<p>Sqn Ldr Sushant Mitra and his Swiss co-pilot, Stefan Greub, flew the Pilatus PC-7 from Hyderabad to the Air Force Station at Yelahanka here on Tuesday, marking the new training aircraft’s first touch down on IAF Training Command Headquarters’ property.<br /><br /></p>.<p>With the induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mark-II trainer aircraft into the Air Force, IAF trainee pilots have a new mount to learn their basic flying skills. The Swiss-made Pilatus also known as ‘Astra’ would fill the void in basic flying training after the indigenously-made HPT-32 Deepak was grounded some two years ago.<br /><br />Sqn Ldr Mitra described the Pilatus as, “An excellent training aircraft. Flying in new aircraft is always a fine experience. I enjoyed my flight from Hyderabad to Yelahanka.”<br /><br />Greub, who came from Switzerland as a test pilot, described the Pilatus as a superior training aircraft. He said that the safety, instruments, controls systems and flexibility of avionics configuration are key features of the aircraft.<br /><br />Named after a mountain in central Switzerland, Pilatus is an improved version of the PC-9’s airframe and avionics, fitted with the PC-7’s smaller turbine ensures lower operating and maintenance costs. <br /><br />“It would provide Stage-I flying training and also help streamline flying training of Stages II and III which had to be modified earlier in the absence of a basic trainer,” a senior IAF officer said during an interaction.<br /><br />He said that the Pilatus would provide better preparation during Stage-I flying training so that training for operational pilots can take place in quicker time frame. <br /><br />While being the smallest aircraft in the IAF inventory, the Pilatus will shoulder the heavier responsibility in the form of building a future generation of the IAF pilots. <br /><br />The Pilatus, which had landed in Hyderabad on Saturday, is expected to draw considerable attention during Aero India-2013,</p>
<p>Sqn Ldr Sushant Mitra and his Swiss co-pilot, Stefan Greub, flew the Pilatus PC-7 from Hyderabad to the Air Force Station at Yelahanka here on Tuesday, marking the new training aircraft’s first touch down on IAF Training Command Headquarters’ property.<br /><br /></p>.<p>With the induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mark-II trainer aircraft into the Air Force, IAF trainee pilots have a new mount to learn their basic flying skills. The Swiss-made Pilatus also known as ‘Astra’ would fill the void in basic flying training after the indigenously-made HPT-32 Deepak was grounded some two years ago.<br /><br />Sqn Ldr Mitra described the Pilatus as, “An excellent training aircraft. Flying in new aircraft is always a fine experience. I enjoyed my flight from Hyderabad to Yelahanka.”<br /><br />Greub, who came from Switzerland as a test pilot, described the Pilatus as a superior training aircraft. He said that the safety, instruments, controls systems and flexibility of avionics configuration are key features of the aircraft.<br /><br />Named after a mountain in central Switzerland, Pilatus is an improved version of the PC-9’s airframe and avionics, fitted with the PC-7’s smaller turbine ensures lower operating and maintenance costs. <br /><br />“It would provide Stage-I flying training and also help streamline flying training of Stages II and III which had to be modified earlier in the absence of a basic trainer,” a senior IAF officer said during an interaction.<br /><br />He said that the Pilatus would provide better preparation during Stage-I flying training so that training for operational pilots can take place in quicker time frame. <br /><br />While being the smallest aircraft in the IAF inventory, the Pilatus will shoulder the heavier responsibility in the form of building a future generation of the IAF pilots. <br /><br />The Pilatus, which had landed in Hyderabad on Saturday, is expected to draw considerable attention during Aero India-2013,</p>
