INFORMATION OF INTEREST ON AVIATION
A. BUDGET AIRLINES REVOLUTION IN INDIA
With his eyes fixed on the layers of clouds outside the aircraft window, Pradeep Kumar is trying to fasten his seat belt. After a futile effort the vegetable vendor from Delhi seeks the help of the Air Hostess on board the aircraft on his maiden fairy tale air journey from Delhi to Chennai.
Until very recently, air travel across India was available only for the upper and upper middle strata of society like businessmen, women, foreign tourists. Air fares were incredibly expensive and most of the middle class in India preferred travel by the British Raj's most visible legacy - The Indian Railways.
But a progressing and booming economy, a congested and crumbling train network paved the path to the emergence of low cost carriers similar to Ryanair and a sizable sections of Indian Society are taking to the skies for the first time. With half - a- dozen airlines planning to launch themselves in the next year, air fare has really tumbled - and more than a third of the seats will be filled with first time flyers. Just three years ago a return ticket from New Delhi, India's capital to Mumbai, the country's financial hub, was fixed at Rs. 20,000.-. Now travelers who book online can get a ticket for Rs. 450/-. Also, towns which used to be connected only by slow train services or potholed highways, have been linked by a series of airstrips unused since the end of the second world war.
But who is the People's man behind this Aviation Boom!! The credit of the aviation sector transformation goes to Captain G.R.Gopinath, a former army officer who ran a private helicopter business in the early 90s. He was the pilot who flew over small towns and villages ad saw satellite dishes and TV aerials popping up on all those tin houses and visualized that when the common man could pay up five rupees a day to be entertained by television, he was ready for another revolution. Captain Gopinath saw a new mindset emerge in India in the hungry billion people, the commoners of India. He visualized them as his consumers.
It was an advert which convinced him that India was ready for take off." We ran an advert which showed a girl on an island with a captain that said: "If it is on the map, we will get you there. Then, we kept on getting calls from people thinking we were an airline wanting booking tickets. I realised then that India wanted to fly". he said.
And in bare 24 months, Air Deccan just revolutionized Indian Air Travel. Last year it carried one million passengers. This year the figure will reach 4.4 million. With 35 destinations all over India, the fleet is already well stretched and the company has ordered a further 62 aircraft.
Today is the hey-day for the pilots as the new airlines try to secure experienced staff. Poaching is commonplace with shortage of enough pilots with enough experience. The take home in India's newest Airline, the Spice Jet, is to the tune of Rs.3,40,000 /- per month ( 4,250 Pounds) for the pilots.
Despite all this, most of India is yet to see the inside of an airport and aircraft. They are yet to fly.
For every air passenger there are 300 persons getting on a train for travel. But analysts say that this shows the enormity of the potential market.
The scenario is changing so fast with the passenger growth by 25% a year with the advent of this new concept of budget Airlines that in five years at least fifty million people would be ready to take to the skies if this trend persists. That way not only will we need new airports but at last more than 500 new planes to carry them all over.
The government and Airports Authority of India have thankfully woken up and have announced an overhaul, particularly of New Delhi and Mumbai Airports where they have already reached peak capacity. And improvement to all its model airports in major cities.
There is a wild scramble to attract budget Airlines to smaller industrial cities. With the advent of Airlines to a city there is an influx of new business opportunities and economic growth.
So, let us thank this champion of India Aviation, Captain G R Gopinath, whose first inaugural Air Deccan flight was marred with an incident. But he remained undeterred and showed the world how to convert an adversity into an opportunity and lead to India's growth. Kudos to this man who is taking the common man to the skies
B. SAVIOUR MUMBAI ATC GUIDES FLIGHT WITHOUT RADIO
On the fateful day of 5th September 2005, flight DN 308 from Goa to Mumbai could not contact Mumbai ATC on radio when it was some 40 nautical miles south-east of Mumbai. Both the transmitter and receiver of the ill-fated aircraft had become malfunctioning. The aircraft indicated its RCF failure by squawking a particular code on the transponder. The ATC personnel, who had been keeping a track of the aircraft on the radar, realized that it had developed a problem and alerted all the other aircraft flying in its vicinity. They frantically tried to contact the aircraft on all available frequencies and having failed tried the last resort of contacting the aircraft on the aircraft’s company channel. But all attempts failed.
