super mergerroutealongwith theirsubsidiaries Air IndiaEx- Indian (Indian Airlines) on the other hand went on a disastrous as Kingfisher Red. The national public carrier Air India and to operateasitslow-costmodel undertheKingfisherbrand fisher surreptitiouslyropedinandlaterboughtout Air Deccan jet. Competingneck-on-neckwithitsbiggerrival ‘Jet’, King- tening it asJetLite, the low-costarm of thefullservicecarrier Airways acquiredthefinanciallytroubled Air Sahara, rechris- lowing asimplermergerroute, theleadingprivate airlineJet successful. Nottobeleftoutofthislucrativesegment andfol- emerge onthescenesoonafterwhichitprovedtobehighly prompted threenewLCCs–IndiGo, SpiceJetand GoAir –to as thecommonman’s airline. The initialsuccess of Air Deccan Deccan in August 2003, alow-costcarrierconcept, alsoknown pioneered byCaptainG.R. Gopinathwiththelaunching of Air the low-costsegmentofairlinebusiness. This model was time whenalargenumberofprivateplayerswerecoming into incidentally hada10-yearleadonKingfisher. This wasalsothe come thesecondlargestprivateairlineafterJet Airways which its fleetsizeandoperationstobe- fisher Airlines quickly expanded of itsparent, theUBGroup, King- cy. Backedbythefinancialclout the government’s ‘open sky’poli- the frayasalsotakeadvantageof number ofprivateplayerstojoin growth forecastsluringalarge aviation scenario, with fantastic heady timeintheIndiancivil bus A320-200 aircraft. This was 2005 withafleetoffournew Air started commercialoperationsin Breweries (UB)Group. The airline of theBengaluru-basedUnited lished in 2003 by Mallya, head for airtravel. (FSC), asthepreferredmodels ground overfullservicecarriers ers (LCC)areseentobegaining as theworldoverlow-costcarri- plete surprise in the airline circle announcement cameasacom- cost operationsanylonger. The Red’, asitdidnotbelieveinlow- stop operationsof ‘Kingfisher that thecompanywouldsoon aviation industrybyannouncing bombshell ontheIndiancivil 8 Air Transpor

With themergersandrealignmentsinplace, what Kingfisher Airlines wasestab- SP’S AVIATION lya literally dropped a lya literallydroppeda Mal- fisher AirlinesVijay Chairman n September28, Low-Cost t

of King- Issue 11•2011 - incurred varying degrees incurred varyingdegrees The fact isthat allthree losses withinreasonablelosses losses anddebtburdens losses While Jet Airways has may have the crossed been able to keep the ‘mixed’ have carriers of cumulative losses. Airlines’ cumulative limits, Kingfisher $2 billionmark. in theblackcurrentyear. gantic orderof Airbus 320aircraftbutalsomanagedtostay another LCCwhichnotonlysurprisedthemarketwitha gi- five consecutiveprofitablequartersin2010-11. IndiGo was some ofthemevenmademoney. SpiceJet, forexample, had cost carriersnotonlyweatheredthefinancialstormwell, loss/debt burden. Incomparison, duringthis period, thelow reeling underanastronomical`67,000($14billion)crore Air Indiaisconcerned, lesssaidthebetter, withthecarrier have crossedthe`10,000crore($2billion+)mark. As faras fisher Airlines’ cumulativelossesanddebtburdensmay been able to keep the losses within reasonable limits, King - varying degreesofcumulativelosses. While Jet Airways has greater setbacksthanthepureLCC. Forum forsomeopinions/answers/options forthefuture. better thantheircounterparts offeringbothmodels? Turn to country, is, why is it that the pure low-cost carriers have fared cumstances andoperating environment prevailinginthe The question that looms large, given the sameset of cir The factisthatallthree ‘mixed’ carriershaveincurred Saddle

—Air Marshal(Retd) V.K. Bhatia mixed segmentwhichsuffered uation revealsthatitwasthe cope upwiththeemergentsit- on howdidthetwosegments heat more, butamarketstudy should havefeltthefinancial the operational costs, the LCCs their highervulnerabilitiesto operational costs. Becauseof vs. capacityratiosandhigh encing unfavourabledemand which werebynowexperi- ly affectedboththesegments, in aviation fuel prices adverse- lowed byunprecedentedhike global economicmeltdownfol- the LCC segment. The 2008-09 voury cutthroatcompetitionin tent. This resulted in an unsa- national carriertoalimitedex- also Air IndiaExpressofthe Konnect and Kingfisher Red as joining thefraywithJetLite/Jet IndiGo, SpiceJetandGoAir as manyfiveplayerswith LCC segmentgotcrowdedwith compete witheachother;the Kingfisher, atotalofthreeto had just the Air India, Jetand other. While theFSCsegment hand andpurelyLCConthe of FSC and LCC on the one line industryscenewasamix emerged onthedomesticair www.spsaviation.net

SP - - Air Transport Forum Conflicting & Dogmatic The dichotomy and the conflict between the two approaches is manifestly evident conveying a clear message to the industry that a full service and low-cost carrier are unlikely to coexist and prosper when operated by one airline under a common banner and brand. No one seems to have understood it better than the worst-affected, deeply in the red Kingfisher Airlines.

ooking back at the history of civil avia- tain G.R. Gopinath had the vision of taking air travel to the tion in India, one is taken down the memory teeming masses of India. He dreamt of each and every in- lane fondly remembering the Tata’s Air India of dividual in India to experience the joy of air travel at least the yore. That was the time when air travel the once in their lifetime. He matched the ‘vision’ with deed by world over was synonymous with wealth and offering low-cost air fares and reaching out to Tier-II/III cit- luxury. Air India was no exception—going to the ies in the country creating air-bridges to bigger metros. The extent of sporting a heavily moustached portly and efferves- ‘no frills service’ model borrowed from the West proved to Lcent Maharaja with a jewelled turban as its logo—symbolis- be highly successful in India as it genuinely brought air trav- ing luxurious elegance, courteous service coupled with gen- el from the confines of the high-income group individuals to erous hospitality. The turbaned ‘Maharaja’ may have taken within affordable reach of the common man. To highlight his a hit in later years after the airline was nationalised, but vision, Gopinath went to the extent of adopting cartoonist throughout it remained a full service carrier (FSC). Post the R.K. Laxman’s age-old concept of “common man”—attired ‘open sky’ policy in the 1990s with private players entering in a simple chequered shirt and white loincloth, carrying the airline sector, all carriers remained ‘full-service’ till the his worldly belongings in a potli (small bundle) hanging beginning of the new millennium. by a staff over his shoulder—as the carrier’s symbol. Befit- It was in 2003 that Air Deccan was launched, the very tingly, Air Deccan’s logo consisted of stretched human palms

Photogra p hs: Sp guide ubns first ‘low-cost carrier’ in the Indian skies. Its founder, Cap- joined together to give the impression of a flying bird, and

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 9 Air Transport

its motto—‘simplifly’. Gopinath came from an austere back- stipulated by the government for domestic airlines before ground that included initial schooling in a village, a short granting them permission to operate overseas. In succes-

Forum stint in the Army, a shot at farming and running of a small sive moves after the acquisition, Air Deccan was changed to hotel in Hassan before he took the plunge at a low-cost air- ‘Simlyfly Deccan’ and then to Kingfisher Red. This paved the line. He ran his ‘budget’ airline with matching austerity, in- way for Kingfisher Airlines to start international operations troducing innovative ideas in every possible sphere to cut as early as 2008, something that Mallya was itching for. But operating costs to the maximum possible. He was able to sell the acquisition exercise also resulted in him being saddled cheap tickets because of the ‘no frills’ policies. There was no with a LCC model, against the very grain of character, ethos pampering of passengers during flights. His crews did not and work culture of the ‘king of good times’. stay in five-star hotels but when required, night-halted in This brings to the fore the complex issues related to the the airline’s own guest houses located in pre-selected desti- management of two separate models—FSC and LCC—with- nations. With his ‘out of the box’ ticketing methods, he was in one airline. Operating paradigms and cultures of the two able to regularly fill the seats on his flights with unheard of models are vastly different with each having its own set of load-factors and thus ensure profitability of a high order. problems and solutions. Rahul Bhatia, who runs the now The success of Air Deccan literally triggered a revolu- famous for its staggering orders of Airbus 320 aircraft In- tion in the airline industry in India with a large number of diGo LCC, when asked to comment on the Kingfisher-Deccan airlines jumping on the low-cost carrier (LCC) bandwagon merger during one of his interviews, said, “I don’t know real- bringing in their wake a somewhat unsavoury competition ly. If you look around the world, more often than not, mergers and a price war. Air Deccan could have still survived and end up being zero-sum games. The benefits of consolidation in all probability emerged victorious in the long-run basi- tend to get mitigated by the cultural mismatch of the differ- cally because of its simple ethos and austere work culture; ent entities that get merged.” Bhatia runs IndiGo like a tight except that it did not have financial resources to weather the ship through its President Aditya Ghosh who admires Rahul ‘competition’ on its own. In the event, it was taken over by Bhatia for his “unparalleled entrepreneurial skills” and guts its very saviour with deep pockets—the Kingfisher Airlines. to be able to think “out of the box”. It is remarkable that when In comparison consider Vijay Mallya, Chairman of the the pure LCCs in India are forever thinking ways and means world famous United Breweries (UB) and one of the richest to cut costs; for example switching off navigation lights after persons globally, launched the Kingfisher Airlines in 2003— take-off on a clear day to save the life of bulbs; taxiing on the same year Gopinath came up with Air Deccan—but with one engine after landing to save a few litres of fuel; imple- a totally different vision. True to his own flamboyant and menting weight-reduction plans such as taking only as much effervescent lifestyle, Mallya did not want anything but the fuel as required for a particular leg with only the mandatory best for his airline too. Named after one of the best sell- reserves, no magazines or papers on board, et al; Kingfisher ing brands of beer, UB’s Kingfisher, ‘the king of good times’ goes to the extent of extending its King Club frequent flyers Mallya wanted Kingfisher passengers—nay, his guests—to programme to its LCC as well, allowing passengers travelling ‘fly for good times’. His was to be a ‘full service’ airline and on Kingfisher Red to also earn King Miles and redeem them more. He ordered the best of the airplanes, and provided for free tickets on Kingfisher or partner airlines. special travel experience to his guests with better and more It is clear that in this business you can either build rela- comfortable seats and superb in-flight service with a per- tionships or provide cheap but on-time and efficient air travel. sonal eye for the detail. When operations began in 2005, Raghavan, a former Accenture executive, says that LCCs by his was the first airline in India to provide in-flight enter- the very nature of their business cannot be interested in build- tainment (IFE) system on every seat even on all its domes- ing relationships. “The focus is to keep operating costs down tic flights. In a short span of time after starting operations, to bare bones. These guys (LCCs) don’t want a relationship Kingfisher Airlines was able to create a unique brand name with the customer. They want a customer who is very price- for itself, grabbing a major chunk of the ‘full service’ seg- sensitive and wants to be dropped from point A to point B.” ment in India’s airline industry. Kingfisher became one of The dichotomy and the conflict between the two ap- the only seven airlines worldwide to be awarded five-star proaches is manifestly evident conveying a clear message to rating by Skytrax. More recently, it also bagged the Skytrax the industry that a full service and low-cost carrier are un- award for India’s best airline of the year 2011. The very likely to coexist and prosper when operated by one airline brand name ‘Kingfisher’ began to be associated with its under a common banner and brand. No one seems to have motto “fly for good times” as the airline not only ensured understood it better than the worst-affected, deeply in the comfortable travel for its ‘guests’ but also spoiled them with red Kingfisher Airlines with Mallya making the final choice, ‘goodies’ and many ‘extras’. “We believe there are more than enough guests who pre- The big question is why would an airline which went the fer to travel the full-service Kingfisher Class and that shows extra mile to create a special niche for itself in the FSC seg- through in our performance where the load factors in this ment even think of getting into the LCC segment? Its coming class are more than in Kingfisher Red.” into fashion could not be the only reason for an astute busi- By jettisoning Kingfisher ‘Red’, it is hoped that Mallya will ness tycoon such as Mallya to blindly go for it. One reason be able to fully concentrate on his very special FSC ‘niche’ could be that Gopinath’s cash-strapped Air Deccan was easy brand he created with such care and detail. This will not and ready for the plucking. But the greatest attraction for only reestablish Kingfisher Airlines firmly on its award win- Mallya was perhaps the opportunity it gave him to expand ning ways but also help put it in the ‘black’, something the Kingfisher’s business on international routes without wait- company has been yearning for since its very inception. SP ing for the mandatory five years of in-country operation as — Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia

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liver VTOL LLC has announced a Hexplane (FCS) payloads. It is estimated that the JHL aircraft would Heavy Lift (HHL) concept that has the potential to cost $200 million (`1,000 crore) each or more. meet the military’s need for a new, large, vertical Oliver VTOL’s Hexplane HHL concept was filed in a US take-off and landing (VTOL) transport aircraft. Patent office application on September 12, 2011. The air- OBased on the company’s innovative six-engine “Hex- craft has three wings and six rotating propulsion units with plane” technology, the Oliver VTOL HHL concept could be a a payload capability similar to the cargo capacity of a Lock- strong contender to meet the requirements of the military’s heed C-130J-30. Based on early analyses and flight simu- joint vertical aircraft task force (JVATF). The joint heavy lift lations, the Hexplane HHL would fly above 25,000 feet at (JHL), Army heavy lift (AHL) and the heavy lift replacement cruise speeds greater than 720 kmph with ranges exceeding (HLR) requirements have continually changed since the 1,500 miles. The Hexplane HHL landing requirements are quad tilt rotor (QTR) was proposed in 1999, mainly due to significantly smaller than current QTR JHL concepts, a key

Photogra p hs: O liver VTOL the growth in the military’s planned future combat system factor in the ability of a heavy lift VTOL.

12 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net load of 1,000 pounds, 1,000 statute speed of 650 kilometres per hour. This is a capability that the Defense Advanced Re- search Projects Agency (DARPA) has challenged the aviation industry to accomplish. The US Patent office published Richard Oliver’s patent application for the Hexplane on July 14, 2011. The company expects to receive a patent for the aircraft in the next 12 to 18 months. The Hexplane’s capabilities have been validated in a report issued by DAR Corporation, Lawrence. The sci- entific advisors for the report were President of DAR Corpo- ration Dr Willem Anemaat; University of Kansas Professor Emeritus Dr Jan Roskam, founder of DAR; and Penn State “Regardless of the payload capacity, the Hexplane JHL Boeing Professor Emeritus Dr Barnes W. McCormick. and other Hexplane heavy lift variants will fly faster, further Oliver VTOL officials believe that the Hexplane technol- and safer to more places than any current heavy lift VTOL ogy could be used in both manned and unmanned flight concept on the market today,” said Richard Oliver, founder operations for the military. The aircraft could be used as and chief executive officer of Oliver VTOL. an air ambulance because its speed and range would al- The HHL concept follows on the heels of Oliver VTOL’s low the transport of patients faster and further to access announcement last month of the Hexplane. Like the Hex- more trauma centres than currently possible, particularly plane, the HHL version can continue to perform full gross from remote locations. SP weight vertical operations if a propeller, engine or a gearbox fails—the first VTOL designed with these capabilities. A planned Hexplane technology demonstrator is expect- E-mail your comments to: ed to have a ceiling greater than 35,000 feet and carry a [email protected]

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 13 irst F

F Manned Multicopter

It is simpler in construction and mechanics than a helicopter and safer as it can land even with up to four of its motors failed

erman aircraft company e-volo has sent the it can land even with up to four of its motors failed, and its world’s first manned flight of an electric multicopter. propellers experience much less wear. Onboard computers It is the larger version of the quadracopters’ with running custom firmware control the rotational speed of the the number of propellers (and accompanying mo- propellers, dictating the attitude (horizontal orientation to Gtors) increased from four to sixteen. The multicopter runs the ground), altitude and direction of travel of the aircraft. on lithium batteries and is operated with a joystick, and can The e-volo team is also working on a commercial ver- sustain trips up to 30 minutes, depending on payload and sion of the manned multicopter, likely to be in the market battery capacity. within few years. The company states that a gas/electric hy- The flight took place at an airstrip in southwest Germany brid model is a possibility to increase flight time to at least and lasted for one and a half minutes. Thomas Senkel, the de- an hour. SP signer/builder of the multicopter, piloted the aircraft from a centre-mounted seat, using a handheld wireless control unit. According to the company, the multicopter is simpler in E-mail your comments to: [email protected] Photogra p h: e-volo construction and mechanics than a helicopter and safer as

14 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Civil Environment The Way Forward India needs to exploit its vast geographic expanse for cultivation of biofuel crops, while it’s globally acknowledged brain bank works on research to channelise biofuels into aviation. This would make commercial aviation less expensive, not only by providing alternatives to ever-costlier fossil fuels but also through neutralisation of market mechanisms targeting aviation impact on environment.

positive initiatives: Airbus 320NEO has an expected fuel consumption reduction of around 15 per cent over its original avatar

By Group Captain (Retd) A.K. Sachdev Hone yw e ll & Air C hi na Boe i n g, P h o t gr a phs: Air B us,

