A ray of hope for lost airfield

KOLKATA: Behala airport could soon do a phoenix act and fuel the dreams of youths to soar again. An aviation company that has been operating chartered helicopter services from Delhi for two decades is all set to start a flight training academy at Behala airport.The company has already invested Rs 2 crore to build a 6,000 sq metre hangar capable of accommodating five aircraft along with classrooms and office. If all goes according to plan, the academy will become only the second in the country to offer a turbo-prop twin-engine flying experience to students."We are almost ready to commence operations. All except one aircraft have been certified air-worthy. Once the Directorate General of Civil Aviation gives the flight clearance, we will start enrolling students. That should happen sometime in December-end," said Pradip Biswas, chief executive officer of Trans Bharat Aviation (TBA) that also has a sister concern Sky Airways. While TBA has four helicopters - three Bell 407 and one Bell 206 - in Delhi, Sky Airways has two eight-seater Islanders in its fleet.Now, TBA is venturing into twin operations in Kolkata. It intends to start non-scheduled helicopter services to Haldia, Digha, Durgapur, Asansol and Bokaro from Behala in early December followed by the academy later in the month."In the first batch, we will enroll 30 students. Thereafter, we will increase seat capacity to 60. According to preliminary estimates, a multi-engine package for a commercial pilot's license with 200 hours of flying should cost Rs 22 lakh," Biswas said. At present, a two-seater Cessna 152 is stationed in the hangar in Behala. Two more aircraft will arrive early next month - an Italian aircraft Tacnam that is now in Ahmedabad and a twin-piston engined Piper Sseneca Mark IV that is currently in Delhi. One Islander will be sourced from Sky Airways in the final phase of flight training. "Only the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy offers turbo-prop flight experience but at a higher cost," he pointed out. Apart from one chief pilot, two assistant pilots and a chief ground instructor, the academy will also have visiting faculty like wing commander Subir Sen (former Indian Air Force officer and father of actress Sushmita Sen) and group captain P K Dutta (formerly IAF VIP flying squadron). The year-and-a-half-long course will comprise classes and examinations on navigation, meteorology, engineering, aviation rules and flying."We are committed to providing quality flight training to aspiring pilots from the region. At present, Kolkata is the only metro that does not have a flight training institute, forcing youths to incur additional expenses in acquiring the training from an institute elsewhere in the country," Biswas said. The aviation academy in Jamshedpur run by Alchemist is the only other flight training institute in operation in the east.In addition to the flight institute, preparations are under way to start four-times-a-week helicopter service to Digha, Haldia, Durgapur, Asansol and Bokaro as well as an air ambulance service for BM Birla Heart Research Centre."The Bell 407 helicopter is already doing trial runs. The service, to be marketed by CART Air Service, should begin early December," Biswas said, adding that the tourism department was also keen on flight services to Murshidabad and Malda.If the plans materialize, they will breathe fresh life into the moribund Behala airport. As though, sensing a change, the approach road to the airport has been widened. Upen Banerjee Road has not only got a uniform layer of asphalt, the kerbs are getting a fresh coat of paint as well. "Looks like something is finally taking shape," said Parnasree resident Bipul Dhar.