Home-spun Saras to train Air Force’s trainee pilots

New Delhi: The indigenous Saras aircraft, whose track record was blemished by a 2009 crash killing three Indian Air Force personnel, will now be used to train rookie IAF pilots on flying cargo aircraft.
The IAF has signed up with National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore for the purchase of 15 Saras aircraft.
“NAL signed a memorand­um of understanding with IAF to sell 15 Saras aircraft. The Kanpur unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will manufacture these planes,” Shyam Chetty, acting director of NAL, told Deccan Herald here.
The 14-seater twin-engine ai­rcraft would be used for coastal surveillance as well as training young cadets on transport flying.
The indigenous aircraft fa­ced a major setback on March 6, 2009 when it crashed near Bangalore killing two test pilots and a flight engineer. The crash occurred when one of the engines was relighted. The first re-ignition failed and pilots went for the second re-ignition even though they did not have adequate height for the drill.
14/09/11 Kalyan Ray/Deccan Herald

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Categories: New Sep 2011