HAL’s Aerospace Museum: Experience Thrill of Flying Without Fear

Want to fly an aircraft without a license and experience the thrill without fear? Did you know HAL produced buses and train coaches in early 50s? Want to see the black-box of an airplane which is actually orange? Or just want to be amid old trees and green surroundings where real planes and helicopters are on display? Please head to HAL

Heritage Centre & Aerospace Museum, the first of its kind set up in India at HAL Airport Road, about 10 km from Bangalore city railway station.

Established by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on August 30, 2001, the aviation museum is spread over 10 acres of lush green land. “It is indeed a rare tourist attraction in the city.   You can see a dozen aircraft models, Satellite Launch vehicles (GSLV, PSLV) and fly the aircraft on simulators”, says Dr. R.K. Tyagi, Chairman, HAL.  “We have done some modifications in last few months so that the history and the achievements of the country in aeronautics are displayed in eye-catching ways”, he adds.  “Bangalore is not just the IT capital of India but aerospace hub as well. One should not miss this museum, the experience of which is as good as that of being at Lalbaug or any other tourist place in the city”, says a visitor, an engineering student from Pune. 

In fact, it is completely different experience to be at this place when one goes through the rare photographs, audio visual shows and sees magnificent planes on static display. Although HAL airport does not operate commercial aircraft anymore, panoramic view of the landing and take-off of various aircraft and helicopters could still be experienced as chartered and test flights take-off and land regularly. The entire stretch of runway could be seen from this dummy air-tower. 

The museum is a repertoire of knowledge for more studious and academically minded as it houses a library on aerospace and traces the development of the industry’s exciting phases since 1940. “With so much happening in aerospace industry, it is important not to lose sight of the past. Our aim is to preserve the history of aeronautics and we are happy that museum elucidates so much interest and has become part of tourist attraction in Bangalore”, adds Dr. Tyagi. 

There are two major halls, one displaying photographs that chart the growth of aviation in each decade from 1940 till date.  The second hall displays motorized cross section models of aero engines, highlighting various functions of the engines. Some real engines such as Garrett (used on Dornier), Adour (powers Jaguar) and Orpheus (used on Kiran) could be seen in operation.  Very few people know that HAL produced buses for the erstwhile Mysore kingdom and there is a mural depicting this scene dated January 29, 1955!  Besides displaying aircraft and aviation models, this hall also demonstrates air traffic control model and PC based flight simulation. 

According to Mr. Nagarajan M., the architect who works with HAL’s Facilities Management Division, the museum has got the prize possession of 15 types of flying machines on static display. Efforts are made to place more aircraft on display including the much talked about fighter aircraft, Su-30 MkI. “People get curious when they see all this”, he adds.  

Curious or not, visitors seem to get excited when they see actual line parachute along-side a plane.  There is also ATC radar perched with L-band surveillance radar having a range of 200 nautical miles which rotates at a speed of 3-4 RPM, with the frequency of 1250-1350 Mhz.  In addition, PSLV model and PSLV heat shield are displayed to give a glimpse of forays made by the country in the space technology. 

“We would like to upgrade the museum on continuous basis and therefore thinking of introducing latest flight simulators, interactive display kiosks, and uplift the audio-video room with the latest facilities”, says Dr. Tyagi.  “We would like to go for motion simulator to accentuate the user experience by giving a very realistic feel of flying fighter jet and commercial aircraft”, he adds.

On the other hand, kiosks would provide information to the visitors by interactively engaging them in the process.  “We will try to have these kiosks with right layouts and interface system”, says Mr. S.N. Ramnathpur, Chief Manager, Civil.  One suggestion is to customize the content of each kiosk to the specific area of the museum, he adds.  According to him, the museum received the much needed face-lift recently with new paints, colors and signage. 

Some of the future plans include establishment of orchidarium and herbal garden to add beauty to the existing landscape.  The challenge would be to create and maintain extremely hot and cold conditions for orchidarium for flowers and plants to grow and sustain. An area of 200 sq meter area has been suggested to begin this experiment and may take some time to conceive and implement. Apart from this, children’s play area and a sustainability development park may also come up in the campus. The sustainability park will aim to educate visitors and students by displaying mock-up models of solar systems, bio-gas plants and hybrid wind mill. 

The museum is it not just a place for fun, frolic and education, rather it is instrumental in chronicling the achievements of India in the aerospace sector by showcasing the growth of the Indian aviation industry and HAL for nearly eight decades.  The entry fee is low at Rs. 30 per person (whatever the age) and the museum is kept open to public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all days.  “There is no holiday for us”, says the caretaker P.K. Jayarajan. He points out that there is cafeteria, rose garden, aquarium and fountain display to keep the visitors’ interest alive in case they get tired after going around a large area. These visitors can also buy airplane models, t-shirts, caps and have their pictures embossed on cups as memorabilia at the souvenir shop in the museum campus, all at a reasonable price!

