Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews April 19, 2013 We're told Augusta Westland AW 101s VVIP helios contract is ‘on hold’. Interestingly, the contract does not have this clause and there is no laid out document that describes the two deadly words! Incidentally, also on hold are ten containers from AW lying in the customs for weeks containing spares, tools, consumables. What is the guarantee that water leakage is not happening already or that the heat may affect solvents etc that might be in the containers? Can there be some sanity to the idiom ‘on hold’ here? Who will pay for this ultimately, one wonders? Not difficult to fathom! A definition on the net describes ‘On Hold’ –“ to stop all activity or communication with someone” and also “to postpone something; to stop the progress of something,” and I can bet a wager there are hundreds more. So while India might consider it to mean ALL its dealings stop in the interim, AW might not. Word has it they are sticking to the schedule for delivery...

Neelam Mathews Feb 23, 2013 timescontent.com India's first budget airline Air Deccan made  its first flight in Aug 2003. It was no cake-walk for founder G.R Gopinath, who showed a similar grit asTony Fernandes- who already  two years into the business, had started shaking up everything that was previously sacrosanct.  Today, AirAsia is making making an entry into India and dare I say, we'll have our hats truly off to Fernandes if he manages to shake our moth-ridden system with fresh concepts.  Take the airports for instance. Many years ago, in an interview during Formula One in Bahrain with me, Tony called airports in India, "vultures." They still remain that and AirAsia is rather sagely keeping away from Mumbai and Delhi for the moment. Tony said during a press concall he hopes to convince them to relook at costs. At AerospaceDiary, we have our bubbly ready to cork if that happens! Tony also hopes that the five-year minima for Indian carriers to fly ...

Neelam Mathews Dec 23, 2012

Neelam Mathews Dec 19, 2012 Russian Helicopters has delivered another consignment of Mi-17B-5 helicopters to India as part of a contract signed by Rosoboronexport and India's Ministry of Defense in 2008. The final delivery is scheduled for 2013. The Mi-17B-5 has been built to the requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defense. Th e helicopters are equipped with new VK-2500 engines that have an electronic control system and deliver enhanced power performance, important in hot climates and at high altitudes. "Should one engine fail, the reserve power provided by the second engine ensures safe operation through to landing. The on-board systems allow the helicopter to operate day and night in all weather conditions. A new navigation system has been developed for this version of the Mi-17B-5 that shows all of the piloting and navigation information on four multifunctional display screens, significantly reducing the crew's workload," says a spokesman. The medium mult...

Neelam Mathews Dec 17, 18, 2012 Even as the bad old 2012 nears an end, and Mr Mallya celebrates his birthday, followed by a new year bash and then the launch of the Kingfisher calendar, he has reason to celebrate-. “We will restart in a phased manner and will provide funding ourselves. We have not asked the Banks for any support. We have also shared a full recapitalization plan which will be further discussed with a small designated group of Bankers,” said a crisp statement from Kingfisher to Aerospace Diary this evening. No mention of how many aircraft- we hear it will be around 6 in “the first phase”. No mention of when they will take off- we suspect soon, since the carrier’s license expires end of this year. And though it is valid for 2 years after expiry, nobody will be in a hurry to renew it once it expires, we are told. No mention of how many staff will be retained. We hear they have not been informed. “Kingfisher is ready to infuse Rs 425 crore into the airline an...

Neelam Mathews Dec 14, 2012 The   ATR 72-600-series launched last year and due this year - five of which Jet will get- we learn, have been painted in JetLite livery, with JetKonnect written on top. Sources we spoke to, said this was an error as the two brands, JetKonnect and JetLite have been consolidated under the JetKonnect brand. The aircraft will be going for repaint, we learn. The entry of the new aircraft had been delayed by a few weeks  as paperwork with the lessors for the old ATRs needed to be completed and delays by ATR following strikes resulted in lost  time. Jet Airways is also busy hiring marooned ATR pilots of Kingfisher, Aerospace Diary learns. In 2010, Jet ordered 6 ATR-500s. It is likely this order was changed to five 68-74 seater 600s. We could not confirm this. The 600s are  to be used from Mumbai to Udaipur, Bhuj and other regional sectors.  Meanwhile, Jet Airways brand new A330-300s will operate on BOM-BRU-EWR sectors from 22nd...

Neelam Mathews Nov 25, 2012

Neelam Mathews, Nov 25, 2012

Neelam Mathews Sept 23, 2012 The scene is a newspaper office. The editor says to one of his reporters: There's a fire raging out of control west of town and I want you to get out there fast. And above all, get some good shots. If that means you have to hire an airplane, just do it.  So, the reporter calls the local FBO and orders a plane. He rushes out to the airport, spots a small aircraft with a young pilot in it, pulls open the door, jumps in and says to the pilot: Let's go, take off. As directed, the pilot takes off, gets up to altitude, and the reporter then tells him, "See that fire raging to the west? I want you to fly over that and get down as close as you can." Incredulous, the pilot says, "You want me to fly over that fire?" "Sure," the reporter says, "I am a photojournalist and that's why I am here--to take dramatic shots of the fire!"  The pilot looks over with a quizzical look on his face and says, ...

Neelam Mathews May 30, 2012 India’s soon-to-be released Defense Procurement Policy 2012 is to have a major addition in its ‘Make’ clause. It will include the active participation of the private industry which was left out earlier. The DPP 2011 ‘Make’ procedure was to cover all capital acquisitions of High Technology Complex Systems and upgrades undertaken by indigenous Research, Design and Development. These would be undertaken by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Indian Industry and industries identified as Raksha Udyog Ratna (RUR) / Consortia. In 2010, MoD scrapped its plan to nominate leading defense players from the private sector RURs, leaving the space open only  for the DPSUs. Interestingly, there is soon to be released a pilot project for each of the three services which will be open only to the private sector that will give a boost to the industry. A meeting (the second of its kind) is being held at the MoD next week to...