This Goa-Mumbai Air Deccan flight was carrying 46 passengers including two cabin crew. The type of aircraft was ATR – 42.
ATC Mumbai then decided to clear the Mumbai skies and the next 20 minutes saw Mumbai air traffic being just shut down. Emergency services were kept on a high alert to cater to any unfolding emergency.
The flight followed the laid down RCF – (radio communication failure) procedure and came at a very high altitude over Mumbai and completed the instrument approach for landing at 3.16 PM. All its 46 passengers made a safe landing under the vigilant caring guidance of Mumbai ATC.
C. TIT BITS ON VAASTU
PART I
By Bhuvnesh Vaishnava
I do not claim to be a vaastu expert. The knowledge which I have collected is from various new and old books after reading them from last ten years. I want to illustrate the same to make it easily understandable. The vaastu is a science of our ancient scriptures bearing ample testimony which was discovered by our great saints and sages to make the human beings happier and prosperous in their homes, shops, factories and offices etc. and it is has great value for humans.
It is a fact that many factors govern the life of a human, his fate, luck, karmas and many other related things of surroundings in family & out side of family. But vaastu can, perhaps, make sweet things sweeter and bitter not so bitter.
We all understand that the whole world, including the human body comprises of five essential elements, i.e. earth, water, fire, air and sky. The principles of “Vaastu Shastra” are mainly dependent on the arrangement and balancing of these five elements in their proper order and proportions so that the humans can have better living conditions in place in which they live or work.
The principles of “Vaastu” also keep in view the cosmic influence of the sun, its light and heat, the direction of wind, the magnetic fileld of the earth and the influence of the cosmos and various other heavenly bodies on our planet earth.
In vaastu East and North directions hold special positions, because East is the place from where the sun, the source of life on this earth, rises and North is perhaps the roof of the world and the magnetic pole too.
So, now it is understood that vaastu is nothing except the science of balancing of the above five elements in their proper proportions to keep the human mind in perfect harmony to enable them take the right decisions with the right frame of mind to get peace and happiness in their dwelling or working place.
Once, in the conference of intellectual persons there was a debate on the issue that what are the five things in this world which are most beautiful to our eyes.
After a long discussion they concluded that the five most beautiful things are the following.
Beautiful sunrise
Beautiful flower
Beautiful child
Beautiful face
Beautiful house.
All the first four things are god gifted but the fifth one, i.e., the beautiful house is the creation of the human mind.
It is clear that the art of constructing a house i.e.“Vaastu Shastra” has the highest value for a human being.
“VAASTU “is very particular about directions; rather “VAASTU” is science of directions only. Vaastu basically accounts for eight out of ten directions.
East(Poorv), West (Paschim) ,North (Uttar) ,South (Dakshin) ,North-East(ISHAN KONE), South-East(AGNIKONE), South-West(PITR/MITRKDNE), NORTH-WEST(VAYUKONE).
I want to share my views on the following important aspects of the directions one needs to be careful about before purchasing/buying/constructing a house or plot of land to ensure that it is as per the vaastu principles ,so that it can make one and his family happier and prosperous at the new place.
Plot should be square or rectangular in shape and it should be East/North facing.
It should be ensured during the construction of the house that air circulation in the house should be perfect and all sides should be open. Care should be taken to keep more space in the north-East direction and less in south-West side.
Wall thickness/height should be raised in the south and west side in comparison to North and East.
Height of building should be raised at South-West Corner of house and same can be done by placing T.V. antenna at this corner of existing house.
Try to keep verandah and Balcony in the North or East side and not in the South side. If you have balcony towards south west, keep it closed.
Provide more number of Doors and Windows towards north & East direction of the house instead of South & West. Try to keep even number of Door/Windows but not zero at end of numbers like 10, 20, 30 etc.
Floor of house may be raised towards South West side to keep North East lower.
Septic Tank should be provided at mid East or mid North of house.
Well, tube well, under ground water tank etc. should be located in the North –East, North or East of house. Over head water tank should be kept in the west of house so that the flow of water would be towards North-East.
Please ensure that North-West corner of house/plot should not have a well, low level ground/pit etc.