HAL Chief Test Pilot : A simulator will cut RWA’s losses

On the need for helicopter pilot training school: The concept originated sometime in 1999 when the then Chairman of HAL, Dr Krishnadas Nair, felt the need to establish a dedicated helicopter training school in India as there was none. He was also of the view that if the Advance Light Helicopter is to be sold for civilian use in India, it would require a pool of trained pilots to fly these machines as there would be dearth of qualified helicopter pilots in India. Thus it was with the intention to support the industry that the idea of RWA took shape. There was an incipient attempt by the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy (IGRUA) to start helicopter training, but that did not succeed.

On setbacks: It took us about two years to get all clearances from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation before we could move forward. Unfortunately, there were many impediments. If the cost of training was high, not many would find it affordable. Compared to IGRUA, where the cost of training is subsidised by the government, at RWA, there would only be partial subsidy by HAL by way of free use of hangar, airfield, airspace, class rooms etc. In this manner we were able to keep training cost affordable. We scoured the market for instructors who were prepared to work for relatively lower salaries. Test pilots serving at HAL, Bangalore, including myself, pitched in as instructors to run the school. We did get a few instructors from the civil market, but as the demand for helicopter pilots increased, they migrated to more remunerative assignments. The turnover was high.

Today, an experienced helicopter instructor receives close to Rs 4 lakh a month. We cannot afford to compete in the market. At the end, it was personal motivation and interest of a few of us that finally helped to start the flying school. The cost was fixed at Rs 17 lakh for 150 hours of flying training and this level has been maintained for several years. We had to keep the cost of flying at this level even though we were making losses. We now have plans to procure a low cost simulator after which the cost will be hiked to Rs 20 lakh for the total package.

On the new simulator: We are in the process of acquiring the Advance Aviation Training Device. According to the Federal Acquisition Regulation circular, certified Advance Aviation Training Devices can get credit up to 50 hours for ab initio trainees. Of the 150-hour flying training syllabus, one-third of the flying hours in the syllabus can, therefore, be offset against simulator hours.

Advantages of training on a simulator: First of all, the losses incurred by the RWA will be reduced. Also with the help of the simulator, higher skill levels can be achieved as the student is exposed to a wider range of exercises, flight conditions and serious emergencies that cannot be simulated on an actual aircraft during the training sortie. The other advantage is that we will be able to accelerate the pace of training and produce more pilots in a given time frame. Today, it takes between 15 to 18 months for completion of training, depending upon how the trainee is able to cope. With the simulator it will be possible to complete the training in nine to 11 months. This is because one third of the flying syllabus can be conducted on the simulator at any time of the day unhampered by air traffic, weather or aircraft availability.

No other helicopter flying school in India: The cost of operating a helicopter is higher than that of a comparable fixed wing aircraft. There is shortage of instructors and rotary wing schools cannot afford to pay salaries matching the open market as it would make the cost of training unaffordable. Very few would have the motivation to take up instructional assignments at lower salaries. To run a school like this I am certain that the cost of 150 hours of flying training will not be less than Rs 29 lakh. Even at Rs 20 lakh, the RWA is perhaps the least expensive in the world.

On intake capacity of RWA: Every second day I get emails enquiring about vacancies for helicopter pilot training. We often are compelled to express regret as the capacity is low—just 12 vacancies per course. I also get enquiries from foreign nationals. We do not entertain these requests as the RWA has been established to cater for the Indian market and specifically to promote the Dhruv. Incidentally, quite a few of our students are already flying the civil version of Dhruv.

HAL airport post commissioning of the BIAL at Devanahalli: When scheduled flights were operating from HAL airport, we did not have the required freedom to conduct flying training at will. Now, we do not have that problem. However, some limitations on use of airspace is still there due traffic at the new airport at Devanahalli. But we are able to put in more flying hours per day compared to earlier days.

Projection of the requirement of helicopter pilots in coming years: In the next four years there will be a need for around 500 additional helicopters in the country. This means, in the next four years there could be an additional requirement for 1,000 helicopter pilots. This will prove a difficult task given the inadequate infrastructure in the country to train helicopter pilots. We need to create a capacity to train 100 to 150 helicopter pilots every year at the RWA. We need many more machines and instructors to meet this requirement.

Post-retirement: Play golf, of course!