The first Indian Air Force Basic Training course
using the Pilatus
PC-7 MkII aircraft, which commenced on 1st July 2013 with more than 80 students is not only well on schedule, but has also received great performance ratings from trainees and instructors alike.
PC-7 MkII aircraft, which commenced on 1st July 2013 with more than 80 students is not only well on schedule, but has also received great performance ratings from trainees and instructors alike.
Within fifteen months of contract signing, the
record on-time deliveries of aircraft and logistic support material by Pilatus
has enabled the Indian Air Force to complete induction of eighteen aircraft as
per the agreement. Further, a steady stream of additional aircraft is being
added on a monthly basis and under the accelerated delivery schedule all 75
basic trainer aircraft are expected to be handed over to the Indian Air Force
by mid-2015.
The induction of the new Basic Trainer Aircraft
into the Indian Air Force inventory proceeded smoothly and due to Pilatus’
unwavering commitment to match the performance of PC-7 MkII with timely
deliveries, the first training course on the new aircraft is actually ahead of
schedule. By the end of August, the fleet has already logged 3000 flight hours
with almost 5600 landings. Despite the challenges of adverse weather conditions
due to the onslaught of monsoons, the first solo flights were successfully
completed within the initial three weeks of flight training. Summarising the
first two months of training, the instructors and flight cadets at the Air
Force Academy at Dundigal expressed immense satisfaction with the excellent,
highly conducive teaching environment afforded by the new Pilatus PC-7 MkII
trainer, which dramatically boosted the quality of instruction.
Pilatus is confident that the tried and tested
PC-7 MkII aircraft with its modern systems and avionics will prove to be the
ideal platform to train the young Indian Air Force aircrews for their challenging
tasks in the future. Pilatus Training Systems (PC-7 MkII, PC-9 M and PC-21) are
currently in successful operation with over 30 of the most renowned air forces
around the globe.
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is committed to serving the
Indian Air force with its renowned dedication to Swiss precision and quality,
through delivering and supporting the most advanced Basic Flight Training
turboprop trainer in the world – the
Pilatus PC-7 MkII.