JOIN USWhen HAL aircraft seemed orphaned
Despite a number of aircraft being on display at the Aero India show from the stables of HAL, the public who visited the show on Saturday were left wanting for more so far as information was concerned.
Unless one was an aviation expert or a knowledgeable enthusiast, one was not able to make head or tail of Mirage 2000, Hawk, Su-30 and other aircraft on display.
“The boards describing the planes are too far off for anyone to see anything written on them. Coupled with this is the fact that no one is here to inform us,” said Bharath Kumar, a student who has been a regular at the show since its inception.
The LCA (light combat aircraft) Tejas may be lauded as India's pride. At the show, however, its significance was merely ornamental. Many who were curious about the aircraft could hardly locate anyone who gave information.
“I would have definitely liked someone to be here near the aircraft explaining to me about it,” said Sushmita Das, another visitor.
On the contrary, the French had at least two officers near their Rafale aircraft, engaging with the public and answering queries.
Rakshith K N, a visitor, got a heady feeling when he touched the Rafale and interacted with the pilot.
“The pilot answered a number of queries regarding the aircraft. Sadly I was only able to pose for photos and not allowed in the cockpit,” he said. Nicola, a French airforce official, was seen regularly interacting with the excited crowd.
The C-17 Globemaster and the F-15s stood near the runway and a regular batch of officers from the US were seen engaging the crowd. Posing for photographs and explaining the workings of the C-17s at regular intervals to an enthusiastic crowd, Staff Sergeant Brown had a busy day. “The crowd has been quite enthusiastic. It’s been an exciting time at the aero show,” Brown said.