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 15 civil Environment

n October 24, the US House of Representatives change costs. Its effect on international aviation which is soon passed a legislation prohibiting the US aircraft op- going to be adversely affected by it is impending, because in erators from participating in the European Emis- January 2009, the EU published Directive 2008/101/EC which sions Trading Scheme (ETS). The overwhelming confirmed that aviation would be included in the EU ETS from voice vote approving the ETS Prohibition Act was January 1, 2012, onwards. EU’s wisdom dictates that to avoid a significant milestone, not just in the longstanding distortions of competition and improve environmental effec- trade war between the US and Europe, but also in the ongo- tiveness, emissions from all flights arriving at and departing Oing global cogitation on the subject of environment. Despite from EU aerodromes, are to be included in EU ETS. While non- financial volatility that appears to afflict almost every nation, European aircraft operators view the ETS as an arbitrary and commercial airports and aircraft carriers across the world are unjust violation of international law that disadvantages all air under tremendous pressure to increase the quantum of pas- carriers other than Europeans; the European Union iterates senger (and cargo) operations on account of rising demand. that EU law is a non-discriminatory first step to tackling pol- This increase in demand has raised concerns amongst groups lution from airlines, and was enacted several years ago after and some other communities that the result could be detrimen- countries spent a dozen years failing to agree on a programme tal to the environment at large. While the three environmental in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to cut carbon pollution. Despite mounting international pressure, EU has strongly signalled that it would not relent on imposing emissions taxes on foreign carriers starting from January 1, 2012. In 2009, American, United and Continental Airlines and innovative technology: Boeing’s use of composites on the the Air Transport Association (ATA) had appealed against the dreamliner reduces the number ETS in the UK, the EU member state to which the US carriers of components needed on the most frequently fly. On October 6, 2009, the Advocate General aircraft and improves aerodynamic performance of the European Court of Justice issued a provisional ruling de- nying the appeal. The ruling disappointed not only the ATA but also the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which is supportive of measures to reduce aviation emissions, but maintains that emissions trading or any other approach must be a global scheme under the leadership of ICAO. To understand the impact of commercial aviation on environment, it is important to iterate some scientifically proven figures. Global climate change is a direct result of the presence of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the lower atmosphere. The GHG which is of maximum impact on climate change is carbon di-

oxide (CO2). Aviation accounts for only about two per cent of the total global CO2 emissions and about 12 per cent of CO2 emissions from all transportation sources. Aviation also pro-

duces non-CO2 emissions which include water vapour, nitro- gen oxides, sulphur oxides, hydrocarbons and black carbon (soot)—the majority of these are emitted at altitudes between

26,000 and 40,000 feet. The CO2 emissions from aviation, along with negligible amounts of water vapour, are the only GHG attributable to aviation—commercial or non-commercial; all the other aviation related emissions are not challenges posed by aviation—climate Airbus and reckoned as GHG by themselves. Quan- change, air quality and noise—are a titatively, 95 per cent of CO2 emissions small fraction of the big picture which Boeing, the come from aircraft in the air while the includes all industries; environmental rest can be attributed to aircraft on issues related to aviation tend to get two giants in ground and also other aviation related more than their fair share of attention the aviation emissions like energy use in airport in environmental debates. Moreover, as terminals, surface transport and infra- every environmental initiative related world, are structure development (construction, to aviation has a cost attached to it, it etc). As can be seen in terms of propor- is natural for commercial aviation to already working tion, aviation is a small contributor to view environmental proposal as mili- industriously on climate change. However, as aviation tating with the ‘mission’ of maximising tends to be viewed as an elitist activity returns on investments. technology to as opposed to other industrial activity Europe has led the environment reduce emissions that universally benefits mankind, the related campaign in respect of aviation attention aviation related environment through the ETS, a market based miti- issues get is disproportionate to their gation mechanism to combat climate influence on climate change.

16 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net civil Environment

alternative sources: A Honeywell-operated Gulfstream G450 that took off from New Jersey in june 2011 and landed seven hours later in Paris became the first aircraft to fly from North America to Europe on a 50-50 blend of biofuel and petroleum- based jet fuel

In India, the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA), going into the details of the actual fuel conservation meth- as the agency responsible for air transport services and for ods contained in the circular, a point worth noting is that enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthi- most of the options suggested in the DGCA circular have ness, recognised the slowly but gradually intensifying global already been implemented by airlines since 2003 (due to pressure on aviation with respect to environment and thus the preponderance of the low-cost model in India). Residual established an Environment Unit in 2009. The stated objec- gaps if any were filled stringently when the bleeding and tives of the Environment Unit are to help aviation stakehold- cash-strapped airlines were assailed by the 2008 economic ers in India in reducing carbon footprints through feasible downturn. Thus there is not much scope for any worthwhile and economical measures. In August 2010, DGCA issued a emission cuts by pursuing those fuel conservation measures circular on “voluntary measures for overall improvement that airlines have been employing in search of making oper- in fuel efficiency and co-benefit of reduction of GHG emis- ations less expensive. As can be expected, there is not much sions in the Indian aviation sector”. The goals of these vol- on the ground for the Environment Unit to show as results. untary measures are based on the metric of fuel efficiency As mentioned, the proportional impact of aviation on cli- (defined as fuel/revenue tonne kilometre) and the airlines mate change is around two per cent of the total. However, it are expected to improve upon their fuel efficiency every is important to understand that this share is going to grow year. The circular is, in turn, based on an ICAO circular on in the foreseeable future. The reasons for this prediction are “operational opportunities to minimise fuel use and reduce twofold: first, aviation is expected to grow in the years to come emissions” which focuses on a compilation of operational (all sorts of rosy figures are being quoted optimistically), and measures designed at achieving near-term reductions in air- second, the other sectors will “decarbonise” faster than avia- craft emissions and those in supporting ground operations. tion due to the lower cost of environmental initiatives related The underlying philosophy appears to be that the most ef- to them. Perhaps there is a lesson for commercial aviation fective way to minimise aircraft emissions is to minimise the stakeholders worldwide in UK’s “Sustainable Aviation” initia- fuel used in operating each flight. It identifies areas where tive. Launched in 2005, it brings together four key sectors of improvements can be made based on the knowledge gained aviation industry—aerospace manufacturers, airlines, air- by the civil aviation industry. While DGCA and the Minis- ports and air traffic management providers. This integrated try of Civil Aviation appear to be convinced that emission approach permits synergetic alignment and full exploitation of reduction is an imperative, airlines are not convinced that technology while permitting at a reasonable pace the pursuit the circular would achieve that laudable objective. Without of steps to reduce environmental consequences of aviation.

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 17 civil Environment

in the right direction: Air China and Boeing in collaboration with Chinese and US aviation energy partners conducted China’s first sustainable biofuel flight

Airbus and Boeing—the two giants viability of using sustainable aviation in the aviation world—are already The biofuel sourced in China. More sig- working industriously on technology proportional nificantly, it was an indication of the to reduce emissions. The high car- fact that China had scored over India bon composite content of the Boeing impact of in the all important initiative of har- Dreamliner and the Airbus 320neo aviation on nessing indigenous biofuel production with an expected fuel consumption re- capability for addressing the long- duction of around 15 per cent over its climate change is term necessity of replacing fossil fuels. original avatar, are two visible initia- around two per India needs to heed this aspect and tives. Many more continue to grapple exploit its vast geographic expanse with the cacophony about environ- cent of the total. for cultivation of biofuel crops, while mental concerns. In India, we have But this share is it’s globally acknowledged brain bank some lessons to learn from our closest works on research to channelise bio- neighbour and rival China. In October, going to grow in fuels into aviation. The result would Air China and Boeing in collaboration make commercial aviation less ex- with Chinese and US aviation energy the foreseeable pensive—not only by providing alter- partners conducted China’s first sus- future. natives to ever-costlier fossil fuels but tainable biofuel flight. The two-hour also through neutralisation of market mainland flight from Beijing Capital mechanisms targeting aviation impact International Airport highlighted the on environment. SP

18 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Civil Business Aviation

surging ahead: cessna has 31 aircraft registered in india

Charting a Pat h As infrastructure for charter business improves and liberalised regulations are in place, the segment will expand further. In India, the constraints are many, albeit getting unlocked at a slow pace as the policymakers are still in a world knotted in bureaucratic tangles.

ost-World War II, a sur- By R. Chandrakanth, an affordable price. Not to forget the plus of aircraft saw the birth of choice of aircraft, although mostly the air charter companies in Eu- Bangalore small aircraft. rope and the US, and over the The National Business Aviation years, air charter has evolved Association (NBAA) has listed many into a business tool for execu- benefits of private aircraft/charter ser- tives for whom ‘time is money’. vice and they include saving employee PAir charter is the business of renting time, increasing productivity en route, an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats on minimising non-business hours away from home, ensuring

kamath / Sp guide p ubns & anoo p kamath H awker viation, a scheduled airline. While traditional airlines or scheduled industrial security, maximising personal safety and peace operators are in the business of selling transportation by of mind, exercising management control over efficient, reli- the seat, air charter companies or non-scheduled operators able scheduling, projecting a positive corporate image, and assault A assault focus on individual private aircraft and itineraries, urgent charging the entrepreneurial spirit. on time-sensitive cargo, air ambulance and any other form It is only in the last two decades that air charter, air of ad hoc air transportation. taxi and corporate aviation have made tremendous strides The benefits of air charter operations are many. It avoids and the segment is growing fast, riding on factors such as time-consuming departures/transfers at congested airports; tourism; executive travel; high net worth individuals, etc. reaches more airports than scheduled operators; ground Across all markets, the shift is clear from the beginning

essna, D Photogra p hs: C essna, services tagged along with charter service and often at when mostly large companies or only the wealthy invested

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 19 civil Business Aviation in private jets. Now several compa- According to ing professionals such as pilots, main- nies have their own aircraft and there tenance and flight planners, etc. Most is a proliferation of business charter Frost & Sullivan, multinational corporations (MNCs) go companies, thriving on the growth of for a mix of flying their executives—fly executive and leisure travel. Indian airports them on company aircraft; use charter Private jet manufacturers are registered nearly operators; and scheduled airlines. gung-ho about the prospects of char- The way business jet operations ter business and are making available 34 per cent more are growing; new models are evolv- aircraft to suit their business needs. general aviation ing, one of which is aircraft manage- As infrastructure for charter business ment contract. It is a hybrid version improves and liberalised regulations flights during of air charter with full ownership. In are in place, the segment will expand the last four this model, the aircraft is owned by further. In India the constraints are an individual or corporation, but its many, albeit getting unlocked at a slow years operations are sourced out to certified pace as the policymakers are still in a operators, similar to the management world knotted in bureaucratic tangles. contracts of hotels and hospitals. Despite such system flaws, the There is also the option of fractional growth of air charter business is mov- ownership, a la timeshare in resorts. ing north as there are many drivers. In the US, it is reported there are The NBAA in a report has stated that over 1,000 charter operators and the foremost reason for the growth of charter operations has about 5,000 public-use airports are interconnected, thus been the perception that there is increased productivity of giving convenient access to executive and leisure travel. In personnel. Executives can conduct business en route in com- Europe, it is estimated that there are over 2,000 airports fort and privacy. It is perceived that charters do reduce stress and only 10 per cent is tapped by the scheduled operators, that is generally associated with travelling on scheduled air- the rest by non-scheduled operators. lines. Companies can now fly their executives on charter to destinations where scheduled airlines do not operate. Visits Indian scenario to company plants, offices, clients, offshore, etc can be done In India, Taj Air pioneered charter aviation in 1993. It is through charter aircraft as connectivity has become a key is- now globally recognised as a good executive charter airline sue in expanding business operations. Smaller airports have service. Its jets fly to over 150 airports in 56 countries and facilitated such connectivity. within India, Taj Air connects to over 130 destinations. By using air charter, companies now have the ability and Subsequently, a number of charter companies have start- flexibility to choose any operator and the aircraft type to ed operations in India, offering executive charter, leisure meet their business needs. It certainly is cost-efficient, but to- charter flights, heli-sightseeing, heli-skiing, charter flights tally dependent on charter aircraft availability and the qual- for pilgrimage, for film shooting, cargo, air ambulance, etc. ity of the service provided. Many big multinational corpora- However, this growth has not been commensurate with the tions and other conglomerates have their own aircraft, thus substantial increase in the number of private business jet giving enormous control over operations, but this is highly aircraft and helicopters. The number of non-scheduled op- capital intensive as it involves setting up a flight division, hir- erators in India as of September 30, 2011, according to the

MAJOR PLAYERS: DASSAULT FALCON 7x (left) and hawker 200 aircraft

20 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net civil Business Aviation

MAking a mark: bell 429 (left) and kingfisher airlines ec-155 b1

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is 133 with 388 ties have started looking at facilities for general aviation or aircraft including helicopters. non-schedule flights and they include setting up of full-fledged Rohit Kapur, President of the Business Aircraft Opera- fixed based operations (FBOs). Delhi and Mumbai airports tors Association (BAOA), predicts that the number of private have FBOs and there is work going on at other airports too. aircraft is expected to soar to 2,000 by 2020, indeed a high- One of the major hindrances in growth has been taxa- growth figure. This, he believes, will be spurred from de- tion. The government charges 25 per cent customs duty on mand emanating from Tier-II and Tier-III cities which are the import of business aircraft and too many agencies are getting connected to the big cities. involved in licensing a charter aircraft such as the Minis- Compared to India, in the US, there are over 11,000 he- try of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the licopters and thousands of private aircraft in commercial Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, etc. It or private use. With India’s humongous population and its takes six to eighteen months to acquire an aircraft (new or buoyant economy, air charter business is expected to soar used) from the query to acquisition stage. The approval list in the coming years. Dhiraj Mathur, Executive Director and is long—from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the civil leader (Aerospace & Defence), PriceWaterhouseCoopers aviation regulator to security clearance and parking rights. India, has said, “High taxes, limited infrastructure support Unfortunately, though there has been a substantial in- in terms of hangar facilities and increased airport capac- crease in the number of private business jet aircraft and he- ity, combined with frequent curfews in major cities limit the licopters, no single player has entered the air charter market availability of operating slots for chartered jets.” (non-scheduled operations) in a dedicated way. Most of the air The survival and growth of the air charter operators operate with one or charter market in India will depend two aircraft or helicopters and are not on high utilisation of the available able to optimise their fleet utilisation, as fleet which would allow operators Private jet it is not perceived as a serious business to reduce rates and thus make these for them. It is time that ‘air charter’ is services affordable to a larger section manufacturers seen as a dedicated business, which of our population and encourage the are gung- would need substantial investments as use of aircraft for various purposes. demand for air connectivity is coming According to research and consulting ho about the from mid-tier firms in relatively remote firm Frost & Sullivan, Indian airports places such as Aurangabad, Coim- registered nearly 34 per cent more prospects of batore, Tirupur, Surat and Lucknow. general aviation flights during the last charter business “Private aviation in India is going four years from 2006. to boom long-term. Nothing is going to The Indian charter fleet is domi- and are making stop it,” said Todd Hattaway, Regional nated by Hawker Beechcraft (35), available aircraft Sales Director (India), Hawker Beech- Cessna (31) and Bombardier (24), craft, which set up its India office last holding about 66 per cent of the mar- to suit their year. Today, there are 99 orders in the ket share, while the remaining is ac- business needs pipeline for private aircraft. A large counted for by Dassault Falcon, Gulf- number of them are from mid-tier com- stream, Embraer, Airbus and Boeing. panies. Enormous opportunities exist; Only in some airports, the authori- they only need to be unlocked. SP

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 21 Civil Helicopters

pioneer in hems: Eurocopter Ec-145 in action

Life Savers Accidents, disasters, emergencies occur without warning and often in locations not accessible by road. It is here that helicopter has a distinct advantage over all other modes of transport as it provides the quickest and the easiest means of transportation to and from the location of the disaster.

he term medical evacu- By R. Chandrakanth, cal personnel such as from a ship to a ation (medevac) refers to the shore-based hospital. The practice has timely, speedy and efficient Bangalore its origin in the Australian Royal Fly- conveyance of an individual or ing Doctor Service established in 1928 individuals in need of urgent to bring the doctors to the patients and medical attention, by a motor the patients to the hospitals from re- vehicle, fixed-wing aircraft or helicop- mote outback. The immense potential Tter, modified as an ambulance with the of the practice was truly realised with wherewithal to provide definitive medical supervision and the development of the helicopter. care en route. The aim of the exercise is rapid transporta- In the US military terminology, medevac is often differenti- tion of seriously ill or injured persons, particularly trauma ated from casevac (casualty evacuation) which generally refers patients, from their location or from the accident site to a to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield. The es- medical facility such as a hospital. This term also covers sential difference between the two is that in the case of casevac, the transfer of patients from the battlefield to a treatment medical equipment on board the vehicle is limited and hence

P hotograph: wikicommons facility or from one treatment facility to another by medi- medical care en route, if available, may only be at a significantly

