The Fond Aviator

If one believes the Uttar Pradesh Civil Aviation department, just 10 minutes of Chief Minister Mayawati’s time are worth over Rs 70 crore. It is also the value of a brand new Hawker 900 XP jet that the department has bought. It has also put on sale three state-owned aeroplanes and a Chetak Helicopter worth Rs 30 crore. The department is of the view that by using the new jet, on most flights, the UP chief minister can shave 10 minutes from the time taken by UP’s current fleet of turboprop aeroplanes.
With five aeroplanes and three helicopters, the UP chief minister has the largest air fleet of any state. Only last year, she bought a brand new Beechcraft Premier 1A jet, which cost the state exchequer about Rs 50 crore. However, a small incident last year at Delhi airport made her want more. Department officials confide that the chief minister mistakenly walked up the steps of a spanking new aeroplane — one belonging to a business tycoon, however. On her return, she ordered the purchase of another aeroplane — one with similar business facilities and amenities.
Her orders are deemed sacrosanct. Department officials went into a tizzy, launching a search for a new jet to suit her taste. Finally, they placed the order for the Hawker 900 XP. The new machine has arrived at the Delhi airport and its interiors are being fitted to suit her lavish lifestyle. It will soon land at Lucknow’s Amausi Airport and join her fleet.
Three pilots on deputation from the defence services, namely, Sandeep Lal, Vikash Sharma and RK Nagar, were sent to the US to train for one month to fly the new jet. They are back and are awaiting the arrival of the Hawker 900 XP to fly Mayawati to Delhi, which remains her favourite destination though her prime ministerial ambitions were grounded by the stupendous electoral performance of the Congress in the state.
At present, her fleet includes a Beechcraft Premier IA, a Super King Air B 200, a King Air C 90 A, a Super King Air 300 LW, and a Bonanza aeroplane, along with three helicopters, namely a Bell 230, a Chetak and a brand new Bell 412, which was bought only last year. Her penchant for new jets forced the State Civil Aviation department to begin the process of replacing turboprop aeroplanes and 10- year-old helicopters with new jets.
After getting a go-ahead from Mayawati, the State Civil Aviation department floated a tender last week, putting on sale its Chetak helicopters and three of its turboprop aeroplanes. The aircraft on sale are the Beech Super King Air B 200 (1993 make) for Rs 28 crore, the Beech Bonanza A 36 (1996 make) for Rs 5 crore, the Beech King Air C 90 A for Rs 25 crore and a 1973 model Chetak helicopter for approximately Rs 8 crore.
Interestingly, barring one aircraft the Beech King Air C 90 A, the other two aeroplanes and the Chetak are in perfect operational condition. Even the tender notice boasts that “the two aircrafts and the Chetak are in operation and are serviceable.” Naturally, it puts a big question mark on the sale of these air machines.
20/06/09 Srawan Shukla/Tehelka

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2009