Hindustan Times Hot 50 Brand (Bangalore) Award for HAL

HAL was the only PSU recognized to the surprise of the rest of the 49 awardees at a function held to honour Bangalore’s best 50 brands. The program “Namma Bengaluru’s Best Brands”, presented by The Hindustan Times and recognized by Paul Writer was held in the city on June 13, 2014.  The awardees represented a range of industries that included food, hotel, real estate, transport, travel, IT, banking and consumer goods companies. 

Paul Writer is India’s first community of marketers and the program was first of its kind recognizing the Bangalore brands.  The award winners were selected by a jury of elite marketers.  The popularity of companies was gauged through the voting  on  websites http://www.paulwriter.com

Mr. Gopal Sutar, Chief of Media Communications, HAL received the award on behalf of the Company.

Pretty planes adorn plain city walls of Bangalore

 Pretty planes adorn plain city walls of Bangalore

Want to see colourful murals or wall paintings of different kind depicting helicopters or fighter planes? You have them all nicely painted on the walls of HAL’s Senior Officers’ Enclave on Old Madras Road.

“These paintings are bewitching to the eyes and drivers on the busy road need to be careful. This is an art of different kind and should especially appeal to children,” says Rajashree Sonnad who stopped on her way to describe the pictures to her little one who she says is fond of planes.

The project is the brainchild of HAL.
“Our aim has been to induce some life on these mundane walls and give them a colourful look. Now, we realise how pleasing the whole exercise has turned out to be as people strolling or even driving on the road take a look at it,” says Dr R K Tyagi, Chairman, HAL.

The theme of showing the company products was deliberate as the wall encircles the enclave housing HAL’s senior officers.

“By making the walls look vibrant we are sending the positive message that we care for the beautification of city.

This also educates passerby as to what HAL stands for, its products and services.

These paintings also show the company’s heritage in a small way”, adds Dr Tyagi.

Another advantage of painting these walls is they remain clean as very few would think of defacing or sticking posters on the painted walls.

The idea seemed to have been welcomed not just by the people around but even by some senior executives of the company who took time off from their work and dabbled in the painting work with the help of the artists.

The plan was put into place three months ago.

The job of painting the 1300 sq ft wall was assigned to the artists Manohar R and Murugan R and their team of artists, who have executed similar work elsewhere in the city.

“It takes around three days to complete one picture as it involves sketching the picture in square boxes, placing it on the wall with proportionate scales and then applying the paint”, says Manohar.

According to the main artist Sivanandan, the durability of work should last at least two years although it would depend on the quality of the wall also. He is ably supported by two other artists Gurumurthy and Sekar.

He dismisses the notion that rain or extreme sunlight would affect these pictures.

“Everything has a life but it is our experience that this kind of work lasts longer than what people imagine, as we use special enamel and water-proof paints,” he says with confidence.

These two artists have made road-side footpaths their canvas to complete the work. “Our greatest satisfaction is when our work gets appreciated”, says Sivanandan.

Hundreds of commuters who take Old Madras road every day have made these artistes happy with their curious and appreciative glances over these creations.

Artist's impression of Sukhoi (Fighter plane)
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/409773/pretty-planes-adorn-plain-city.html

Mango Mania: Is Europe Sacrificing King of Fruits for Salads?

The tales of legendary Mughal king Akbar’s love for mangoes are well known. The king of fruits is in news for good and bad reasons as its export from India to the European Union (EU) is now banned ostensibly to protect European cucumbers from getting infected from possible fruit flies. The EU - UK in particular - is wary of potential damage that could be caused by new unidentified pests. They imagine that the “flies” would infect the “salad” crop in the region. It is a case of sacrificing the “King of Fruits” for salads based on a case of alleged pests found in a few mango consignments from India in 2013. However, it is good news for millions in India for whom the much liked Hafus as it is lovingly called in Maharashtra (Alphanso elsewhere) will be available at reasonable prices. The fruit has been too costly for last many years and had virtually disappeared from the common man’s basket. 

 The Alphanso economy is worth Rs. 1000 crore every year. India is the largest exporter of mangoes in the world. The sweet, yellow-red (when it is ripe) beautiful fruit is grown in the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa. In UK alone its market share stands at staggering six million pounds. The Middle East - UAE and Saud Arabia being the largest consumers - has at least 10 times more demand. 

A look at the export market at HALCON storage center at Nashik, about 180 km from Mumbai where mangoes were sorted and packed for export does not give any impression of export quality being compromised. HALCON is 50:50 joint working group set up by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and the Container Corporation of India. The ground-handling is managed by professionals. Right from the moment the fruits arrive, every care is taken. “They are certified by the qualified agriculture experts and at the slightest doubt the entire block is rejected and diverted to the mandi (fruit and vegetable market) in Mumbai. We have a cold storage facilities as well”, says a supervisor pointing out at workers around him busy in sorting and packing work. Moreover, there is no delay in exporting the consignment as HALCON facility is right across the Nashik airport and Mumbai terminal is not too far. The fruits are available in the UK or the Middle East market very next day. 

Workers sorting out unripe mangoes at export house HALCON in Nashik, Maharashtra.

