India Gets First Dhruv Helicopter Simulator

The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), the joint venture owned equally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE, today announced that its simulator cockpit for the civil/conventional variant of the Dhruv has been certified to Level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators, by India's Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA).


The civil/conventional Dhruv simulator cockpit has been integrated with the CAE-built full-mission simulator currently in operation at HATSOFF. The simulator features CAE's revolutionary roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which enables cockpits representing various helicopter types to be used in the simulator. This is the world's first-ever full-mission simulator for the HAL-built Dhruv helicopter.


"We are very proud of achieving Level D certification for the world's first simulator representing the indigenously developed HAL Dhruv helicopter," said Wg Cdr (Retd) Chandra Datt Upadhyay Vr.C., Chief Executive Officer of HATSOF. "We look forward to welcoming the Indian Air Force and other civil operators of the Dhruv in offering simulation-based training that will undoubtedly prove to be a safe and cost-effective method for training Dhruv helicopter aircrews."


The cockpit for the civil/conventional variant of the Dhruv is the second for the HATSOFF training centre. The first cockpit for the simulator represented the Bell 412 helicopter and training for Bell 412 operators began in July 2010. Additional cockpits for the Indian Army/Air Force variant of the HAL-built Dhruv and the Eurocopter Dauphin will be added to the HATSOFF training centre over the next year.


The HATSOFF training centre, located near HAL's headquarters in Bengaluru, also features multimedia classrooms, computer-based training, brief/debrief facilities, a training management information system and crew accommodations. The full-mission simulator features a common motion system, vibration platform, and visual display system, along with the four separate cockpit modules that can be used in the full-mission simulator. When a cockpit is not used in the full-mission simulator, it will be used as a fixed-based flight training device (FTD).


CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.6 billion, CAE employs more than 7,500 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in more than 20 countries.


Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a premier aeronautical complex of SE Asia, with 19 production divisions and ten R&D centres. HAL's expertise encompasses design, production, repair, overhaul and upgrade of aircraft, helicopters, aero-engines, accessories, avionics and systems. The current workforce is around 35,000 with over 50% having more than a decade of aircraft industry experience.

Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv Is A Piece Of Junk: BSF

Here comes more trouble for India's indigenous plans, in a letter sent to the home ministry Border Security Force(BSF) has requested that these choppers be replaced.

"The Advanced Light Helicopters- Dhruv-- are not helpful in our operations like casualty evacuation and troop reinforcements. They are useless for us. Most of the times these helicopters are under servicing and there are issues about its capabilities to fly beyond a certain height," BSF sources said.

"We have informed the Home Ministry in this regard.

The helicopter keeps developing regular snags," they said.

The air wing in these naxal-affected areas is under the command of the Border Security Force (BSF) and is used by the personnel of CRPF, ITBP, SSB and state police forces.

The BSF air fleet at present has six ALH 'Dhruvs' and two more will soon be inducted.
The Home Ministry, meanwhile, has also finalised a deal to lease six additional helicopters from a private vendor after a tender in this regard was floated last year by the government.

"These helicopters will be in place by June this year and will help security forces deployed for anti-naxal operations,"the sources said.

The present fleet of 'Dhruvs' placed in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Ranchi (Jharkhand) are also out of work due to reasons of want of spare parts or requirements of servicing.

The BSF air fleet, according to sources, will also be inducting a large transport plane as the two Avros that it has are non-operational due to technical reasons.

The helicopter was first exported to Nepal and Israel, and is on order by several other countries for both military and commercial uses. Military versions in production are for transport, utility, reconnaissance and MedEvac roles.The Dhruv has become the first major Indian weapons system to have secured large foreign sales. HAL hopes to sell 120 Dhruvs over the next few years, and has been displaying the Dhruv at airshows, including Farnborough and Paris in order to market the Dhruv.

Now what is the way forward if our own forces hate this machine,then what about the foreign buyers. I believe unless HAL takes note of the problem seriously and rectifies them , future of Dhruv depends upon it.

Indian Army helicopter goes missing in Sikkim

An army helicopter with two pilots and two soldiers on board went missing today during routine training exercise while flying over north Sikkim near the Chinese border with inclement weather stalling search operations.

The Advance Light Helicopter 'Dhruv' of Army Aviation Corps had taken off from the Sewak Road Base in Siliguri in West Bengal, from where the army conducts its routine training exercise to Sikkim's borders with China, at 10.30 am, defence sources here said.

It lost radio contact around 11.30 am, they said. The chopper went down about 15,000 feet above ground near the Yumisamdong area which is now under a thick blanket of snow and covered with dense forest. The area is around 15 km above Lachung village in north Sikkim.

The army launched a massive search operation but after about five hours, the search was postponed due to inclement weather. In view of the heavy snow in the area and inaccessible terrain, the aerial search is the only option to trace the chopper, the sources said.
The Base is under the 33 Corps Headquarters based in Siliguri.

Dhruv is an indigenously-developed helicopter inducted in the army only recently.

The routine training exercise of the Army is a regular affair and flights are launched from the army helipad at Bagdogra and go into 'undisclosed' territory landing in bases which are 'unidentified'. The sources ruled out the possibility of the chopper being shot down since international border rules are always maintained by both sides.