Here’s some good news for adrenaline junkies. If all goes as planned, you will be able to savour the thrill of skydiving, right here in Bangalore.
Here’s some good news for adrenaline junkies. If all goes as planned, you will be able to savour the thrill of skydiving, right here in Bangalore.
The Government Flying Training School (GFTS) at Jakkur, off Bellary Road —which faced the threat of closure as a significant portion of its existing runway fell on the path of the six-lane elevated highway (between Hebbal and Bengaluru International Airport)—is planning to introduce skydiving.
The school seems to have had a new lease of life, thanks to a new airstrip which will criss-cross the existing one.
GFTS Director Naveen Raj Singh told DNA that the new airstrip was the only option left if the school had to survive. He said work on the airstrip would start soon.
The construction of a six-lane elevated highway meant that the runway length would be shortened by 1,000 ft from the existing 3,000 ft. This apart, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had found that operating fixed-wing aircraft from the existing runway would be unsafe.
GFTS officials, in the past, had also hinted that the flight training activities would be shifted to Mysore or Hubli. But, fortunately for GFTS, a solution was found to this problem.
The school, which trains pilots for private pilot licences (PPL) and commercial pilot’s licence (CPL), re-opened only last year after a five-year hiatus. However, the elevated highway was threatening to halt training activities at the flying school.
Apart from re-starting training activities, Singh said the school will offer additional facilities like air ambulance service, skydiving, Microlite training licence, aircraft for VIP movement and joyrides. “The air ambulance service, initially, will cater to VIPs. It will be opened to the public if it gets a favourable response,” said Singh.
“Air ambulance will operate through an aircraft. Charges would be between Rs15 lakh to Rs20 lakh per hour, unlike a helicopter where the charges range from `80,000 to `1 lakh per hour.”Singh said that new aircraft would be purchased soon for the services that GFTS was planning to introduce.
GFTS, at present, has two Cessna 152 and one Cessna 172 aircraft.“Tenders would soon be invited for the purchase of aircraft. We will also be hiring pilots from the air force,” Singh added.
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