Has Europe over reacted? Indian mangoes have been exported to UK and surrounding places for centuries. They were shipped through sea route in olden days. No one ever complained of fruit flies till last year. Is it typical European knee-jerk reaction, a fall out of post 2008 crisis? Whatever the reasons, more than farmers in India, it is the traders who seem to be jolted by the ban. These middle men have made mullah from mangoes for centuries. In the normal times it costs around Rs. 100 for a single fruit in the domestic market, thanks to the unscrupulous traders. As far as common man is concerned he can now afford the fruit he always craved for. But he needs to rush, who knows, the ban could be lifted any time given the export lobby and craze for the fruit that might be intact in Europe and the Middle East. Moreover, traditionally Alphansos are considered good till the beginning of June, before the rains arrive in Konkan! 

Sorted mangoes getting further treatment at a chamber at export house, HALCON, in Nashik, Maharashtra.

Air Bus Steals the Thunder at Singapore Airshow, Indonesia Downplays Terror Angle by Participating

Air Bus Steals the Thunder at Singapore Airshow, Indonesia Downplays Terror Angle by Participating An Airbus A350-XWB, the world’s newest and modern wide-body aircraft flew for the first time in Asia stealing the lime light at the Singapore Airshow 2014 on the first day. The six day show, the biggest ever in Singapore was declared open on February 12, 2014. The crowd-pleasing aerial displays from

Singapore's RSAF Black Knights who maneuverer F 16 jets and Indonesian Jupiter Aerobatic team were other highlights. Jupiter performed notwithstanding the diplomatic row between Singapore and Indonesia over Jakarta’s move to name a navy ship after the Indonesian marines who alleged to have bombed Orchard Road Building, MacDonald House (Singapore) in 1965, killing three and injuring over 30 people. In what is perceived as uncalled for action, Indonesian Navy has named a new frigate as KRI Usman Harun. Singapore considers the 1965 incident as an act of terrorism by two Indonesians. The bomb was allegedly planted by the duo during the period of Indonesia-Malaysia conflict. Jakarata has already downplayed the incident. On the eve of the show, Indonesia remained the centre of controversy with Singapore withdrawing invites to Indonesian naval and other top military officials. What surprised many was the ferocity with which Singapore acted given the traditional good relations that exist between the two countries, especially on the defence front.

Terror Angle to Singapore Airshow? Star Attractions: Airbus 350, Display by Koreans, Americans

Terror Angle to Singapore Airshow? Star Attractions: Airbus 350, Display by Koreans, Americans Terror Angle to Singapore Airshow? Star Attractions: Airbus 350, Display by Koreans, Americans Singapore, February 10, 2014: Asia’s top aerospace and defence show, Singapore Airshow, slated to take-off on Tuesday (February 11, 2013) has somewhat hit a turbulence notwithstanding the global arms and defence firms confirming their participation in large numbers. Indonesia remains the centre of controversy with Singapore withdrawing invites to Indonesian naval and other military staff as a protest over Jakarta’s move to name a navy ship after the Indonesian marines who alleged to have bombed Orchard Road Building, MacDonald House (Singapore) in 1965, killing three and injuring over 30 people. In what is perceived as uncalled for action, Indonesian Navy has named a new frigate as KRI Usman Harun. Singapore considers the 1965 incident as an act of terrorism by two Indonesians. The bomb was allegedly planted by the duo during the period of Indonesia-Malaysia conflict. This year’s show is billed as the biggest Airshow since the biennial event was launched in Singapore in 2005. Indonesia has already downplayed the “terrorist angle” and the “link” related to the event that happened long time ago. What has surprised many is the ferocity with which Singapore has acted given the traditional good relations that exist between the two countries, especially on the defence front. In rush of blood, Singapore cancelled the invites of Indonesian Navy Chief and over 100 Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Officers to send the message that it won’t tolerate any gesture that glorifies the terror or the terrorists even if their actions are related to the distant past. Some of the high ranking ministerial meetings between the two countries scheduled during the airshow now is unlikely to take place. There is now question mark over the participation of TNI’s Jupiter Aerobatic Team with possibility of Indonesian Air Force Chief too unlikely to make it to the show given the hostile public opinion in Singapore. In the meantime, the much awaited six-day Airshow is poised for early start at 10.25 a.m. daily, except on the first day to ensure smooth peak hours at the Changi airport. The authorities do not want commercial flights to be delayed. The airspace remains closed during the display hours. Around 50 countries and 1000 companies across the globe are participating in the show. The Airbus 350 yet to start commercial operation will be among 100 plus aircraft expected on static display. The star attractions include, display by Singapore’s elite Black Knight pilots and Black Eagles (South Korea). The US marine pilot, Alex Rhodes, will fly the MV 22B Osprey in as solo aerial display of about six minutes. More than the value of deals, the show is likely to be remembered for the quality of delegates who would be participating and deliberating on critical issues such as infrastructure and technology against the background of growing aerospace industry and related businesses in Asia.