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Helicopter pilots to press for re-routing of 'hazardous' flight routes

The poor visibility caused due to unsuitable weather conditions in certain susceptible areas over the Bombay High seas can lead to mid-air collision, fear helicopter pilots operating from Juhu airport.

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The poor visibility caused due to unsuitable weather conditions in certain susceptible areas over the Bombay High seas can lead to mid-air collision, fear helicopter pilots operating from Juhu airport. The pilots and their association have decided to approach the Air Traffic Control (ATC) division to get the issue addressed. The pilots have also expressed their concern over the use of long cranes mounted upon under-construction skyscrapers, which could pose danger to them.

Juhu airport, which is regarded as the oldest civil aviation airport in the country, handles helicopters, including those run by government companies such as ONGC, and certain light aircraft. On an average, the airport sees the movement of 100-odd aircraft every year, a majority of which are for ONGC.

But Jayant Dasgupta, GM, Air Traffic Control, played down the apprehension of the pilots. Dasgupta said, "It is the responsibility of the pilots concerned to keep themselves aware about obstructions in the flight path or poor visibility arising out of bad weather, and fly accordingly."

As per airport sources, the present helicopter routes were established in March 2010 to coordinate the flow of helicopter movement at Juhu with flight movements from neighbouring Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The two airports are barely a couple of kilometres away from each other.

However, after having flown on these routes all these years, the helicopter pilots claim that there are a few susceptible pockets, where during low visibility or adverse weather conditions, the chances of mid-air collision cannot be ruled out. The pilot community's apprehension is that a tragedy is waiting to happen if there is any error of judgment at these points due to poor visibility, while a departing aircraft commences descent, and the arriving aircraft either maintains its height or initiates a climbing movement.

Further, apart from bad weather, mushrooming of tall buildings and cranes used during construction are also posing hazards to the helicopter flight movement. "There are several highrises coming up and still taller cranes over them, which can be dangerous to helicopter flying. Hence, it would help, if the helicopters are allowed to fly at a slightly higher altitude," said a senior helicopter pilot, not wanting to be identified.

Bombay High is an offshore oil field about 162 km off the coast of Mumbai, and is operated by government owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

The matter was taken up initially during flight safety meetings, but no action was taken. Rotary Wing Society of India (RWSI), an association working for growth of civil and military helicopter industry in India, has now decided to take it further with AAI on an urgent basis.

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