Choppers get dedicated flight paths

Mumbai: After years of delay and deliberation, the skies over Mumbai and Delhi have finally been neatly cut out to make exclusive flight paths for helicopters so that these small rotor-wings don’t get caught up in the heavy traffic of fixed-wing aircraft.
In Mumbai, 16 dedicated, uni-directional flight paths have been chalked out at a height of 500 and 700 feet above ground level for helicopters to do visual flying between Juhu airport, Mumbai airport, Bombay High (can go up to 1,000 feet), Mahalaxmi Racecourse and two helipads in Navi Mumbai. In Delhi, choppers will have eight dedicated flight paths to fly in and around the capital. Different tracks—all at 500 or 700 feet—have been planned for flying east, west, north and south within both these cities. It’s like a one-way, fast lane of sorts for helicopters’ flights.
The corridor will bring savings for the helicopter operator with lesser fuel burn and reduction in flying time for passengers. It will be green with lower carbon emissions per flight. Lastly, it bringsrelaxed nerves for helicopter pilots and air traffic controllers in Mumbai and Delhi.
For a helicopter flying from, say, Mahalaxmi Racecourse to Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City helipad in Navi Mumbai, there is the Kilo 010 corridor. The helicopter will climb to 700 feet and proceed initially in south-east direction and then go north-east, keeping Elephanta island to the left to reach Navi Mumbai.
24/03/10 Manju V/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Mar 2010, Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2010