22 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net civil Helicopters lower level. The US Army pioneered this lifesaving technique across the country has been felt for some time, progress in using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters in Burma towards the end of this regard has been somewhat tardy. But there is now grow- World War II. Wounded soldiers were able to receive complete ing awareness for the need to have dedicated HEMS in a na- medical treatment after only a short helicopter flight. In this tion with a population of over a billion. Currently, there are a context, the helicopters employed are essentially combat air- handful of companies in India providing round-the-clock air craft capable of landing in “hot zones” in hostile conditions in ambulance services with doctor and nurse on board. Some which medevac helicopters would normally not operate. of these offer facility for the transfer of patients with cardiac emergencies, transplant cases or patients who are ventilator Helicopter Emergency Medical Services dependent. Deccan Aviation, International SOS, Em SOS, air The helicopter modified as “air ambulance” has proved its ver- ambulance and a few others are operators in India and are satility in the medevac role time and again, being a life-saver. gaining recognition as their services have been invaluable. OSS Accidents, disasters, emergencies occur without warning and Air Management, the service provider of one of the world’s often in locations not accessible by road. It is here that helicop- leading helicopter manufacturer for India, AgustaWestland of ters have a distinct advantage over all other modes of trans- Italy, plans to import Agusta helicopters especially modified for port as these provide the quickest and the easiest means of emergency medical services in India. transportation to and from the location of the disaster. Analysis Apart from the high investments required in such facili- of data related to disaster management around the world indi- ties across the country, its operations are also perceived as cates that swift response with helicopters has proved to be the cost-prohibitive. Also, as the concept is new to Indian civil most effective. Over 1,800 helicopter sorties were flown during aviation, there would be regulatory issues that would have the Chernobyl disaster; and during the earthquake in Los An- to be addressed. Earlier this year, Eurocopter announced an geles, helicopters were deployed within minutes. In both these HEMS project for India. Dr Erwin Stople, co-founder of Euro- instances, countless lives were saved. However, more effective pean HEMS and Chief Flight Surgeon and Medical Director of and efficient response to emergency is possible if the helicop- Germany’s ADAC Air Rescue, a stalwart in the field of HEMS, ters employed are appropriately equipped for such a role. during his visit to India in this connection said, “India urgent- In the developed world, there are organisations dedicated ly needs dedicated HEMS to cater to large populations spread to this task and are designated as helicopter emergency med- across the vast region. The need of the hour is to step up ical services (HEMS). A machine employed for HEMS is in investment in building pan-India network and infrastructure the nature of highly sophisticated “air ambulance”. It has on to promote HEMS.” Eurocopter is planning a pilot project for board, an intensive care unit (ICU) as also specialised equip- a pan-India network with the help of a consortium of government to care for trauma patients. To be certified for HEMS, ment institutions, private hospitals and other stakeholders. the machines need to conform to the protocol laid down by Eurocopter is the pioneer in this field offering helicopters the regulatory authorities of the country it is operating in. In which have been ‘designed’ specifically for HEMS, complete the US, over the last two decades, the number of helicopters with large cabin, rear and side access for easier stretcher dedicated to HEMS has trebled reaching nearly 900. loading, protected tail rotor and the lowest noise signature in HEMS help save lives, permanent disabilities and long the world. Eurocopter helicopters are also the best-suited for medical treatment in the case of stroke or heart attack, if high-altitude medical rescue missions. They have been part appropriate action is taken in the “golden hour”. As said by of many rescue missions across the globe over different and Dr G. Sairamanan, critical care expert from Chennai, “The difficult terrain. Currently, Eurocopter commands 80 per cent golden hour is the first hour of the medical event wherein the of the market worldwide. As per Michael Rudolph, head of human body system goes haywire and immediate reversals HEMS in Eurocpoter, “India has emerged as a mature market are required to prevent irreversible damage, and in case of especially for new age medical facilities. Hence, the improve- trauma to prevent irreparable damage maiming or disability.” ment of the medical scene, including the implementation of Thus timely evacuation and medical attention can enhance helicopter air ambulance services starting with urban cities the chances of preventing fatality. “Time like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and saved is a life saved”, is therefore, the Bangalore will become one of the most credo of air ambulance services. demanding projects in the next de- Eurocopter is cades. It’s a national challenge and re- The Indian Scene sponsibility that both the government In India, currently, it is primarily the the pioneer in institutions and the private medical armed forces that are called upon to de- society must face.” Operators, helicop- ploy helicopters to provide air evacua- this field offering ter manufacturers are now gearing up tion in the event of natural or man-made helicopters to support implementation of HEMS disasters. However, these machines are in India by setting up pilot project to- not modified as air ambulances, and which have gether with a consortium of govern- hence apart from first aid, do not have been ‘designed’ ment institutions, private hospitals the facility for specialised medical treat- and insurance companies. As a part of ment on board. Undoubtedly, there is specifically for this endeavour, Eurocopter is eager to an urgent need to have state-wise dedi- HEMS bring its entire international portfolio cated non-military, suitably modified he- of HEMS to India and share its exper- licopters for emergency air evacuation. tise to help usher in the next revolution Although the need for HEMS located in medical services. SP

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 23 Civil Business Association

scaling new highs: bombardier challenger 605

Growing Albeit Slowly India’s business aviation industry will be three times larger by 2020, forecasts Business Aircraft Operators Association, and states that the association will take up policy and taxation issues with the concerned government agencies

n the US, business aviation By Sucheta Das Mohapatra deterring the growth of the provides employment to over 1.2 sector,” said Rohit Kapur, million people generating reve- President, BAOA, while ad- nue of up to $150 million (Rs 750 dressing a press meet at crore) annually. But lack of policy New Delhi recently. “Of and for building aviation infrastruc- on we are having talks with ture, indiscriminate regulatory policies the regulatory bodies,” he Iand high taxation are deterring the growth of the sector in said and added, “The pace of growth in business aviation India. The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) has outgrown the infrastructure available for the industry. of India will soon submit a memorandum before the gov- We will be seeking support and cooperation from the regu- ernment to seek cuts in taxes and levies. However, the as- latory bodies to develop adequate infrastructure and facili- sociation still seems upbeat about the growth of the sector ties for business aviation and help in policies, regulations and forecasts that India’s business aviation industry will be and customs duty amongst other matters.” three times larger by 2020. An association of private and commercial aircraft opera- “Arbitrary customs duty, high duties on aviation turbine tors, airframe and engine manufacturers, maintenance re-

Photogra p hs: B ombardier & BAOA fuel (ATF), sales tax, high charges for ground handling, are pair and overhaul (MRO) and other service providers, BAOA

24 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net civil Business Association was formed in March 2011 with the vision to promote the tors arising out of lack of an aviation maintenance hub, growth of business aviation in India, define the standards inadequate infrastructure and absence of a clear policy and achieve the highest levels of safety, efficiency and reli- framework. “There are no business aviation terminals like ability. “Considering the immense potential India has with heliports, airfields, dedicated hangar and parking space. It more than 1,000 aircraft to be added over the next decade, is not only the lack of infrastructure that is bothering the there was an imperative need of a body that would aim to operators; the government does not even have a policy for bring the fraternity into close cooperation for overall indus- building aviation infrastructure,” said Kapur. “Further, be- try growth and mutual benefits. BAOA will act as a catalyst cause of the inordinate delay in obtaining landing permit to unify the cornerstones of this growth and overcome the from the regulatory bodies, users of business aircraft prefer challenges the business aviation sector faces today,” said to take scheduled flights instead.” Kapur. “The business aviation industry is growing at an en- The association which already has functional regional couraging rate and India is all set to be the third largest chapters in Northern and Western India, will soon have a aviation market by 2020.” chapter in the Southern region of the country as well. BAOA Comprising 39 business aircraft operators and repre- is working with the mission to advocate the benefits of busi- senting about 65 per cent of India’s fleet in this sector, BAOA ness aviation to regulatory agencies and industry groups, ac- has also been accorded recognition by the International tively promote overall growth and define parameters that are on par with global standards. And keeping this in view, BAOA officials stated that their immediate agenda included working with the Media Briefing: BAOA President Rohit government on proper formulation kapur (Right) and Managing of plans and policies, projecting Director Karan Singh business aviation as an enabler of economic growth, ensuring safety, efficiency, best standards and practices and engaging with the Ministries of Finance, Defence and Civil Aviation on issues related to the growth of business aviation. On issues like setting up of fixed base operators (FBO) and MRO hubs, Karan Singh, Man- aging Director, BAOA, said that these would come up along with airports dedicated solely to business aviation. “There is no magic formula to bring the successful models to India,” he said. Unlike elsewhere in the world, MROs in India cannot make money by selling spare parts because of taxation issues. As a result, aircraft owners prefer to buy spares from abroad. “India can become an MRO hub. We have not missed Business Aviation Council (IBAC), an umbrella organisation the bus yet, we will catch it at the last minute,” said Singh. for all business aviation activities worldwide. The medical evacuation (medevac) sector is yet to open Highlighting its benefits, BAOA officials said that business up in India because of being highly expensive and unafford- aviation facilitates productivity and efficiency by saving time, able for the common man, acknowledged the BAOA officials enables access to areas with little or no airline services, reach- and stated that the reason for it is the lack of insurance cov- es multiple destinations, serves industries like mining or oil erage. “In India, insurance companies do not cover mede- and gas, and helps generate both revenue and employment in vac. BAOA will work with the insurance regulators to find the economy. They opined that India is a hub for BPO and IT a way out for trauma patients,” said Singh, and added that sector due to cheap labour and if proper support is provided, the association is concerned about the common man as well business aviation sector can also provide considerable em- who is unable to afford medevac services. Singh assured ployment potential. “Business aviation is all about efficiency,” that the association would within a few months have some- said Kapur and added that besides enabling access to areas thing for the community. remotely connected, business aviation is a productivity tool as Kapur admitted that at times some small private compa- also a revenue and employment generator. nies tend to take shortcuts in the most important aspect of Apart from high taxation, BAOA officials also focused aircraft maintenance and BAOA will also take up the issue on the other challenges faced by business aviation opera- with the regulatory bodies. SP

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 25 IAF SPECIAL C-130J cover story / Sp guide p ubns Photogra p hs: Lockheed Martin & A noo K a m ath

26 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF SPECIAL C-130J So Unique, So Special

The C-130 Hercules is one of the longest-running aircraft manufacturing programmes in history. Since 1956, more than 40 of its variants have enhanced the tactical airlift capability of over 50 nations globally. The C-130J Super Hercules is the latest in the series and the only model now in production.

By Joseph Noronha, Goa

iaf c-130J - timeline: (from left to right) First three C-130Js for iAF under construction at the Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia; first C-130J for India ran engines for the first time on September 21, 2010; The super hercules took to the skies for its maiden flight October 4, 2010; Defence Minister A.K. ANTONY RECEIVING MeMENTO FROm General Norton Schwartz, US Chief of Staff of the Air Force on january 4, 2011; A.K. Antony handing over keys to commanding officer Group Captain Tejbir Singh on the same day

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 27 IAF SPECIAL C-130J

hen a relationship of longstanding mistrust between nations is transformed into a For the first time perhaps special bond of warmth and coin our history, the operation, some visible signs of aircraft has come before progress help prove the point. The Indo-US civil nuclear agreement was expected time and that has actually Wto be the leitmotif of the post-Cold War friendship helped us keep moving. between these two great countries, but efforts to —Air Chief Marshal deliver on the deal seem to have run into rough N.A.K. Browne, weather. However, the other key element of the Indian Air Force new understanding—resumption of US sales of arms and other high-end military equipment to In- dia—is progressing smoothly. And the induction of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules me- 130J aircraft and the total acquisition in due course may dium-transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force even go up to 24. The performance of the C-130J in providing disaster re- (IAF) is the most special point on the list till date. lief to the victims of September 2011 earthquake in Sikkim’s Pleased as Punch remote mountainous regions has also been very satisfying. In a recent media interaction, the Chief of the Air Staff, Within the first couple of days, the IAF airlifted 189 tonnes Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, was unusually effusive of equipment and relief material and 735 personnel, also in his comments on the C-130J. He made it clear that the evacuating 36 casualties. Addressing the Air Force Com- IAF was impressed with the performance and deliveries of manders’ Conference in October, the IAF chief said that the the aircraft ahead of schedule, in marked contrast with the service was currently in an unprecedented phase of mod- service’s experience with other major inductions. As if to ernisation and capability enhancement. “The transforma- underline his remarks, the long-running saga of the indig- tional change can be witnessed in all facets of capability- enous light combat aircraft (LCA) experienced yet another building that include not only combat platforms, but also delay as its initial operational clearance was pushed back induction of force multipliers and air mobility platforms to by a year. And even the multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), provide strategic reach and operational flexibility.” Air mo- a prestigious joint-venture project with Russia, appears to bility—that’s what the C-130J fleet greatly boosts. have run into some trouble. Understandably, therefore, the In early 2008, it was announced that the Indian Govern- IAF is in the process of placing orders for another six C- ment had signed an agreement with the US Government for

Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, seen with IAF C-130J crew at the induction ceremony of the first C-130J Super Hercules for India at Hindon Air Force Station

28 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net

IAF SPECIAL C-130J

the procurement of The C-130J six C-130J aircraft for the IAF. The estimat- automates ed value of the air- many functions, craft along with associated ground support thus needing equipment, ground a crew of only handling equipment and role equipment two pilots and a was approximately $962 million (`4,810 loadmaster for crore). The IAF re- most missions ceived its first C-130J in February this year instead of the and the sixth and the standard four last aircraft is expected in November. They are part of the newly- raised 77 Squadron “Veiled Vipers” based inside iaf’s c-130j: at Air Force Station C-130J cockpit; c-130j’s Hindon, near Delhi. The IAF also plans to expand and mod- hot and/or high altitude opera- cargo compartment is ernise two important forward bases in the North—Kargil and tions, where it delivers 40 per 55 feet long: enhanced cargo handling system Nyoma. Once their runways are suitably extended, both will cent higher payload/range than (ECHS) Slide be able to operate the C-130J with full payload, which is criti- the earlier versions. Operations cal to high-altitude logistics operations currently undertaken in Afghanistan and Iraq indi- by Antonov An-32. The agreement for the second batch of six cate that in such extreme con- C-130J is likely to be signed by January 2012. The new flight ditions just one C-130J may be will be based at Charbatia in Orissa, and will operate across able to do as much as three C-130H aircraft. eastern India as well as the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The C-130J is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines, each rated at 4,591 shaft horsepower, driving six- Worldwide Winner blade Dowty R-391 propeller systems made of composite The C-130 Hercules is one of the longest-running aircraft materials. The AE 2100D3 is a lightweight turboprop en- manufacturing programmes in history. Since 1956, more gine with modular design and easily accessible components than 40 of its variants have enhanced the tactical airlift ca- which reduces the maintenance costs. It is the first engine pability of over 50 nations globally. The C-130J Super Her- to use dual full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for cules is the latest in the series and the only one now in both engine and propeller. It is claimed that overall the en- production. This aircraft features vastly improved perfor- gine generates 29 per cent more thrust, while increasing mance and lower operating costs, especially remarkable in fuel efficiency by 15 per cent, thus largely accounting for

30 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF SPECIAL C-130J

the C-130J’s superior performance. Compared to the earlier and equipment into hostile areas. The IAF’s aircraft are a C-130E model, its maximum speed is 21 per cent higher, stretched version more accurately known as the C-130J-30, climb-to-altitude time is down by 50 per cent, cruising alti- with Special Forces enhancements. However, much of the tude is 40 per cent higher, and range is 40 per cent greater. specialised mission equipment is easily removable, allow- It has significantly better short-field capability with 41 per ing the aircraft to quickly switch roles. Each plane can carry cent decrease in maximum effort take-off run. Its maximum eight 463-litre pallets or 97 medical litters or 128 combat cruise speed is 355 knots, maximum take-off weight 75,390 troops or 92 paratroopers. The aircraft has air-to-air receiv- kg, and it can carry a maximum payload of 21,770 kg. er refuelling capability for extended-range operations. It can The C-130J automates many functions, thus needing a also perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and land- crew of just two pilots and a loadmaster for most missions ing in blackout conditions. Self-protection systems include instead of the standard four. Its sophisticated avionics bring an infra-red detection set (IRDS), chaff dispenser and other more advanced capabilities to the night-vision compatible features to ensure aircraft survivability in hostile air defence “glass cockpit” and head-up display (HUD). A pair of mission environments. The Indian Government’s decision not to sign computers and two backup bus interface units provide dual the communications interoperability and security memo- redundancy for critical systems. Just as importantly, they randum of agreement (CISMOA) resulted in the exclusion feature integrated diagnostics to assist with maintenance of high-precision global positioning system (GPS) and oth- and help reduce long-term ownership costs. er sensitive equipment from the aircraft. The IAF may add The C-130J primarily performs the tactical portion of similar equipment if necessary. The aircraft are connected to an airlift mission. It is capable of operating from rough, the Air Force Net (AFNET) and satellites, and for long-range dirt strips and is the prime means of airdropping troops missions can be refuelled in flight by the IAF’s IL-78 aircraft.

