Karnataka - Bangalore

Does the Govt. need two helicopters for VIP use?

Ravi Sharma

There is a view that the Govt. could have either leased out the Dhruv or restarted Dauphin operations

BANGALORE: Having been without a usable helicopter of its own since May 2004, the State Government has set the ball rolling to have two helicopters under its charge for use by its VIPs. But will the heavy costs that are to be incurred by the two machines commensurate with their usage?

The Government has entered into an "operations and maintenance" wet lease with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for a VIP variant of the multipurpose Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) under whose terms it will be paying a monthly rent of Rs. 30 lakhs and Rs. 20,000 for every hour of flying, subject to a maximum of 50 hours per month.

Simultaneously, it has earmarked Rs. 40 lakhs to "type train" two Indian Air Force pilots who will join it on deputation and resume operations on the Government's Eurocopter manufactured Dauphin N3 which is currently grounded. Both helicopters are six to eight seaters.

Knowledgeable observers question whether the Government really has the work for two helicopters. It was after all with the assumption that two helicopters were superfluous that the Government only a few months ago sold off its HAL-manufactured Chetak helicopter. That too after dilly-dallying for years.

Offer

A pilot who used to fly for the Government said that HAL - that was keen to refurbish the Government's Chetak and sell it to the Coast Guard — had made a very "interesting offer" for it in 2000. But the offer had run aground in bureaucratic red tape: HAL eventually buying a Chetak from Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. and selling it to the Coast Guard.

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that there is no clear-cut policy on whether the Government really needed two helicopters. They also say that it would have been prudent if the Government had pursued either leasing the Dhruv, or restarting operations on the Dauphin.

The irony is that the Dauphin has not been airborne for over 15 months as the Government has not been able to find pilots to fly it. The Government's long awaited request to the IAF to depute two pilots came a cropper since the Air Force itself was not keen (citing experiences) nor were any IAF pilots prepared to volunteer. Civil pilots were out of the question since the Government could not afford their salaries.

Training

However, sources in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms disclosed that two IAF helicopter pilots, Stephen and Kulkarni have volunteered and would shortly be sent on deputation to fly the Dauphin.

But the two IAF pilots will first have to be type trained in France (which is expensive), or in India, if the Government can find a qualified N3 pilot or if Eurocopter can spare a N3 qualified instructor. Training in India will save the Government "machine costs" since the pilots will be trained on the

Government's own Dauphin.

Aviation experts question whether two pilots are required to fly the Dauphin. Explains a pilot who has clocked many hours on it: "The helicopter is certified by the airworthiness certifying agencies in many countries, including the U.K., France and United States, for solo flying under instrument conditions. In other words, you can even fly it into clouds and at night with a single pilot. It has a duplicated autopilot and has a high degree of safety. Flying it single pilot means more commercial sense, since you can put an extra passenger. And anyway State Government operations don't require two pilots." Even in the past a single pilot — like when Bertie Vaz or Bandopadhaya were independently in charge — has flown the State's Dauphin.

Dauphin operations

Sources point out that the Dauphin's operations for most part have been badly managed. Bought in November 1998 for approximately Rs. 25 crores (a bagful of spares, tools and the type training of the pilot were thrown in for free), it started flying for the Government in February 1999.

It, however, suffered damage in 2003 after it "rolled on its side" when it came in the way of the exhaust of a commercial jet liner. Later, one of its engines burnt out. On both occasions it had to be sent abroad for repairs.

HAL's offering of the ALH with pilots is a new marketing ploy for India's premier aircraft manufacturing company.

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