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SP's Aviation - ISSUE No 1-2016

Issue Features

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  RENDEZVOUS | CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER
  'New Policy Awaiting Cabinet NOD'
  

  Jayant Baranwal, Editor-in-Chief of SP’s Aviation (accompanied by Neetu Dhulia) had an exclusive rendezvous with the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju during the second half of January this year.

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  MILITARY | TRAINING
  Basic Flying Training in Transition
  By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

  The IAF has opted to employ the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II for both Stage I and II adopting a radically new pattern with two aircraft types for three-stage training.

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  MILITARY | ACQUISITION
  Finalise the Rafale Contract
  By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

  Delay in conclusion of the contract for Rafale jets lead to delay in the delivery schedule of the aircraft which in turn will aggravate problems for the IAF.

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  MILITARY | HELICOPTERS
  Kamov Ka-226T for India
  By Group Captain A.K. Sachdev (Retd)

  The news of the Ka-226T deal is heartening as the requirement of helicopters of the three services is growing as has been the clamour for replacements of existing fleets.

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  INTERVIEW | BOEING
  'Right capacity or slight over capacity, but not over capacity is the solution for India'
  

  Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President of Boeing (Asia-Pacific & South Asia)

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  CIVIL | FORECAST 2016
  2016 to Focus on Safety, Profitability, New Roll-Out
  By R. Chandrakanth

  IATA has forecast that airlines are expected to collectively generate $36.3 billion in profits and return their cost of capital in 2016...

• SHOW PREVIEW | INDIA AVIATION 2016
  Potential as Global Manufacturing & MRO Hub
  

  Leaving its turbulent past behind, India’s civil aviation industry is standing at the threshold of transformation today. Airliness which had been bleeding for the past few consecutive quarters turned...

• 

  REGIONAL AVIATION | AIRCRAFT
  Making the Right Choice
  By R. Chandrakanth

  The regional airlines have to pick the right aircraft according to their business model and they have fairly decent options available from both turboprop and regional jet players such as ATR, Bombardier...

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  REGIONAL AVIATION | PILOTS
  Paradox of Crew Shortage
  By R. Chandrakanth

  Worldwide, it is estimated that the regional carriers alone employ over 18,000 pilots and many a time they (regional carriers) are the primary source of candidates for pilot jobs at the mainline carriers

• 

  Hall of Fame
  Tony Jannus (1889-1916)
  By Joseph Noronha

  The world’s first scheduled passenger airline service was the St Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line that operated between these two cities

• 

  A Word from Editor-in-Chief
  By Jayant Baranwal, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

  Union Minister of Civil Aviation, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in an exclusive interview to SP’s Aviation outlined how the government is trying to understand the needs of the industry and how it is trying to address them, through the National Civil Aviation Policy which is awaiting the approval of the Union Cabinet

• 

  News with Views
  Pakistani JF-17 Fighter Jets for Sri Lanka
  By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

  On January 5 this year during the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Colombo, Pakistan entered into a landmark deal to sell eight JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Sri Lanka. The two countries signed a number of agreements to boost cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, health care, agriculture, tourism, sports, cultural exchange, peopleto-people contacts, trade, science and technology, combating terror financing. Sharif said both sides expressed satisfaction at the existing bilateral cooperation in the field of defence.

• 

  SP’s Special Correspondent
  Saras Headed For Project Cancellation?
  

  Six years after a fatal crash of the second prototype aircraft, the Saras light civil aircraft programme could be headed for closure if sources are to be believed.

• 

  SP’s Special Correspondent
  Army Gets Taste of Airbus A400M
  

  The Indian Army is getting its first taste of the Airbus A400M multirole transport aircraft at Jaisalmer air force base, with the French Army contingent for Exercise Shakti 2016 arriving in one of type.

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  SP’s Special Correspondent
  Stealthy Push For Non-Stealth Drones At DRDO
  

  With DRDO's Rustom-II MALE UAV still to take to the air, work is currently gathering pace to provide the platform with greater low-observability features.

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  SP’s Special Correspondent
  IAF Scouts 8 More Medium Altitude Aerostats
  

  The IAF has expressed interest in 4-8 new medium altitude surveillance/early warning aerostats on a fast track basis. The IAF wants static, mobile or portable systems deployable at altitudes of about 15,000 feet, stipulating that the mooring system...

• 

  SP’s Special Correspondent
  Russia Pushes Skat UCAV to India
  

  While there was plenty on the table when PM Modi visited Russia recently, a prestigious but little spoken of programme is back on the table in earnest. After BAE Systems, EADS, Saab and Dassault, the latest contractor now apparently ready to cooperate with India...

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  SP’s Special Correspondent
  DRDO Reminds Govt About Snow Studies Aircraft Requirement
  

  The DRDO has applied afresh to the government for an urgent requirement of a specialised aircraft to undertake survey missions and data gathering in high altitude snowed out areas.

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  SP’s Special Correspondent
  New Assault Rifle Push For IAF Garud Squads
  

  The Indian Air Force is learnt to have pegged up interest in its three-year hunt for new assault rifles for its special units (Garud), that should be compact, foldable, easy to carry, handle, operate, simple to maintain and with high range.

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  Last Word
  Hype vs Reality
  By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

  Will the Tejas be able to make an impact in the discerning global market where the platform will be subjected to intense scrutiny by aerospace professionals from across the world?