C-130 Hercules programme hit another historic milestone

n November 1, Lockheed Martin celebrated the roll- ing out of the 250th C-130J Super Hercules built at Oits facility at Marietta. This C-130J is destined for Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which is scheduled to receive a total of 28 C-130Js. This aircraft is the 2,404th C-130 of all makes and models to be built in Marietta. The C-130J programme continues to deliver new capability to new countries and existing operators. India and Qatar recently joined the global C-130J operator family, while the US Air Force recently received HC-130J personnel recovery and MC-130J special operations aircraft. The aircraft are currently in production for the US Air Force and Marine Corps, Iraq, Israel, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Oman and Tunisia. C-130Js are also flown by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the US Coast Guard. •

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 31 IAF SPECIAL C-130J

Caution: Garuds Ahead October 2001, the IAF felt the need for a dedicated force trained in Special Forces. In October 2002, the then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy said, “A fighter costs millions of rupees and when it is on ground it is most vulnerable. We cannot let this happen and have to take suitable action to deal with these threats.” So it was in September 2003, when the Govern- ment of India authorised a 1,080-strong Garud force with the mandate of Air Force specific operational tasks. Soon after, the first batch of volunteers commenced training at Gurgaon, and 62 of them graduated in February 2004. In peacetime, Garuds may be employed for emergency response to terror threats, anti-hijacking, counter-insurgency (COIN) and other military tasks. During hostilities, they undertake combat search and rescue, suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) and other missions in support of air operations. Some advanced Garud units are trained to operate deep behind enemy lines. The entire Garud force, with a total strength of approximately 1,500 air commandos, is headed by a Wing Commander. It is organised into 15 flights. The flights are based at various air force stations where they train and are kept in readiness for rapid deployment. Garuds are recruited directly from civilian applicants. Can- didates found suitable are put through rigorous training lasting 72 weeks. The subsequent phase of special operations’ training may be given by the Indian Army, Special Group of the Special Frontier Force, National Security Guard, etc. Those who make the grade proceed to the Parachute Training School at Agra to com- pecial Forces prefer to remain invisible to the public eye. plete the basic airborne phase. Operating along with the Special After all, they are most effective when they approach their Forces of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir also provides them Starget stealthily and achieve total surprise. But if they suc- much-needed operational exposure. Towards this end, teams ceed in a particularly difficult or dangerous mission they cannot from the flights are attached to specialised army units. escape the limelight. So it was that the US Navy Sea, Air and Land Once a recruit completes training and meets the specified Teams (SEALs) became practically a household name after their standards, he is absorbed into the Garud force and is retained spectacularly successful raid to take out Osama bin Laden in May. in the stream throughout his career. This ensures that the force The Indian Army had its Para Commandos for decades and retains its highly trained personnel. Considering the troubled se- the Indian Navy set up Marine Commando Force (MARCOS), curity situation in the region, it is more than likely that the ter- skilled in maritime operations, in 1987. But till a few years ago, rorists will attempt to mount a devastating attack on an IAF base the IAF was without a commando force. It was when the terror- someday. And then the Garuds will be called upon to demonstrate

Photogra p h: Pib ists unsuccessfully tried to attack Air Force Station Awantipur in their remarkable capability. •

The icing on the cake for the IAF is a full-mission simu- Security Guard (NSG). After all, that is primarily what these lator that Lockheed Martin is installing as part of its offsets planes were acquired for—Special Operations. In time of obligations. This simulator is claimed to be so advanced that hostilities, the aircraft may also be employed for airborne a pilot under conversion to the C-130J assault operations, air transported can practically walk from the simula- operations, air supply operations, tor to the cockpit. It is expected to be air maintenance operations, in-flight ready for utilisation next year. The icing on the refuelling and casualty evacuation. The IAF’s C-130Js have specialised Capability Plus cake for the IAF equipment including forward looking The C-130J aircraft bridges the gap is a full-mission infra-red (FLIR), HUD and naviga- between the IAF’s larger Ilyushin tional aids that enable operations in IL-76 four-engine jet transports and simulator that very low visibility conditions. These the smaller twin-engine Antonov An- Lockheed Martin also make it the only aircraft in the 32 turboprops. Till now, the IAF has IAF inventory that can land and take been getting to know its new baby, is installing as off from an airstrip in pitch darkness and of course, employing it for di- part of its offsets without airfield lighting. saster relief. However, it will shortly “No other air force has attempted get down to cutting-edge business— obligations to modernise at such a fast pace in training with the Garud Special Forc- such a short span of 15 years,” said es of the IAF (see box), Para Com- Air Chief Marshal Browne recently. mandos of the Army and the National The IAF is also working to expand

32 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF SPECIAL C-130J its reach to safeguard the nation’s strategic interests be- Harbinger of Strategic Partnership yond its notional “backyard” stretching from the Gulf of With geostrategic equations changing in the new world or- Aden to the Malacca Strait. This marks a clear doctrinal der of the post-Cold War era, Lockheed Martin has made an change and Special Operations are likely to be a key part indelible mark in the history of Indo-US relationship with of the IAF’s envisaged future role. Apart from clear ob- the C-130J deal. While elimination of the American combat jectives and effective and secure command, control, com- aircraft from the race for the medium multi-role combat air- munications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and craft (MMRCA) contract may be perceived as a setback; the reconnaissance (C4ISR), airborne Special Forces need successful execution of the first major contract for military appropriate and capable aircraft to successfully execute aircraft will not only serve to cement the relationship be- their task. The C-130J will go a long way towards helping tween the two nations, but also has the potential to propel them deliver. the emerging strategic partnership to greater heights. SP

General Characteristics

Dimensions Wingspan 132 ft 7 in. Length 112 ft 9 in. 112 ft 9 in. Height 38 ft 9 in. (34.37 m) Cargo Floor Length (Floor + Ramp) 55 ft + 10 ft 8 in. External Fuel Tanks Width (Minimum) 10 ft (Optional) Height (Minimum) 9 ft Area (Floor + Ramp) 550 + 107 sq ft Cargo Volume 6,022 cu ft Weights Max Takeoff Weight (2.5 g) 164,000 lb Max Takeoff Weight (2.25 g) 175,000 lb Max Landing Weight, 9 fps 135,000 lb 52 ft 8 in. Max Landing Weight 164,000 lb (16.05 m) Operating Weight Empty 86, 188 lb Max Payload (2.5 g) 47,812 lb 14 ft 2 in. Max Fuel (JP-8) 43, 560 lb (4.32 m) Max Zero Fuel Weight (Note 1) 126,000 lb Max Zero Fuel Weight (Note 2) 134,000 lb Performance Max Cruise Speed 355 kts Airdrop Speed Up to 250 KIAS Takeoff Dist Over 50 ft (S/L, ISA, 164,000 lb) Normal 5,850 ft Takeoff Roll (S/L, ISA, 164,000 lb) 0 10 20 30 40 50 Max Effort 3,100 ft FEET Landing Dist Over 50 ft (S/L, ISA, 135,000 lb) 38 ft 9 in. Normal 3,000 ft (11.81 m) Ground Roll (S/L, ISA, 135,000 lb) Max Effort 1,630 ft Max Range (Without Tanks) 3,700 n.mi Range (40,000-lb Payload – 2.5g Mission) 2,380 n.mi 40 ft 4 in. Cruising Altitude (T/O at MTOW) 27,000 ft (12.30 m) Service Ceiling (T/O at MTOW) 29,000 ft 11 ft 6 in. (3.50 m) Crew 2 Pilots + Loadmaster Power Plant 4 Rolls-Royce AE2100D3, 4,591 pshp turboprop 14 ft 3 in. engines (4 Dowty (4.34 m) R391, 6-blade 132 ft 7 in. propellers, All (40.38 m) composite) Note 1: Structural Reserve Fuel Note 2: With Wing Bending Relief Fuel Source: Lockheed Martin

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 33 IAF SPECIAL C-130J

India’s C-130J Hercules

he Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules capabilities. India’s new airlift fleet will be based at Hindon that is being delivered to the Indian Air Force is Air Station. special in many ways. Not only is the C-130J the The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules is a highly most advanced airlifter ever built, but the ver- integrated and sophisticated configuration primarily designed sion being built for India sets a new standard for to support India’s special operations requirement. Equipped both capability and programme performance. with an Infrared Detection Set, the aircraft can perform preci- The C-130Js for India are being delivered under a US sion low-level flying, airdrops and landing in blackout condi- TGovernment Foreign Military Sales programme. Since it be- tions. Self-protection systems and other features are included gan, the programme has received praise from all levels as to ensure aircraft survivability in hostile air defence environ- it has delivered aircraft well ahead of schedule and signifi- ments. The aircraft also is equipped with air-to-air receiver cantly below budget. The teamwork between the US Govern- refuelling capability for extended range operations. ment, the Indian Government and Lockheed Martin is an The C-130J is ideally suited to India’s mission environ- outstanding example of both political and military coopera- ment, which often involves operating out of austere, high- tion. The programme begins a new enduring partnership elevation airstrips in hot conditions. The C-130J is powered between Lockheed Martin and India, which has the fourth by four Rolls-Royce AE2100 engines and Dowty six-bladed largest air force in the world. Discussions are underway for props that provide the aircraft with a great deal of power. the potential acquisition by India of additional C-130Js. The C-130J has been operated for the past several years in This is India’s first experience with the C-130 and the the mountainous areas of Afghanistan (in conditions similar package being provided by the US Government is compre- to India) and performed exceptionally well. hensive. The contract includes six aircraft, training of air- The C-130J combines the latest in aerospace technology crew and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support with a rugged airframe design, resulting in an aircraft that and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehi- gives an operator more capability with greater operational cles, cargo pallets and a team of technical specialists who efficiency. The C-130J’s flexibility for range, payload and will be based in India during a three year initial support missions is unmatched by any other aircraft in production period. Also included in the package is-India-unique opera- or planned. With a payload range capability of over 4,000 tional equipment designed to increase Special Operations nautical miles — coupled with the ability to land on a 2,000

34 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF SPECIAL C-130J foot dirt strip high up in the mountains in hot temperatures trolled by a full authority digital electronic control. — the C-130J is a proven asset that has provided critical The heart of the new Super Hercules advanced technol- support to the global war on terror. ogy is its modern flight station with multi-function, LCD The C-130J is not just a cargo transport – its range of screen for aircraft flight control, operating, and navigation missions includes special operations, aerial refuelling, systems. In addition to the four displays on the instrument search and rescue, paradrop, electronic surveillance and panel, pilots use holographic head-up displays as primary even weather reconnaissance. The high level of systems ca- flight instruments, a precedent among military transports. pability means that even a C-130J in standard configura- The displays are all compatible with night vision imaging tion is a sophisticated platform capable of missions far in systems, enabling the crew to operate the aircraft in areas excess of any earlier model C-130, regardless of how much where special missions dictate blackout conditions. The dual the legacy aircraft has been modified. A good example of mission computers manage and automate many of the func- this is in the special operations role, where a C-130J has tions formerly performed by the flight engineer and naviga- greater mission capability than any special operations air- tor. Aircraft systems are constantly monitored and crews are craft currently flying. When upgraded with other systems advised of aircraft status as required. and capabilities, the C-130J allows the Indian Air Force to Some of the new systems of the aircraft that are man- operate the aircraft autonomously — day or night and in all aged by the mission computers include the full authority weather — anywhere it needs to go. digital engine controls, the advisory caution and warning The net effect of these improvements is enhanced per- system, automatic thrust control, computerised mainte- formance of the aircraft, and greater reliability of the sys- nance recording, the electronic circuit breaker system, the tems and components. For instance, when compared with enhanced stall warning system, the advanced digital map, earlier C-130 models, the C-130J provides 40 per cent and a state-of-the-art communication/navigation suite. greater range, 40 per cent higher cruising ceiling, 50 per The C-130J takes full advantage of global positioning cent decrease in time-to-climb, 21 per cent increase in system and other highly reliable, automated navigation and maximum speed and 41 per cent decrease in maximum route planning aides. This allows the cockpit crew to focus effort takeoff run. on the mission and on flying rather than on managing air- A key to the C-130J’s increased performance is the new craft systems. propulsion system. Four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines The C-130J is a proven asset that has seen combat (each flat rated at 4,591 shaft horsepower) generate 29 per service in several theatres, performs maritime patrol and cent more thrust, although they are 15 per cent more fuel weather reconnaissance missions, and is routinely engaged efficient. An all-composite six-blade Dowty Aerospace R391 in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts around the world. propeller system is lighter and has fewer moving parts than The C-130J will tremendously enhance India’s capability for previous Hercules propellers. Engines are precisely con- all airlift-related missions. SP

picture perfect: IAF Takes Delivery Of First C-130J at the lockheed martin facility in Marietta, georgia

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 35 IAF SPECIAL C-130J Powering the IAF latter’s combat aircraft—fighters and bombers—alone. The Avro 748 in service with the IAF for more than four decades and still going strong, sports twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines. Even the indigenous basic jet trainer Kiran Mk I, developed by HAL and extensively used by the IAF in the training role, mounted Rolls-Royce Viper engine as its source of power. The latest Hawk AJTs also fly on Rolls-Royce engines. Powered by four AE2100D3 engines, the C-130J is ideally suited to India’s mission environment. The Rolls-Royce engines make it possible for the C-130J to operate with significant loads under ‘high and hot’ conditions—a most desir- able trait to enable the IAF to operate productively around the year (including summer months) from high-altitudes located in Ladakh and other areas such as Leh, Thoise, Ny- oma and Kargil. At a later date, even DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie at a height of 16,500 ft amsl) could be added to this list to repeat the 1962 feat accomplished by another US-built aircraft. However, while the Fairchild C-119G packet needed an extra dorsal-mounted jetpack for thrust augmentation, the Super Hercules would surely do it under its own power. Appreciating the strategic importance of its business in In- ebruary 5, 2011, will always be remembered as dia and in its quest to further strengthen its commitment in a ‘red-letter’ day by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as it India, Rolls-Royce has most aptly appointed John Gay as Di- formally inducted the first of the six Lockheed Martin rector for Customer Business South Asia, based in New Delhi. C-130J aircraft on order into service at Hindon Air John Gay is no stranger to India and the IAF, having worked FForce base near Delhi. The eventful day also marked many on a number of defence programmes including the induction milestones achieved by the IAF in its quest for modernisation of the Adour Mk871 engine for the Hawk AJT. He would be and capability accretion. For example, the induction enabled in the forefront in accelerating Rolls-Royce business develop- the IAF to finally begin to realise its long-cherished dream ment and partnership initiatives to become further embedded of acquiring an exclusive ‘Special Operations’ capability. The in India’s industrial landscape and contribute to India’s de- event also enabled Lockheed Martin to make a re-entry into fence modernisation priorities. On his part, as John says, “I’m the IAF after a long hiatus of more than three decades since very excited about these new challenges and look forward to the retirement of the ‘Super Constellation’ from its inventory. working closely with our customers in India to ensure that Equally remarkable however is the induction of the ‘Super Rolls-Royce is providing the engines and the mission critical Herc’s’ state-of-the-art AE2100D3 turboprops, taking the support that they require for frontline operations.” IAF/Rolls-Royce union to yet another level; cementing fur- The list is certainly long. Rolls-Royce AE2100D3 engines ther their already strong and evergreen relationship. on growing number of C-130Js (six more in the process of To recall, Rolls-Royce aero engines have been inextrica- being ordered) would not only add to it, but will also occupy bly linked with the IAF for a major part of its history start- a special niche in the turboprop segment. SP ing from World War II — from Hurricanes and Spitfires with their ‘Merlin’ piston engines through Hunter aircraft’s ‘Avon’ —By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia to the present-day Jaguars with their ‘Adour’ engines. The Rolls-Royce union with the IAF is however not limited to the •The AE 2100D3 is a lightweight, modular turboprop engine with 4,600 shaft-horsepower. The “common core” AE engine line is produced by Rolls-Royce and manufactured in Indianapolis, US. Along I’m very excited about these new with the AE 3007 and AE 1107C-Liberty, the proven engine line has challenges and look forward totalled more than 35 million hours of service. •The AE 2100 engine’s modular design and easily accessible com- to working closely with our ponents reduce maintenance costs, and operators benefit from over oyce customers to ensure that WE ARE 80 per cent parts commonality with the AE family of engines which includes the AE 3007 (operated by the IAF) and AE 1107C-Liberty. AE olls- R providing the engines and the 2100-D3 engines power C-130J Hercules aircraft in use by the US Air mission critical support that they Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard; plus, the Royal Air Force, the Royal require for frontline operations. Australian Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the Royal Danish Air Force, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Canadian Force and the IAF. P hotograph: R —John Gay, rolls-royce india’

36 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Turbomeca, the leading engine supplier for HAL helicopters

The Shakti engine is Turbomeca’s newest helicopter turboshaft o ering. Developed in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Shakti is intended to power HAL’s new 5.5 ton twin-engined Dhruv helicopter. Shakti is designed for operation in high and hot conditions. The engine is intended to be robust and cost-e ective, without compromising on technical modernity. Turbomeca is the world leader in the design, production and sale of gas turbines for helicopters. Turbomeca o ers the widest range of turboshaft engines for helicopters. More at turbomeca.com

TURB-SHAKTI-210x267-SPA-uk.indd 1 24/10/11 14:42 IAF Special Sarang

Symphonyin the Air

After its debut at the Asian Aerospace Air Show at Singapore in February 2004, the Sarang Team carried out numerous displays in India and abroad performing in over 35 air shows all over the world

he origin of the ‘Sa- By Air Marshal (Retd) a flying display profile with some rang’ Helicopter Display B.K. Pandey breathtaking manoeuvres in for- Team, the pride of the In- mation. The fourth aircraft was dian Air Force (IAF) to- added to the display team a year day, lies in the erstwhile later with the aim to enhance the advanced light helicopter strength of the team to five. (ALH) evaluation flight raised at Air- The team, initially located in Tcraft and System Testing Establishment Kolar, was formally christened in (ASTE), Bangalore, on March 18, 2002. October 2003 as ‘Sarang’ (peacock On completion of the initial field evaluation of the indig- in Sanskrit) and was accorded a new identity as 151 Heli- enously manufactured ALH, the unit was tasked to develop copter Unit (HU) in June 2004. In April 2005, 151 HU was a profile to showcase the attributes of the ALH that was relocated at Air Force Station at Yelahanka, north of Banga- later renamed as Dhruv. The evaluation flight put together lore. In late 2009, for operational compulsion, 151 HU was

uide Pubns, sarang team Photogra p hs: S P G uide Pubns, a three-ship team of the Dhruv helicopter and developed moved to the Air Force Station at Sulur, near Coimbatore.

38 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF Special Sarang

Leaving a Global Mark aircraft, daring manoeuvres by helicopters flying in forma- After its debut at the Asian Aerospace Air Show at Singa- tion is far more difficult and professionally highly challeng- pore in February 2004, the Sarang Team carried out nu- ing. This is on account of the inherent instability of the ma- merous displays in India and abroad performing in over chine as also the large and unwieldy rotors. This is what 35 air shows all over the world. Within India, the team has makes Sarang so special and unique. The team continuously performed and continues to do so, on a regular basis at the strives for perfection and develop new profiles. In the re- Aero India International Air Show at Bangalore as also at cent past, it has added the stall turn known as the ‘Dolphin’s the “passing out parades” at the National Defence Academy Leap’, the heart-stopping ‘Crossover Break’ followed by the at Pune, the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad and at other ‘Arrow’, wingovers, flying rearwards and its final signature important functions. Its performance at the Al Ain Aerobatic manoeuvre, ‘The Sarang Split’, in which the four helicopters Show in the UAE in January 2005, earned the reputation of fly over each other vertically and horizontally to form a knot. being one of the best display teams of its kind in the world. The team participated in the Berlin Air Show in May 2008 Development of the Dhruv where it was adjudged as the best looking close formation Development of the Dhruv by the Hindustan Aeronautics team. The team made history after its five helicopters flew Limited (HAL) in collaboration with MBB (now Eurocopter across the English Channel from Germany to the United Deutschland) began in 1984 and the prototype undertook Kingdom. its maiden flight in August 1992. It has been designed as In a short span of time, the Sarang Team has earned a multi-role, multi-mission helicopter for both military and a name for itself as a professional display team. It has the civilian use. The helicopter features a hinge-less compos- unique distinction of being one of the two operational he- ite main rotor with elastomeric bearings and a bearing-less licopter display teams in the world, the other being ‘Blue tail rotor. It is powered by two TM 333-2B2 engines from Eagles’ of the British Army. As compared with fixed wing Turbomeca, a company under the Safran Group of France.

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 39 IAF Special Sarang

‘But for the rotors, we would have been closer’ In an interview with SP’s Aviation, Wing Commander Manjit Singh Sidhu, Commanding Officer, Sarang Team, spoke about the specialised training imparted to Sarang pilots. Excerpts of the interview:

SP’s Aviation (SP’s): Sarang flying display team repre- position as the co-pilot, so as to gain first-hand experience sents total synergy between high level of human skill of the techniques involved and to learn the application of his and ultimate machine performance. What are Sarang’s knowledge obtained as the observer. After this stage, he is motto, strengths and ethos? trained to execute the manoeuvres peculiar and unique to Wing Commander Manjit Singh Sidhu (Sidhu): The Sa- his position. Once he satisfactorily passes these stages, only rang’s motto is: “But for the rotors, we would have been then he is trained and cleared to fly as the display captain. closer” and the national bird printed on the aircraft indi- This entire training schedule takes about a year. cates camaraderie, team spirit and professional outlook. SP’s: What in your view have been the major achieve- SP’s: How do you identify and recruit team members of ments of the Sarang team so far? Sarang? Sidhu: The Sarang team is the pride of the Air Force and Sidhu: Helicopter pilots after gaining good flying experi- the nation in the international forum. It has achieved rare ence, volunteer for the selection, for which the pilot is duly accolades globally. It won the best close formation team recommended by his Commanding Officer. They are then at Berlin and the best helicopter display team at Al-Ain. It put through a rigorous testing procedure for two weeks. In has successfully conducted displays in the entire country this period, they are evaluated for professional knowledge, and by its professionalism has succeeded in motivating the flying skills, and metal aptitude. Thereafter, they are re- youth to join the Air Force. cruited as per their ranking in the merit. SP’s: Is the Dhruv helicopter an ideal machine for such SP’s: Flying display by Sarang clearly entails consider- flying displays? able practice and patience to achieve perfection. How Sidhu: The Dhruv with its high manoeuvarability and light do you go about training the team to put up flawless weight is one of the ideal machines for such highly aero- performance? How much time does it take to fully batic display flying. qualify a pilot as a member of the team? Sidhu: The pilot is made to undergo the conversion syllabus. SP’s: In what way does the displays by Sarang, project After gaining some experience in the basic handling of the the operational attributes and potential of the Dhruv? aircraft, he is inducted for the specialised training in forma- Sidhu: The Sarang displays the skill of the pilots and co- tion flying. After clearing this stage, he is trained as an ob- ordination of the team. The capability of the helicopter server and safety officer so that the entire display profile is wherein the extreme manoeuvarability, high agility, quick imprinted in his mind and he fully understands the intrica- response and power of the machine is at its best; is shown cies of the manoeuvres. He is then made to fly in a particular during the display. SP

The design of the main and tail ro- paint scheme with a peacock super- tors as well as the power delivered Shakti with 900 imposed on a bright red background. by the two engines are what give the kW power also Both the smoke generators and the Dhruvs in the Sarang Team the capa- external attire enhance the impact of bility to manoeuvre the way they do. designated as the flying display. Such performance cannot be obtained Ardiden 1H from helicopters of conventional rotor was jointly The French Connection design. The Turbomeca TM 333-2B2 that was The Sarang’s ‘symphony in the developed by initially selected by HAL to power the air’ is a statement of the capabilities French company Dhruv was certified by the French that this twin-engine multi-role air- Civil Aviation Authority in December craft can undertake with roles rang- Turbomeca 2001. The performance of the Dhruv, ing from the routine to specialised and Hindustan powered by two Turbomeca TM 333- wartime roles such as heli-borne as- 2B2 engines producing 825 kW of sault or casevac. The only modifica- Aeronautics power each, proved inadequate. As tion to the Dhruv of the Sarang Team, Limited with the power available the aircraft specific to its flying display task, is the could not operate above 16,000 feet, installation of smoke generators. Also, it was decided to equip the machine these helicopters sport a thematic with a more powerful engine to oper-

40 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF Special Sarang

SARANG TEAM: (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) FLT Lt Bharat Bajaj, Wg Cdr N Naidu, Sqn Ldr Anil Yadav, Wg Cdr Kunal Girme, Sqn Ldr Prabhat Shukla, Sqn Ldr Sumedh Jamkar, Sqn Ldr Sameet Bhopi, Wg Cdr Manjeet Singh Sidhu VM (Team Leader), Sqn Ldr Siddharth Kumar (SEO), Sqn Ldr Santosh Kumar Mishra, Sqn Ldr V. Manoj, Sqn Ldr Rahul Sharma, Sqn Ldr P.S. Karthik and Wg Cdr S.K. Shivrain (Deputy Team Leader)

ate in the mountainous regions of Siachen. To meet this vice thanks to its 14 sites, two subsidiaries, 25 TurboSupport requirement of the armed forces, an engine producing 900 centres, 26 repair centres and 90 field representatives/field kW of power named as Shakti, also designated as Ardiden technicians. The head office is based in Bordes, Pyrénées- 1H, was jointly developed by HAL and Turbomeca. In 2010, Atlantiques (south-west France). Microturbo, a subsidiary of a Dhruv powered by Shakti engines, demonstrated the ca- Turbomeca, is the European leader in turbojet engines for pability of hovering at an altitude of 21,000 feet with a missiles, drones and auxiliary power units. payload of 600 kg, a requirement that was critical for op- HAL and Turbomeca have had a long history of joint he- erations in the Siachen area. licopter development in India going back to the 1960s. In HAL currently has orders to deliver nearly 300 Dhruvs 1961, Turbomeca granted a manufacturing licence for the worth around `20,000 crore to the Indian Army and the Artouste turbo-shaft engine to equip the Chetak and Chee- IAF. Also, five Dhruvs have been delivered to the Ecuador tah helicopters. The joint development of the Shakti/Ardiden Air Force during Aero India 2009. An agreement has been 1H was initiated by the two companies in 1999. The first test signed between HAL and Turbomeca for the repair and flight of the Dhruv with the new Shakti engine took place on overhaul facilities of these engines to be set up in India un- August 16, 2007. The more powerful Shakti engines have der the auspices of the Indian aerospace major. made a qualitative difference to the performance of the Turbomeca is the leading helicopter engine manufacturer Dhruvs produced since the end of 2007. and has produced over 50,000 turbines based on its own de- Equipped with Dhruvs that are more significantly signs since the company was founded. With 2,200 customers powerful, Sarangs of the IAF can now truly “Touch the in over 150 countries, Turbomeca provides a proximity ser- sky with glory”. SP

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 41 IAF Special Sarang VARIOUS FORMATIONS: Sarang The Sarangs can perform a series of breathtaking manoeuvres because of their dexterous handling of the highly agile Dhruv helicopters, aided by the considerably more powerful Shakti engines.

3 1

1 4 4 3 1 2

2 3 2

Rearward Run in Rearward Flight and Cross Stall Turns

4 4 3 3 4 1 2 4 3 1 3 Top VIEW 2

2 2 2 1 1 2 4 4 1 3 1 SIDE VIEW 3

Cross Over Break Arrow Parallel Mesh

3 4 2 4 3 1

1 2 1 2 4 3 3 2 1 4 3 4 2 1

1 1 2 2

Pair Wingover to Synchro Synchro Cross Stall Turns (Sarang 1 & Sarang 2)

2ac pirouette 1 4 2 1 3 2

1 2 4 2ac dip 1 2 2 1 3 3 1

GRA P HI C S : ANOO K AMATH Synchronised Pirouette Sarang Split

42 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net “Ballet in the Sky” Powered by Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv)

Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) Hawk-132 Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Sukhoi-30 MKI

HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICS LIMITED

Visit : www.hal-india.com IAF Special ALH

Glory in the Sky A dedicated aero-display team called ‘Sarang’ was formed in 2004 for demonstrating the agility and manoeuvrability of Dhruvs

he history and growth of the Hindustan HAL have ISO 9001-2000 Quality System accreditation. Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is synonymous with HAL exports its products and services to several coun- the growth of aerospace industry in India over tries and international aerospace leaders. HAL has proven the last 70 years. HAL’s multifaceted capabili- capabilities to offer collaborative arrangements for design, ties encompass the entire spectrum of aero- development and production of components and aerostruc- space technology covering design, development, tures with quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness. manufacture and maintenance of aircraft, helicopters, aero Design capabilities, manufacturing skills combined with Tengines, accessories and avionics. competitive pricing, prompt deliveries and ideal location at With 19 production units, supported by 10 co-located re- the crossroads of all aviation routes in Asia make HAL a search and development (R&D) centres, HAL has expertise on valuable partner for challenging programmes in aerospace a diverse range of military and civil aircraft, providing self- and related fields.

L, Us A rmy & Sp Gu ide pu bns Photogra p hs: HA L, reliance to India’s aerospace capabilities. All the divisions of HAL has consistently been recognised by the Engineering

44 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF Special ALH

US Army soldiers exit an Indian army HAL Dhruv aLH during an excercise Bundela, India

Export Promotion Council of India for its export efforts and is Dhruv a recipient of “Exporters Shield” every year since 1994. The Dhruv is a multi-role multi-mission new generation he- The manufacture of helicopters in HAL dates back to 1962. licopter in the 5.5-tonne weight class to meet Federal Avia- Helicopter Division, a separate division for the manufacture tion Regulations (FAR). It is designed to meet the require- of helicopters, was established in July 1974. The Helicopter ments of both civil and military operations. Civil Dhruvs Division has manufactured more than 600 Cheetah (Lama have been certified in both wheeled and skid configurations. SA 315 B), Chetak (Allouette III) and Cheetal Helicopters till The helicopter is powered by two Turbomeca TM 333/2B2 date. The Lancer, a light attack helicopter, derivative of proven Shakti engines with sufficient power margins for single engine Cheetah, has also been developed by HAL. The advanced light performance and CAT ‘A’ take off and landing capability. Use helicopter (ALH) Dhruv is the latest new generation helicopter of two engines help provide increased safety and allows con- designed and developed by HAL, which is under production tinued flight till safe landing. since 2002. So far, HAL has produced more than 100 Dhruvs. The Dhruv with hingeless main rotor system provided

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 45 IAF Special ALH

search and rescue, offshore operation, disaster relief EMS General Characteristics and police roles. Length 15.87 m ALH in Weapon System Integration mode (ALH-WSI) Main Rotor Diameter 13.20 m The development project for weapon system integration (WSI) Height 4.91 m on ALH is for Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Max. Take-off Weight 5500 kg Navy. Weapons and systems are to be integrated on ALH for Useful Load 2600 kg anti-tank, anti-submarine warfare, combat air support roles and other unarmed roles. Integration of all the systems defined Cabin Volume 7.33 cu.m. has been completed and evaluation is under progress. The ini- Fuel Capacity 1100 kg tial operational clearance is under progress. Systems like anti- Performance tank guided missile (ATGM), infrared (IR) jammer, data link and obstacle avoidance system will be part of WSI. Cruising Speed 250 km/ hr Max Never Exceed Speed 295 km/h Export Range 640 km An order for supply of seven ALHs to Ecuador was received Endurance 3.7 h in August 2008. Five helicopters had been supplied by March 2009 and the remaining two were supplied in May Max. Oblique Rate of Climb 620 m/min 2011. One ALH was supplied to Mauritius in 2009 for which Service Ceiling 4500 m the contract was concluded in February 2009. ALH is fur- Turbomeca TM 333-2B2 Twin Turbo-shaft Engine 746 kw ther being promoted in South American region. (1000 SHP) each. ALH Sarang Source: HAL A dedicated aero-display team of IAF called ‘Sarang’ was formed in the year 2004 for demonstrating the agility and manoeuvrability of Dhruvs. With the new role of display flying, the team’s display aims to enchant its audience and excellent handling qualities including good Nap of the Earth embodies beauty and grace. And hence the name Sarang. (NOE) performance due to its high rotor moment capability The teams’ helicopters have been painted in a unique and fast control response. paint scheme which utilises bright colours with a peacock The Dhruv is ideally suited for rapid deployment due to form imposed on it. The team has carried out numerous its high speed capability. Its large fuel capacity enables long- displays in India and abroad. The team has displayed its range and endurance. Provision for fitment of auxiliary fuel capability at Aero India, Paris Air Show, Farnborough Air tank enhances the range and endurance further. Show and other air shows of international repute. The The Dhruv has been designed for both utility and armed team also undertakes displays during various prestigious roles. It has been designed to land on ships under high sea- events such as Air Force Day, National Defence Academy state conditions and on small/restricted helipads. Passing Out parade and other events of national and inter- The helicopter is ideally suited for VIP/VVIP transport, national significance. SP

46 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF SPECIAL Helicopter selection

One& Only IAF’s selection of Boeing Apache Longbow advanced attack helicopter for its combat chopper tender signals an end to the chequered history of its long hunt for a modern attack helicopter to augment the Mi-25/Mi-35 fleet

he Indian Air Force By Air Marshal (Retd) official confirmation, it was stated that (IAF) has selected Boeing’s the IAF’s assessment report had been Apache Longbow advanced V.K. Bhatia accepted by the Defence Ministry. How- attack helicopter for its ever, no details were given. The IAF combat chopper tender. has a tender for 22 combat helicopters RIA Novosti news agency with no options at this juncture. reported from Moscow on October 25 If the news of Boeing’s Apache Long- Tthat the other competitor, Russia’s Mi- bow selection is indeed true—and there 28N Night Hunter, had lost the competition. It quoted an un- are at present no indicators to the contrary—it would signal an named Indian Defence Ministry source as saying that the US end to the chequered history of the IAF’s long hunt for a modern helicopter showed better performance while the Russian ma- attack helicopter, to augment/replace its old inventory of obso-

Photogra p hs: Us A rmy & Boeing chine did not meet the tender requirements. While there is no lescent Mi-25/Mi-35 attack helicopters of Russian origin. It may

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 47 iaf special Helicopter selection be recalled that the IAF had equipped The twin- its nearest rival in the race, Russia’s two units namely, No. 125 HU (the Mi-28N Night Hunter. Gladiators) and 104 HU (Firebirds), engine tandem At the heart of the fully integrat- respectively with these helicopters to ed AH-64D Apache’s fully integrated provide rotary wing combat support seat Apache is weapon system is the Lockheed Mar- to the Indian Army. These were used operated by two tin/Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 very effectively by the Indian Peace Longbow mast-mounted 360 degree Keeping Force (IPKF) during Operation pilots, and can radar presenting up to 256 targets in Pawan in Sri Lanka. However, due to execute an attack speed, distance and direction on tac- severe limitations in the vertical enve- tical situation display in both air-to- lope (maximum three km in the armed within 30 seconds ground and air-to-air modes with swift role), during the 1999 Indo-Pak Kargil of an alert engagement capability, as required. conflict, these proved to be totally inef- The twin-engine tandem seat Apache fective against high-altitude targets— is operated by two pilots, and can ex- practically all of which were located ecute an attack within 30 seconds of at heights 4.5 km or more above sea an alert. The Apache is well-equipped level. This led to the IAF’s search for a to survive in the modern battlefield true all-weather, day and night capable military operation, thanks to its state- attack helicopter that could operate round the clock in the plains of-the-art defensive electronic warfare protection suite, but as well as in the high-altitude mountainous terrain. where it would really surpass the Russian Mi-28N is its ca- The search for a suitable attack helicopter finally pro- pability to carry air-to-ground and air-to-air ‘fire and forget’ gressed to the stage of issuing a global request for proposal missiles and other weapon systems. (RFP) on May 23, 2008, to the leading manufacturers of com- With its Lockheed Martin Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, bat helicopters such as AgustaWestland, Boeing, Eurocopter, of which it can carry up to 16 at a time, it meets and exceeds Kazan and Bell Helicopter. However, for a variety of reasons, the IAF’s most stringent requirement of such a missile with the Indian Government received replies from only three com- an equal to or greater than seven km range. It can also carry panies, Bell and Boeing having withdrawn from the competi- Raytheon’s air-to-air stinger (ATAS) missiles which enables tion. Ironically, none of the remaining competitors could pass engagement of rotary wing targets in clutter out to eight km muster on the technical evaluation front vis-à-vis the ‘staff maximum physical range of the missile. Its Boeing M230 chain qualitative requirements’ set by the government, and their gun 30mm automatic cannon with ammo carrying capability offers were therefore, rejected. The RFP was cancelled on of 1,200 rounds also gives it a distinct advantage over the Rus- March 9, 2009, but contrary to the IAF’s fears of long bureau- sian Mi-28N’s similar but somewhat inferior gun system. cratic delays, it was reissued within three months on May 25. It is clear that taking into account the two competitors’ It took more than two years thereafter with many a glitch technological and operational capabilities, IAF has made the reappearing, such as Bell withdrawing again from the com- right choice by selecting the AH-64D Apache Longbow as its petition, etc, but it appears that the final hurdles have been next generation helicopter. Now, it can only be hoped that the overcome to announce Boeing’s AH-64 Apache Longbow as bureaucratic formalities are completed as soon as possible to the final winner. It was inevitable that a highly capable com- enable timely induction of this much awaited combat capabil- bat system such as the ‘Apache’ would score heavily against ity into the IAF. SP

General Characteristics

Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) Height: 15.24 ft (4.64 m) Wing Span: 17.15 ft (5.227 m) Primary Mission Gross Weight Standard Day 15,075 lb (6,838 kg) Hover In-Ground Effect (MRP) 15,895 ft (4,845 m) Hover Out-of-Ground Effect (MRP) 12,685 ft (3,866 m) Service Ceiling 21,000 ft (6,400 m) Sea Level Standard Day Vertical Rate of Climb (MRP) 2,175 fpm (663 mpm) Maximum Rate of Climb (IRP) 2,915 fpm (889 mpm) Maximum Level Flight Speed 150 kt (279 kph) Cruise Speed (MCP) 150 kt (279 kph) Source: Boeing

48 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Civil Seminar Report The Decade Ahead The day-long national conference on civil aviation organised by CII witnessed discussions on airports, aircraft, airlines, domestic and international passenger base, aviation cargo, MROs, etc

ndia is emerging as the By Sucheta Das Mohapatra down the taxes on jet fuel to im- world’s aviation hub and in prove the financial health of avia- a decade or two, Indian do- tion companies. mestic aviation market would During the session on “Innova- Ibecome one of the fastest growing tion and Technology: CEO’s Per- markets globally, foresee indus- spective”, Arvind Mehra, Executive try leaders, Boeing and Airbus. To Director and CEO, Mahindra Aero- analyse growth in the segments and subsegments of the space, highlighted three key aspects of innovation—making aviation sector, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) the product cost competitive globally; public-private collab- organised a national conference on “Civil Aviation: The De- oration and co-creation; and reselling partnership. Dinesh cade Ahead” in New Delhi on October 31, 2011. Keskar, President, Boeing India, said that innovation need The day-long event witnessed industry leaders discuss- not be brand new; it can also be something which is new ing and debating on airports infrastructure and handling ca- to India. Giving an overview of the aviation sector, Keskar pacity, aircraft assets and manufacture, increase in number mentioned about the 787 Dreamliner which is expected to of scheduled airlines, growth in general aviation fleet, ex- be 20 per cent more fuel efficient. panding domestic and international passenger base, growth Not very happy with the growth in the cargo segment in aviation cargo, maintenance repair overhaul (MRO), etc. as compared to the passenger segment, Tulsi Nowlakha Inaugurating the seminar, Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Mirchandaney, Managing Director, Blue Dart Aviation Ltd, Zaidi informed that the government was in the process of re- highlighted the single window system for cargo. Cost and ac- viewing the existing foreign cess are the hindrances and direct investment (FDI) policy need to be worked upon. Re- framework. There is a pro- plying to a query by Jayant posal for allowing foreign air- Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief, lines to pick up stake in Indian SP’s AirBuz, on the time re- carriers which may also be quired to manufacture 150- considered. Zaidi further in- 200 seat capacity aircraft, formed that the Civil Aviation Mehra said, “In less than Ministry was also examining four years, we in collabora- a proposal to establish an tion with the National Aero- aviation ombudsman to take nautics Limited (NAL) have care of the interests of cus- manufactured the five seat tomers and their grievances. NM-5 aircraft and by 2030, “With the number of air- we aim to manufacture an craft rising in the Indian skies, aircraft with 20-seat capac- there would be a business and ity. The key to large pro- investment opportunity of more than $130 billion (`6,50,000 grammes is public-private partnership and our industry is crore) by 2020,” he said, and informed that in order to enhance not yet matured for it now, the government is keen though.” connectivity especially to Tier–II and III cities, government has “As a private sector, we will have to learn that safety norms constituted a committee to expand existing Route Disbursal come first and there are no short cuts.” Guidelines and would circulate a consultation paper prepared Shyam Chetty, Acting Director, NAL, said that most of the by the committee for inputs from the industry. development is public funded and though things are looking A Remote Area Connectivity Fund has also been proposed promising, there is still a long way to go. “The government by the Civil Aviation Ministry in the forthcoming Twelfth has taken upon itself to support both the public and private Five Year Plan. In order to meet the human resource chal- sector.” On being asked whether Boeing would support such lenge, where the ministry expects a requirement of around ventures with Indian entrepreneurs as partners, Keskar said 5,00,000 personnel, Zaidi expected proactive participation that technology transfer through offset will enable Indian from the private sector for skill upgradation. industries like Mahindra and Tata to develop new technolo- Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya said that the gies. “Our slogan in India is partnership,” he said and added, aviation industry was on its way to truly emerge as a sun- “We have partnership with NAL and many of our aircraft

Photogra p h: CII rise sector of the economy. He stressed on the need to bring parts are already being manufactured in India.” SP

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 49 IAF Special Air force day Going Strong

he security situation in the immediate nal stages of procurement. The contract will be signed by the neighbourhood is extremely fragile and it is end of October.” The Air Chief said that Chinese incursion is a major concern for79 us. The need of the hour happening because of lack of demarcation of boundaries. The is air vigilance,” said Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is setting up a mechanism “TBrowne during the 79th Air Force Day celebrations at Hin- to address the problem of management of borders.” don Air Base on October 8. “The IAF has a 15-year modernisation plan. We are mod- The Chief further said that increasing presence of China ernising fast and the pace of modernisation will become even in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) warrants India’s “at- faster,” said the Air Chief. “The IAF has plans to expand the tention”. Stressing on ensuring the security of all important 6,000-foot Kargil runway to enable the base to operate all major assets of the country, the IAF chief said that security of our transport aircraft such as C-17, IL-76 heavy lift planes, etc.” SP information networks was also “absolutely critical”. “We need to upgrade our knowledge and awareness to counter this threat,” he said Addressing a press conference prior to Air Force Day, Browne announced that the Indian Air Force 1 (IAF) would induct six more C-130Js. “For the first time perhaps in our history, the aircraft has come before time and that has actually helped us keep moving,” said he, and added that the simulator will be coming in November and training will start soon. With regard to the number of squadrons, the Chief said that currently the IAF has plans of main- taining 34 squadrons and 17 squadrons would be phased out. “The IAF will induct the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) by 2014- 15-16,” he informed. On being asked about the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), Browne informed that design sharing will be finalised by mid-2012. “The IAF will get 166 single-seat and 48 twin-seat aircraft for six squadrons.” On the Mirage 2000 upgradation deal, Browne said, “We have finished the negotiations for the MICA missile and it should be cleared by next month.” The initial operational clearance (IOC) of the light combat aircraft (LCA) is likely to be finalised by the end of the year. Speaking on training, he said, “Training is an area of concern to us and the nuances would be taken care of. India grounded 108

Photogra p hs: I A F HPT 32 trainers in 2009. Pilatus PC-7 is in the fi-

50 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF Special Air force day

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 51 IAF Special Air force day

5 7

Photograph: IAF

1. aIr Warriors Marching Ahead 2. aIr Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne inspecting the parade 3. aIr Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne walking towards the podium 4. aIr Chief Marshal N.A.K. browne felicitating an Air warrior 5. Mi-35 attack helicopters in Chakra formation 6. the Akash Ganga paratroopers show off the Tricolour 7. sqn Ldr Sangita Paulraj, Flt Lt Priyanka Shadangi, Flt Lt Nisha Goverdhan, Flt Lt Rupal Thakur and Flt Lt Priyanka Hooda 8. c-130J and AN-32 firing flares during Air Display 9. sarang Helicopter Flying display 10. aIr Warrior Drill Team Display 11. MiG-29 firing flares 12. Mirage 2000 firing flares during Air Display

52 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net IAF Special Air force day PhotographS: Rakesh Chauhan 10

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Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 53 Show Report NBAA

a Festive affair NBAA’S 64th annual meeting and convention at Las Vegas attracted a large crowd. While the registrations were up by seven per cent from the 2010 show at Atlanta, about 4,000 international guests attended from 88 non-US countries.

fter a seven-year ab- By LeRoy Cook, numbers, but none of the others have sence from the Nevada participants as informed and ready desert, over 26,000 business Las Vegas, USA to buy as the average NBAA attendee. aviation personnel streamed The news announcements at the through the doors of the Las show varied in significance, as busi- Vegas Convention Center ness aircraft companies jockeyed for from October 10-12, where the National attention by framing a sale in glow- ABusiness Aviation Association’s (NBAA) ing terms, even if it were for just convention was being held. Once again, a massive, festive two planes. For good news in the face of a sluggish North trade show filled the halls and multitudinous seminars were American and European economy, many companies looked held in the meeting rooms. Registrations were up by seven towards the growing Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) per cent from 2010’s NBAA show in Atlanta, Georgia. About countries, which have been in a buying mood, most particu- 4,000 international guests attended from 88 non-US coun- larly China. It seemed that every other press release was

a, G ulfstream & S u p er Jet In t. n a, Cess Bom b ardier, H BC, em b raer, Photogra p hs: NBaa, tries. Other aviation attractions may pack in more sheer about a Chinese agreement or sale. The People’s Republic

54 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Show Report NBAA of China’s (PRC’s) representatives, entrepreneurs and pri- Hopeful News vate companies doing business at the show were engaged Many new product unveilings were announced, as the ven- in spending billions of Yuan Renminbi (CNY) buying aircraft. dors attempted to put a good face on the continuing lacklus- China has discovered the advantages of flying business air- tre economy. For buyers, it was a good time to avail them- craft, rather than relying on less efficient modes of transport selves of bargains or to be wooed for new business. There around the huge country. Of the four airliner-sized Boeing were some signs of an uptick in business, versus the totally business jets sold in the past year, three went to China. recession-dominated news of last year. And so, the 2011 NBAA show in Las Vegas will go down At one of the show’s press conferences, Charles Edel- in history as the year of the Chinese buyout, when thou- stenne, Dassault’s CEO, expressed caution over the rumours sands of millions of dollars in orders were placed for all of improvement in the business aviation sector, which he sorts of business aircraft. In general, the Chinese were opines is subject to disruption by the Eurozone crisis. The looking for large-cabin jets, to be used in charter and oth- “Arab Spring” turmoil has held back Middle Eastern buyers, er transportation tasks. On the show’s opening day, Min- while China customers took 15 Falcon jets this year. Dassault sheng Financial Leasing agreed to buy 33 aircraft worth is forging ahead with plans to certify its new super-midsize $1.2 billion (`6,000 crore)—20 Dassault Falcons and 13 jet by the end of 2016. Embraer Legacy 650s. This came on top of the firm’s ear- Emerging business aircraft giant Embraer announced sev- lier purchases of 87 planes. Minsheng Chairman Kong eral notable orders for its products, including a Legacy 650 for Linshan said that as many as 1,000 jets will go to China in action movie star Jackie Chan, now a designated spokesman the next 10 years. for Embraer, particularly for the Chinese market. Ernie Ed- The maze of trade show displays and static aircraft wards, President, Embraer Executive Jets, said that the com- stands made for some lengthy foot marches at NBAA. About pany’s Melbourne, Florida facility, now building only Phenom 1,160 exhibitors were on hand, up by two per cent over 100s, will become its business jet “centre of gravity”, provid- 2010, with 101 display airplanes among the attractions. ing easier access than Brazil for North American and Euro- The sold-out static display spaces at Henderson Executive pean customers. Airport, encompassing 63,000 square feet, held 85 aircraft Tiny Eclipse Aerospace with support from investor with 50 tents and chalets for doing business, and another United Technologies’ Sikorsky division is coming back dozen or so aircraft were towed over to the Convention Cen- from its rough start-up. Production will resume with a ful- ter from McCarren International Airport, where they were ly-equipped Eclipse 550, replacing the 500, now the Total publicly displayed in the parking lot. Eclipse. Its airframe will be built by PZL Mielec in Poland Randy Babbitt, the 16th Administrator of the US Federal and assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First deliv- Aviation Administration, followed the NBAA and General Avia- eries are anticipated in mid-2013; the new Eclipse 550 is tion Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Presidents during the priced at $2.965 million (`15 crore). opening sessions. Taking note of the plethora of “no user fees” Hawker Beechcraft’s CEO, Bill Boisture, somewhat buttons worn by the attendees, the genial Captain Babbitt echoed the sentiment of his peers, by calling the current said, “I was asked what I was going to say about the proposed market inconsistent, given its up-and-down cycles, and then user fees, but I see lots of badges reminding alluding to consistent stagnation, with us not to talk about user fees, so I will not business in 2012 expected to be much like discuss them.” He went on to stress the need 2011, which was a lot like 2010. HBC had BRAND JACKIE: for safety management system (SMS) initia- embraer announced at the a successful order intake in the third quar- tives and ADS-B equippage. nbaa 2011 movie star jackie ter, he reported. chan will become brand ambassodor of embraer executive jets

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 55 Show Report NBAA

Show HiGhlights: Éric Martel, President, Bombardier Customer As with NBAA Presi- Geoff Berger. Randy Groom has also left the company. Services & Specialised and Amphibious Aircraft, and dent Ed Bolen and GAMA Cessna Citation’s big news at the show was the announce- Brad Mottier, VP and GM President Pete Bunce, ment of the Citation Latitude larger-cabin jet, sized and priced of GE Aviation’s Business & Boisture had no kind to fit between the XLS+ and Sovereign. With a flat-floor cabin General Aviation, celebrate announcement of engine words for the present US height of 72 inches, the $15 million latitude will offer a new service agreement (Left); Administration’s stance on level of comfort for Citations, with certification by early 2016. Hawker Beechcraft’s 400XPR business aviation, which Just before NBAA, Cessna had unveiled plans to bring back the made its debut (RIGHT) he termed as an irrespon- CJ1+ as a Citation M2, filling the gap between the Mustang and sible attack on Ameri- CJ2 at a reduced price of $4.195 million (`21 crore). Deliveries can industry, driving jobs will begin by late 2013. away from the US HBC is Fabio Gamba, succeeding Brian Humphries as CEO of the considering opening a production line for the Hawker 4000 European Business Aviation Association, was also at the US in China, where interest in a super mid-size jet is strong. NBAA convention and spoke of the potential for growth in AVIC Aviation Technologies, the builder of the Chinese J-10 European business aviation. Recovery is still in progress, he fighter, is looking for a partner willing to share technology said, after a peak in activity in 2008. Business aviation, Gamba by having AVIC build and develop executive jets. warns, frequently overreacts to trends in the economic times, SuperJet International, the joint Italian-Russian venture so recession worries are still in play. marketing the executive version of Sukhoi’s Superjet 100 re- HondaJet returned to NBAA with its now-familiar lavish gional airliner, announced its launch customer, the Comlux Aviation Group of Geneva, Switzerland. Two of the wide- body Superjets are to be delivered in 2014, with options for two more. They’ll be put to work as Comlux charter aircraft, a lower-cost alternative to a Boeing BBJ or Airbus ACJ, but offering much the same level of comfort. The Comlux aircraft will be delivered with the cruise ceiling increased from 40,000 to 43,000 feet, extended operations (ETOPS) extended from 120 to 180 minutes and takeoff weight increased by 2,000 pounds. Piper Aircraft showed its Altaire single-engine jet mock- up, an aircraft that executive Vice President Randy Groom called “the future of our company”. The conforming aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight next summer. However, just after the show, on Octo- Briefing: ber 17, Piper announced it Gulfstream officials at was re-evaluating its posi- the show (Left); SuperJet tion with the Altaire and was International launcheD the Sukhoi Business Jet with a naming a new interim CEO, $200 million dollars order Simon Caldecott, replacing from Comlux (opp page)

56 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Show Report NBAA

At the show: NAA President and CEO displays and a model of the recently-opened Greensboro, less, Bombardier continues Jonathan Gaffney (right) presents a speed record North Carolina campus, where a quarter-million square feet its investment in develop- certificate to Eric Norber of plant space awaits the start of production after certifica- ment of the Learjet 85 and (left), president of ELJ tion in 2012. A redesigned HF120 GE/Honda power plant the Global 7000 and 8000. Aviation. Norber set the class speed record for is being prepared, after ground icing tests proved the need It was announced that the a Reykjavik to London for an upgrade. The HA420 aircraft will be delivered fully bigger Globals are going course in a Cessna Citation painted and completed. to be produced in Dorval, CJ2+ (Top Left); Citation Gulfstream announced the re-designation of its G250 as Quebec, like the rest of the Latitude Galley the G280, because the G250’s numerology was deemed “un- company’s large-cabin busi- friendly” in certain areas of the world (it can be translated ness jets. This new-product as “stupid” in Mandarin). The G280 has had a 200-nm range research and development boost to 5,560 kilometres. The super-large-cabin G650 is (R&D) has cost Bombardier over $2.5 billion in the past slated for full certification early in 2012. But if you want to two years, but is considered a necessary investment in the order one, it can’t be delivered until 2018; 2017 production future of the company. is already sold out. In addition to new products, retrofitting of existing air- Bombardier Aerospace CEO Guy Hachey shared his craft was the topic of many announcements. Sierra Industries compatriot’s estimate of economic recovery, which he Limited in cooperation with Garmin International, showed its thinks is somewhere out there beyond 2012. Neverthe- G501SP modification of the Cessna Citation 501, fitted with new Williams FJ44 engines, Garmin three-screen glass cockpit, Cobham digital engine gauges and other improvements. Hawker Beechcraft Services presented its Hawker 800XPR and 400XPR upfits, while Nextant Aerospace showed what is being billed as a “remanufactured” 400XT edition of the Beechjet 400A/XP aircraft. Rockwell Collins announced the first Pro Line Fusion Panel Uprades for Pro Line 21-equipped airplanes, initially for Beechcraft King Airs.

Down On the Field At the static display area on Henderson Executive airport, a half-hour road trek from the Convention Center, seven temporary buildings had been erected as sales chalets, in addition to the tents and other shelters used for making business deals. Cessna showed a “Captain America” red- white-and-blue paint job on a display Citation Mustang, Embraer brought its huge Lineage 1000 executive jet, Gulfstream’s new G650 was available for tours and Bom- bardier’s entire line was parked by a huge red carpet. An Airbus ACJ319 was on display, from UK charter company Aeropolis Aviation.

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 57 Show Report NBAA

By contrast, a brand-new Twin Otter on amphibious with the plush Oasis interior. The Kodiak was also fitted with floats, a long-wing Stemme S10-VT motorglider and a Waco a recently-certified sleek cargo pod under its belly. YMF-5 biplane were also in the crowded static park. Utility While it will have a tough act to follow after the robust bush plane maker Quest Aircraft showed a Kodiak turboprop Las Vegas show, the 2012 NBAA Convention will be held single with an executive-style interior, clearly targeting the in Orlando, Florida, scheduled for October 30 through market served by Cessna’s highly-successful Grand Caravan November 1. SP

What’s more?

t NBAA 2011, Elbit celebrated the delivery of its 1,000th nectivity solution. Industry leader OnAir selected Eclipse as a part- infrared enhanced-vision system (EVS) and also an- ner because of Eclipse’s extensive provisioning of satellite hard- Anounced that flight testing of its second-generation, en- ware and services to the aviation market for the past 15 years. hanced-vision system, EVS II, is in progress on a Boeing 777 and Winglet Technology of Wichita introduced an elliptical winglet that certification flight test of a new Kollsman head-up display design specifically for the Hawker 200 and Premier I/IA light jets, (HUD) for the Bombardier Challenger 604 is about to commence. and will offer the winglet for retrofit on existing Premier I/IA jets Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) an- beginning in the first quarter of 2013, the company announced nounced that it has completed certification of a three-display Pro at NBAA 2011. Line 4 to Pro Line 21 upgrade for the Hawker/Beechjet 400. The Blackhawk Modifications signed another new deal to its new system replaces the existing Pro Line 4 displays and up- worldwide network of authorised installation and service centres grades the flight management system to FMS 6100. With this sig- for turboprop engine performance upgrades. Flying Colours of nificant functional enhancement, operators now have access to Peterborough, Ontario, and Chesterfield joined Blackhawk’s ros- electronic charts, XM weather/data, WAAS/LPV, ADS-B out, VHF ter of 77 authorised dealers for its upgraded engine installation datalink and an upgrade path for future airspace requirements. programmes. Blackhawk also signed other deals including with Hawker also announced that it has broken ground on a new ExecuJet Africa and Premium Jet in Brazil. 48,000 square foot, company-owned factory service centre at the The company also announced that it had received EASA certi- General Mariano Escobedo International Airport in Monterrey, fication for its XP42A conversion for the Cessna 208B Grand Cara- Mexico. The facility, which is scheduled to open in the spring of van. Blackhawk received FAA approval for the conversion in June. 2012, will include a 13,400 square foot paint hangar in addition to The conversion replaces the stock P&WC PT6A-114A engine with a 24,000 square foot maintenance hangar and 10,700 square feet the more powerful Dash 42A model and achieves substantial per- of office and customer hospitality space. The company received formance improvements in fuel consumption, cruise speed, rate-of- Brazilian certification for its Hawker 4000 business jet, the climb and useful load. The conversion also includes a new engine Wichita-based company announced at Las Vegas. cowling, new Frakes exhaust stacks and a new Hartzell 100-inch GE Aviation and Bombardier Aerospace announced two new four-blade propeller. engine service agreements that will boost services support and TrueNorth unveiled the TrueNorth Stylus, which according to provide additional peace of mind for Bombardier business aircraft the company is business aviation’s first multilingual handset. Stylus customers. GE’s OnPointSM solutions engine maintenance cover- incorporates TrueNorth’s intuitive, one-button interface; high-defi- age is being offered on Challenger aircraft equipped with GE CF34 nition voice quality for near-broadband quality voice communica- engines and Global 7000 and Global 8000 aircraft. Bombardier’s tions; wired and wireless configuration options; and personalisa- five wholly owned business aircraft service centres in the United tion options that include custom materials to match the cabin décor. States are named GE Authorised Service Centres for CF34 engines Stylus can be programmed to operate in any language, including for business aircraft. GE’s OnPoint solutions will offer customers those with dedicated character sets such as Chinese, Japanese, Ara- the option to purchase a flexible and cost-effective engine service bic and Russian. The company announced that it has been selected package tailored to their specific needs. Comprehensive OnPoint by global cabin completions giant Jet Aviation to provide its full solutions are being offered on both the passport propulsion sys- cabin telecommunications package for high-end interior outfitting. tem that will power the ultra long-range, large cabin Global 7000 Lufthansa Technik of Germany presented its new “Innova- and Global 8000 aircraft and the CF34 engine which powers Chal- tion Corner” at NBAA, featuring prominently its next-generation lenger 600 series and Challenger 800 series aircraft. “Nice HD” cabin management and in-flight entertainment sys- IDAIR, the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and tem. The system incorporates an animated graphical user inter- Panasonic Avionics Corporation, brought its global communica- face (GUI) with an integrated scroll wheel and touchscreen. The tions solution to the VIP and business jet market. And the first scroll wheel allows the passenger, using a thumb or finger, to installations on VIP aircraft have commenced, which are due for simply roll a small barrel, which corresponds to the animated customer redelivery in 2012. The system provides customers with GUI. Once the selection is chosen, the user can simply push to connectivity, global television channels, VPN – corporate e-mail select the function. and data access, mobile telephone and data services and in-seat Honeywell Aerospace released its annual Business Aviation Out- telephone via VIP services, utilising infrastructure powered by look at the NBAA 2011. “After four years of decline, business avia- Panasonic Avionics Corporation. tion is poised for moderate recovery beginning in 2012,” stated the OnAir and Eclipse announced at NBAA that Eclipse has been Honeywell forecast, which was based on surveys of more than 1,500 appointed as a reseller of OnAir’s new light-weight airborne con- flight departments around the world. •

58 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net Hall of Fame or a woman to become rolls and loops. She used her celebrity on another plane, again a Jenny. She a pilot in early 20th cen- status to make a point—there would scheduled her next performance in tury America was no easy only be non-segregated entry gates for Jacksonville, Florida, and was billed thing. And if she happened all ticket holders, irrespective of their as the star of the show. The highlight to be an African American, colour. She also dreamed of opening of her performance was to be a spec- Fforget it. Yet Bessie Coleman became a flight school for African Americans, tacular parachute jump from 2,500 a world-famous aerobatic pilot, sky- and spoke about it at every opportu- feet. On April 30, 1926, the day before diver, and daredevil air show regular. nity, in churches, theatres and schools. the event, Coleman and her mechanic, She proved that people did not have to In February 1923 came Bessie William Wills, took the aircraft up for a be shackled by gender or race to practice flight. Wills was piloting realise their dreams. the plane, while Bessie sat in the Born on January 26, 1892, in rear, her seat belt unfastened, so a family of 13, Elizabeth “Bessie” that she could peer over the side Coleman experienced a childhood to study the contours of the field of unmitigated poverty and pri- below, where she was scheduled vation. It did not stop her from to jump. About ten minutes into becoming an excellent student. the flight, the plane did not pull Her interest in aviation was kin- out of a dive; instead it spun. dled by soldiers returning from Coleman was flung out of the air- First World War with wild tales craft and died instantly as she hit of flying feats. When her brother the ground. The pilot was unable teased her that French women to regain control of the machine were superior to African Ameri- and it crashed, killing him on can women because they could impact. The wreckage was badly fly, she resolved to be a pilot. burned. However, it was later There was just one catch—no discovered that an engine servic- American flight school would ing wrench had slipped into the admit her. Then Robert Abbott, gearbox and jammed it, resulting the wealthy owner of a Chicago in loss of control. newspaper, encouraged her to Bessie Coleman Fondly known as ‘Queen Bess’, try her luck in France. She learnt Coleman was a highly motivated French, scraped together a little (1892 - 1926) person. She once said, “The air money, and sailed for Paris in is the only place free from preju- November 1920. She needed She was billed as “the dices,” but in public she had poise, just seven months to complete self-assurance and an eloquence the ten-month basic course on a World’s Greatest Woman that brooked no discrimination Nieuport Type 82 biplane. And on Flyer”, and she did not and belied her difficult childhood. June 15, 1921, she received the And she inspired many other Af- coveted international aviation li- disappoint. She became rican Americans to follow in her cence from the Fédération Aéro- an immediate sensation, footsteps. After her death, Bes- nautique Internationale, the first sie Coleman Aero Clubs sprouted African American woman to be thrilling audiences with dips everywhere. In 1977, the Bessie so qualified. On returning home, and dives, barrel-rolls Coleman Aviators Club was found- she realised that she needed to ed by a group of African American become an aerial daredevil in or- and loops. women pilots, open to women of der to make a living as a pilot. So all races. Each year, on her death in February 1922, she returned anniversary, African American to Europe. She spent the next two aviators fly low over Lincoln Cem- months in France doing an ad- etery near Chicago to drop flowers vanced course in aviation, then left for Coleman’s first accident. Her Jenny on her grave. According to Coleman’s the Netherlands to meet Anthony Fok- airplane’s engine unexpectedly quit sister, Elois Patterson, “Bessie Coleman ker, one of the world’s most famous and she crashed. Knocked uncon- was called ‘Brave Bessie’ because she aircraft designers. She also travelled scious, she received a broken leg, had fearlessly taken to the air when to Germany for more training. some cracked ribs, and multiple fa- aviation was a greater risk than it is to- Back in the USA, Bessie flew at her cial cuts. A year later, she was back day and when few men had been able first air show on September 3, 1922, in high-voltage action. She would stop to muster such courage.” The very last in New York. She was billed as “the at nothing to complete a difficult ex- letter that I received from her said, “I World’s Greatest Woman Flyer”, and ploit and quickly gained a reputation am right on the threshold of opening she did not disappoint. She became for fearlessness and skill. In 1926, a school.” SP an immediate sensation, thrilling au- with the help of a wealthy business- —Group Captain (Retd) diences with dips and dives, barrel- man, Bessie made the final payment Joseph Noronha, Goa

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 59 newsDigest

Military Elettronica S.p.A. ESM/ELINT QuickRoundUp Asia-Pacific system to protect ATR-72 Air India Eurofighter Typhoon ready he Italian Ministry of for Japan Defence has selected • Ahead of a Group of Ministers BAE Systems with the sup- TElettronica S.p.A.’s (India) meeting to finalise Air India's port of the UK Government, ELT/800 system for the pro- financial restructuring plan, the Board the Eurofighter partner tection of its ATR-72 plat- of US Exim Bank has decided to give companies and nations forms. For an overall value of loan guarantees of $1.3 billion to together with the Sumitomo 12 million Euro, the contract support the airline's fleet acquisition Corporation, has submitted a was signed with Alenia Aero- from aerospace company Boeing. In response to Japan’s require- nautica and consists of equip- addition to these final commitments, ment for a new fighter air- ping four ATR-72 platforms; the Board also approved a $2.1 craft to the Japanese Ministry delivery of the first system is billion preliminary commitment to of Defence in Tokyo. scheduled by the end of 2012 and begining of 2013. support future deliveries of Boeing The ELT/800 features an innovative design concept for the aircraft to Air India. India and Russia to step ELINT systems equipping both fixed and rotary wing platforms. up defence ties This high performance equipment is based on an advanced ar- Austria India and Russia held their chitecture that combines a wide open receiver with the unique annual meeting to review • Two Eurofighter Typhoons from the the defence ties in Moscow capabilities of a Superhet digital receiver, implementing specific Austrian Bundesheer were asked to on October 4 and expressed system design solutions and advanced technologies. The system escort the Indian President’s aircraft, “readiness to take all neces- consents tactical surveillance (ESM function) and fine detail data Air India One, as it entered national sary measures to further processing for signal analysis (ELINT function). The ELT/800 air space on October 4. The jets expand the cooperation on represents a compact and light weight solution with a high level carried out this task as part of their a mutually beneficial basis”. of installation flexibility. Elettronica is particularly proud to an- air surveillance role, guaranteeing In a protocol signed after the nounce the signing of this contract in the year of its 60th anni- the safe arrival of the President as eleventh meeting of the Indo- versary. “Once again this success confirms ELT’s excellence and she landed in the country to deliver a Russia Inter-governmental support to the Italian Defence Administration,” says Giovanni series of keynote speeches. Commission on Military Zoccali, Vice President, Domestic Sales of Elettronica. Technical, co-chaired by Elettronica continues to maintain its leadership in the sec- BAE the Indian Defence Minister tor. Committed to its core business, the company is increasingly A.K. Antony and his Russian pursuing research and development of new technologies and • BAE Systems has been selected by counterpart A.E. Serdyukov, solutions to apply to its electronic defence systems. • Lockheed Martin, the prime contrac- the two sides noted with tor for the joint strike fighter (JSF) satisfaction that during the programme, to supply a night vision period under review, vari- goggle helmet mounted display (NVG ous diligent steps have been presented their latest techno- weapons load training device HMD) system for the F-35 during taken ‘‘to deepen interaction logical innovations. at the F-35 integrated pilot- the next phase of its development. in the development of defence and-maintenance training The NVG HMD will incorporate the technologies, modernisation Americas centre (ITC) at Eglin Air latest Q-SIGHT waveguide display of military equipment and Force Base’s 33rd Fighter and feature detachable night vision joint manufacture of military- Computer virus hits Wing. Configured in all goggles for night operations. purpose products’’. US drone fleet three variants of the F-35 A computer virus has infected Lightning II, the system al- Bell Indo-French Technology the cockpits of America’s lows maintenance students Meet 2011 Predator and Reaper drones, to hone their skills loading • Bell Helicopter has announced Ubifrance and the French logging pilots’ every keystroke munitions, fuel tanks and that its OH 58 Kiowa Warrior has Trade Commission, in collabo- as they remotely fly missions missile systems onto the successfully demonstrated several ration with French Aerospace over Afghanistan and other aircraft. The system is the ground-breaking capabilities that Industries Association, organ- war zones. The virus, first first of up to five possible will enable interoperability among ised the Indo-French Technol- detected by the military’s weapons load trainers to be multiple aviation platforms, such as ogy Meet 2011 on Aerospace host-based security system, delivered to the ITC. manned and unmanned vehicles. industries. Key representa- has not prevented pilots at The exercise was conducted at the tives of the Indian industry Creech Air Force Base in First AH-64D Apache Block manned unmanned system integra- and leading French compa- Nevada from flying their mis- III combat helicopter tion capability (MUSIC) demonstra- nies participated to present sions overseas. But the virus tion, sponsored by the US Army. The their latest innovations and has resisted multiple efforts to OH-58 Kiowa Warrior demonstrated state-of-the-art technologies remove it from Creech’s com- its capability to receive sensor video in the field of aeronautics puters. The infection under- from a variety of the Army’s large and space industries and scores the ongoing security unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), shared their views on huge risks in what has become the like Shadow, Hunter, and Gray Eagle, growth potential in the Indian US military’s most important legacy Raven and Puma. market. The seminar was weapons system. inaugurated by Jean-Marin Boeing Schuh, Minister Counsellor of First F-35 weapons load France to India. Airbus, ATR, training system delivered The Boeing Company on No- • Boeing began building the Dassault Aviation, Eurocopter, Lockheed Martin has deliv- vember 2 celebrated delivery first Next-Generation 737 at the Safran, Sagem, and Thales ered and installed the first of the first AH-64D

60 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net newsDigest Appointments Apache Block III RoundUp multi-role attack helicopter Quick Indian Air Force to the US Army in Mesa. The With the retirement of Air Marshal G.S. Kochar Block III Apache begins a programme's new production rate on October 31, Air Marshal Arup Raha has new era in combat aviation of 35 airplanes a month. The rate been elevated to take over as the new Air Of- by delivering advanced tech- is increasing from 31.5 airplanes a ficer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF’s Central nologies and capabilities to month to meet worldwide market Air Command. His previous post as SASO benefit soldiers and battle- demand for the best-selling single- Western Air Command has been filled by Air field commanders. aisle airplane. Marshal S.S. Soman on promotion. Boeing has received a perfor- Europe mance based logistics contract from Boeing the US Department of Defense for Boeing has named Dewey Houck as Vice President and Gen- Spanish Air Force 300th the C-17 Globemaster III Inte- eral Manager of the company's Information Solutions organ- Typhoon delivered grated Sustainment Programme. In isation. Houck was formerly Vice President of the Intelligence performance-based contracting, Systems Group within Information Solutions. the customer pays for an agreed-to level of readiness and cost versus a General Dynamics traditional transactional spares-and- General Dynamics has appointed Leda M.L. Chong as Senior support contract for individual parts Vice President, Asia-Pacific Region, of the company’s Aero- or services. space group on November 1, with an initial focus on the People’s Republic of China. Brazil Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) • The Brazilian C-295 fleet, consist- On October 28 Dr Ashok Kumar Mishra took over the charge The 300th Eurofighter ing of 12 Airbus military aircraft, has of Director Finance, HAL. Earlier he was Executive Director Typhoon produced by the reached 25,000 flight hours after six (Finance) at HAL Corporate Office. four partner companies of years of successful operation in Ama- With the retirement of Ashok Naik on October 31 and the European consortium, zonia and Mato Grosso, two big areas was delivered by Cas- where these airplanes are vital for Indian Government still undecided on who to select as the sidian to the Spanish Air the local population. Till date, Airbus new Chairman, P.V. Deshmukh has been given charge as the Force, Ejercito del Aire. This Military has sold 83 C-295 aircraft to Officiating Chairman of HAL with effect from November 1. In milestone makes the Euro- 12 different operators. addition, he continues to hold his current post of Managing fighter Typhoon the only new Director (MiG Complex). generation multi-role aircraft China to reach the impressive figure United Technologies of 300 examples in service. • Chinese Air Force authorities have United Technologies Corporation (UTC) announced a new The Eurofighter Typhoons, denied all rumours about the crash of organisational structure that groups some of the company’s developed and manufactured a J-10B aircraft during a test flight in businesses into new aerospace and commercial organisa- by Cassidian in Germany and Xi'an. Recently, a rumour was spread tions. Geraud Darnis has been appointed President and Spain, BAE Systems in the online that a Chinese J-10 jet fighter Chief Executive Officer of UTC Climate, Controls and Secu- UK and Alenia Aeronautica crashed during a test flight in the rity Systems; Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Operat- in Italy, are now in service Yan Liang district of Xi'an, Shanxi ing Officer of UTC Propulsion and Aerospace Systems; and across the globe with 16 units province. Internet reports had said Michael Dumais, President of Hamilton Sundstrand. in six air forces replacing 11 that the pilot did not eject and died aircraft types. in line of duty.

Eurofighter ITT completes separation plan • The 300th Eurofighter Typhoon produced by the four partner compa- TT Corporation has completed the previ- that will accelerate growth, including a strong nies of the European consortium, has ously announced spinoffs of its defence and global footprint and profitable aftermarket been delivered by Cassidian to the Spanish Air Force, Ejercito del Aire. business; commitment to innovation, customer Iinformation solutions business and its Wa- This milestone makes the Eurofighter ter Technology and Services business. With the service and operational excellence; and focus Typhoon the only new generation spinoffs complete, ITT is now a $2 billion com- on capital deployment that fuels growth both multi-role aircraft to reach the pany with four businesses that deliver highly organically and through targeted acquisitions. impressive figure of 300 examples engineered and customized products and ser- “Our company is also nicely capitalised to in service. vices to the industrial, aerospace, transporta- create significant value for shareowners, with tion, and oil and gas industries. an outstanding operating track record and Finmeccanica “ITT’s businesses are focused on providing dedicated people who are committed to deliver- reliable and durable technologies for customers ing premier service, quality and innovation to • Selex Galileo recently completed across balanced end markets and geographies, our world-class customer base,” Ramos said. In the first tranche of US flight trials and our global portfolio is highly aligned with addition, a 1:2 reverse stock split for ITT will of its VigilX airborne enhanced the global macro trends that will drive premier become effective in which every two common situational awareness system. The growth,” said Denise Ramos, Chief Executive Of- shares of ITT will be converted into one com- system, which enables pilots to see ficer and President. As a standalone company, mon share of ITT. As a result, ITT will have ap- in zero light conditions, was flown ITT is now better positioned to focus on the key proximately 92.5 million common shares out- in a series of sorties on a US DoD drivers that are specific to its businesses and standing after the reverse stock split. • trials helicopter and demonstrated

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 61 newsDigest

Show Calendar P&W F135 propulsion system powers QuickRoundUp successful sea trials for F-35 12–14 November CIAM INTERNATIONAL ea trials have con- its potential to provide an innovative AVIATION TRADE SHOW & cluded for the F-35B capability to aid the operation of CONGRESS Lightning II's Short battlefield helicopters at night and in Moon Palace Golf & Spa Re- S degraded visual environments. Takeoff and Vertical Land- sort, Cancun, Mexico www.expo-ciam.com ing (STOVL) aircraft. Fly- India ing under the power of 13–17 November Pratt & Whitney's F135 • The Indian Ministry of Defence Dubai Airshow 2011 propulsion system, two has decided to go for open bidding Airport Expo, Dubai, UAE STOVL variants conduct- to select an event manager for the www.dubaiairshow.aero ed 72 short takeoffs and seventh edition of land, naval and vertical landings, for a total of 260 vertical landings in the pro- internal security system exhibition, 16–17 November gramme. The three-week sea trial period was conducted aboard Defexpo India 2012, scheduled to be Unmanned Aircraft the USS Wasp sailing from Norfolk Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia. held in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Systems The key events included operating two F-35B aircraft on from March 29 to April 1, 2012. Copthorne Tara Hotel, Lon- deck, at the same time, in both landing and takeoff operations. don, United Kingdom The tests were completed on schedule and demonstrated that the Lockheed Martin www.smi-online.co.uk F-35B aircraft and F135 propulsion system are meeting program goals. "This is a significant and historic achievement for the F-35 • The Lockheed Martin team 21–24 November programme and the F135 propulsion system," said Chris Flynn, developing the US Air Force's next Airport Expansion & Vice President F135/F119 engine programmes. "Beginning with generation global positioning system Development Africa 2011 the 'first ever' F-35B vertical landing to take place on a ship, the (GPS) has turned on initial power Holiday Inn Sandton, F135 provided dependable performance throughout the series of to the programme's pathfinder space- Johannesburg, South Africa rigorous tests. We are meeting our goals on performance and af- craft, known as the GPS III non-flight www.airportexpansionafrica.com fordability at this critical time for the F-35B programme." satellite test bed. The milestone gives the team high confidence in meeting US Navy and Marine Corps leadership were pleased with the 28–30 November the scheduled launch of the first GPS Air Power in Irregular deck handling qualities of the F-35B. "It is no small feat to put III satellite in 2014. Warfare together sea trials," said Vice Admiral David Venlet, F-35 Pro- Aviator Hotel, Farnborough, UK gram Executive Officer. "This test was planned to happen on Oct. Raytheon www.airbournecounterinsur- 3 back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on gency.com schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across • Raytheon is seeking to integrate broad aspects of the development programme. Professionals its small tactical munition (STM) 6–10 December from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed onto a wide variety of light-attack Langkawi International Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney and aircraft. STM is a new 12-pound, Maritime and Aerospace Rolls-Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to 22-inch-long, precision-guided, Exhibition the fleet," Venlet said. • gravity-dropped weapon. Although Mahsuri International initially designed for employment Exhibition Centre, Langkawi, from unmanned aircraft systems, Kedah, Malaysia STM's small size makes it uniquely www.lima.com.my First Euro Hawk for German signal intelligence system applicable to manned systems as armed forces presented (ISIS) developed by Cassidian well. STM is the smallest air-launched 12–13 December and will undergo flight testing weapon in Raytheon's portfolio. Aviation Security Summit in 2012. Euro Hawk is the Crystal Gateway Marriott, first international configura- Royal Air Force Arlington, VA, USA tion of the RQ-4 Global Hawk www.aaae.org high altitude long endurance • RAF officials announced on October (HALE) UAS. Delivery of the 6 that the Tornado GR4s deployed on 12–14 December first Euro Hawk system to Operation Ellamy had completed over Helicon Summit East the German Air Force and 7,000 flight hours on missions over Renaissance Baltimore Strategic Intelligence Com- Libya. The Tornado Squadron was one Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, mand (KSA) is scheduled for of the first fast-jet squadrons to be MD, USA On October 12, Euro Hawk, 2012, with delivery of the fol- deployed to the area. www.heliconsummit.com the premier signals intel- lowing four systems foreseen ligence (SIGINT) unmanned between 2015 and 2016. Russia 12–14 December aircraft system (UAS) for the Canadian Unmanned German Armed Forces, was • Russian carriers will need more Vehicle Systems Summit presented to government Civil Aviation than 1,000 passenger aircraft over Venue to be confirmed, Ot- officials and media during the next 20 years in response to tawa, ON, Canada a rollout ceremony held in Asia-Pacific the strong traffic growth, according www.uvscanada.com Manching, Germany. The UAS to the latest Airbus Global Market arrived on July 21 following Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II Forecast (GMF). The forecast ranks 12–14 December a non-stop ferry flight from Chinese certification Russia sixth in the top ten countries Gulf Defense & Edwards Air Force Base in Piaggio Aero announced at for passenger aircraft demand after Aerospace – Kuwait California to Manching. After NBAA 2011 that its P.180 US, China, India, Germany and UK. Kuwait International Fair, Kuwait its landing, it was success- Avanti and Avanti II aircraft Today, nine Russian airlines operate http://gulfdefense.com fully fitted with the integrated have received their type

62 SP’S AVIATION Issue 11 • 2011 www.spsaviation.net newsDigest certificate from the China Civil Bell 407—the 407GX— has US-based lessor, Air Lease RoundUp Aviation Authority (CAAC). earned Federal Aviation Corporation (ALC) their Quick The CAAC type-certificate Administration (FAA) certifi- first ATR 72-600 turboprop confirms that the design of the cation following its certifica- aircraft. Founded by Steven F. over 170 Airbus aircraft. Over 80 aircraft complies with Chinese tion by Transport Canada Udvar-Hazy, ALC had agreed jets are scheduled for delivery in the regulations, having previously earlier this year. Since the in 2010 and 2011 to pur- forthcoming years. gained both EASA/FAA certi- Bell 407GX was introduced chase 12 ATR 72-600s, with fications. The P.180 Avanti/II in February at the 2011 options for eight additional Sukhoi can now be legally registered Heli-Expo annual convention ATR 72-600s. Delivery of the and operated throughout the in Orlando, Bell Helicopter first aircraft to ALC comes • The Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) People's Republic of China has received more than 60 during the current year when aircraft successfully went through and Hong Kong. orders, with the first expected ATR has booked a record additional certification trials on to be delivered later this year. number of orders for its tur- expanding operational conditions at Virgin Australia inaugurates boprop aircraft. high altitude airports. Trials involved ATR 72-500 services SSJ100 flight prototype MSN95004 Industry and took place in the airport of To- Space luca, Mexico, located at the altitude Americas of 2,580 metres above sea level. Asia-Pacific Bell Helicopter’s continued Textron commitment to Europe China accomplishes its first Bell Helicopter has an- space docking mission • AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems nounced the signing of three China has accomplished its (UAS) has introduced the Shadow M2 purchase agreements, which first space docking mission Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System included the Bell 429 and Bell when two Chinese spacecraft (TUAS) at the Association of the US On October 17, a new era of 407GX, received during the silently coupled in space Army 2011 Annual Meeting and air transport commenced in Sixth International Business more than 343 km above the Exposition. Shadow M2 is the next Australia when Virgin Aus- Aviation Exhibition Jet Expo earth's surface as part of the generation of AAI UAS’ renowned, tralia launched commercial in Moscow and the Heli- country's maiden attempt to battle-proven Shadow 200 TUAS, services with the first of its tech Conference in Duxford, build a space station by 2020. which has amassed nearly 7,00,000 new ATR 72-500 turboprop United Kingdom, continuing The unmanned spacecraft flight hours with customers including airliners. The inaugural flight to grow its presence in the Shenzhou-8 which was the US Army and Marine Corps of Virgin Australia’s first European and Russian mar- launched two days ear- turboprop and Australia’s first kets. Entering service in April lier, docked with space lab UK ATR 72 was also the airline’s 2010, the Bell 429 continues module Tiangong-1, sent into first flight from Brisbane to the to gain market momentum space last month providing a • The British Prime Minister David regional industrial city of Glad- with orders placed in more big leap forward for China's Cameron, has officially opened the stone. And it was a milestone than 20 countries globally. space programme. Airbus’ new £400 million (about for ATR regional aircraft, the $630.7 million) wing factory in Wales world’s largest manufacturer Best-selling GEnx engine PSLV-C18 mission and on October 13, a state-of-the-art of 50-74 seat turboprop airlin- enters new era Indo-French collaboration manufacturing facility which will as- ers, adding Australia to an The GEnx, the fastest-selling Indian Space Research semble the wings for Airbus’ advanced already-extensive list of Asia- high-thrust jet engine in Organisation (ISRO) has new A350 XWB long-range aircraft Pacific markets where ATR GE Aviation's history, was launched Polar Satellite family. Bigger than Wembley Stadium, 72-500 aircraft operate. delivered on October 12 on Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C18 it is one of the largest manufacturing the new Boeing 747-8 to on October 12, and success- facilities to be built in the UK in re- Embraer delivers 100th Cargolux, the first customer fully placed in orbit four cent years and will produce high-tech aircraft to China delivery for an engine which satellites. This was also the carbon fibre ‘composite’ wings for the Embraer’s 100th aircraft has helped to define the next 19th consecutive success- A350 XWB. delivered to the Chinese generation of GE's com- ful launch of PSLV. The four market landed in China mercial engines. In addition satellites launched were a US on October 31, marking a to powering the four-engine 1,000 kg weather observa- significant milestone of the 747-8, the GEnx engine is tion Indo-French satellite • The Defense Security Cooperation company’s presence in China. also the best-selling engine called Megha-Tropiques, Agency has notified the US Congress The aircraft is an Embraer for Boeing's popular 787. SRMSat from SRM University, on October 26 of possible foreign 190, which will be operated Since its launch in 2004, the Chennai; Jugnu from the military sales (FMS) to the Govern- by China Southern Airlines, GEnx has received more than Indian Institute of Tech- ment of India for six Lockheed the largest airline in China 1,300 orders with a list- nology, Kanpur; and Ves- Martin C-130Js and associated and the third in the world price value of more than $17 selsat-1 from Luxembourg. equipment, parts, training and in terms of traffic volume. billion for 47 customers on Megha-Tropiques has been logistical support for an estimated Embraer delivered the first the Boeing 747-8 (GEnx-2B positioned at an orbit of 867 cost of $1.2 billion. This is at the aircraft in the region in 2000. engine) and the Boeing 787 km and given India better at- request of the Government of India. (GEnx-1B). mospheric research capabil- The prime contractors will be Americas ity which will also fulfill the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Com- Europe global demand on data for pany and Rolls-Royce Corporation. Bell Helicopter’s 407GX climate change. India plans Offset agreements associated with earns FAA certification Air Lease Corporation’s first to provide this data free of this proposed sale are and will be On October 10, Bell Heli- ATR 72-600 delivered cost. It also proved to be defined in negotiations between the copter announced that its European turboprop manu- India’s first major joint space purchaser and the contractors. newest version of the popular facturer ATR delivered to the project with France. •

Issue 11 • 2011 SP’S AVIATION 63 LastWord Train to succeed

n the occa- whatever capacity you serve sion of the in the IAF, you remain our 79th anniver- most valuable asset.” sary last month, It is noteworthy that both the top brass the content and the timing of the Indian of the statement by the CAS Air Force (IAF) once again with regard to the focus on Oreiterated the fact that the human resources are rele- fourth largest air force in vant and could not have come the world is in the process at a more appropriate time. of modernisation, “inducting This year, the IAF has already state-of-the-art platforms, lost seven fighter aircraft, five weapon systems and allied of these falling out of the sky equipment to transform itself since the change of guard at into a potent strategic force Air Headquarters on July 31, with full spectrum capabili- 2011. As per reports, three of ty”. It has also been stated by While the IAF is embarked these mishaps are attribut- the Minister of Defence A.K. on a comprehensive able to doubtful professional Antony that over the next de- competence of the pilots com- cade, the number of fighter transformation, its efforts missioned in the recent past, squadrons in the IAF is to go could be jeopardised in a sad commentary indeed on up from the current level of the state of training. 34 to 42. And by 2027, the the absence of a correctly Training of pilots as for combat fleet of the IAF is ex- structured training pattern any other vocation is essen- pected to have on its inven- tially the business of build- tory around 250 to 300 fifth supported by aircraft of the ing foundations. The conse- generation fighter aircraft, right type and in the right quences of a compromise in between 126 and 200 me- this area are usually disas- dium multi-role combat air- numbers trous especially in military craft (MMRCA), 270 Sukhoi aviation. The IAF has a well- Su-30 MKI air dominance established three-stage basic fighters and unspecified training pattern. In the days numbers of the indigenous gone by, young pilots select- light combat aircraft Tejas Mk II. In addition, the IAF will ed for the fighter stream were routed through the Hunter have a fleet of ten C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift air- aircraft before moving on to the Gnat and MiG-21 that craft, 12 C-130J Super Hercules, 45 multi-role transport air- were relatively more difficult to fly. With Hunters and Gnats craft, a few squadrons of light transport aircraft, a sizeable phased out and the case for advanced jet trainer (AJT) mov- fleet of helicopters numbering around 300 to 400 (including ing at snail’s pace, the MiG-21 served as the first aircraft a mix of heavy lift, light utility and attack helicopters) and for training in operational flying. It took more than two de- force multipliers such as the AWACS and flight refuelling air- cades of effort by the IAF for the induction of the AJT Hawk craft. This formidable array of hardware would undoubtedly to begin and may take a few years from now to complete. involve staggering levels of investment that could well be Meanwhile, the training pattern in the IAF suffered another about $100 billion (`5,00,000 crore). serious blow with the grounding of the basic trainer fleet While the government may, albeit with some difficulty, in July 2009. Although contract for 75 Pilatus PC-7 single be able to muster the financial resources to enable the IAF engine turboprops is expected to be signed “soon”, it would translate its vision into reality, success of the process of take at least three years before the fleet is functional in its transformation envisaged, also hinges on the quality of hu- role. However, what is of greater concern is the lack of tan- man resource. Aircraft, whether fighter, transport or heli- gible progress on the part of HAL to either resolve the issues copter, constitute the cutting edge of the force and require with the grounded HPT-32 fleet or provide its replacement. the best of engineers, technicians and pilots if their opera- While the IAF is embarked on a comprehensive transfor- tional potential is to be optimised. It was only appropriate mation, its efforts could be jeopardised in the absence of a cor- therefore that on assuming charge as the Chief of the Air rectly structured training pattern supported by aircraft of the Staff (CAS), one of the first pronouncements on policy by Air right type and in the right numbers. Without a secure founda- Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, focused on human resource. tion, the IAF may only be building castles in the air. SP

ilatus aircraft Photogra p h: ilatus He said, “Our people must receive our highest attention. In — Air Marshal (Retd) B.K. Pandey

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