India

[AA717driver]

Ok, I haven't been to India and we have a trip coming up in July. I don't know what cities are on yet but what can I expect in the major cities?

Our boss is suggesting shots. I didn't think that was necessary, just the normal precautions about food and drinking water.

As usual, your input is appreciated.TC

[Chippie Chappie]

Last time I visited India (about 15 years ago I might add) I got the full box and dice. Choera & Typhoid shots with some malaria tablets thrown in. We visited away from big cities and my dad is a doctor (medical) so maybe he was over cautious but maybe he wasn't. Best to ask a GP.

Cheers,

Chips

[vrlsktry]

What exactly is your question? You couldn't be more vague.

Where are you flying from? Which airports do you intend to cover? Is this a business trip? Who is handling your planning and dispatch? How long do you intend to stay in India? If you can share some information, I guess people here would be able to provide help. If you feel uncomfortable with sharing even some basic information in public, PM me.

As far as Ops are concerned, http://www.airportsindia.org.in/aai/all_airport-new.htm should give some indication. Don't rely on this 100%, use your charts/dispatch. Aside from airports in major cities (Bombay, New Delhi, Chennai etc.), others are very basic. July should also see monsoon in certain/all parts of India, I think.

Certain procedures in India are convoluted; this is the nature of their bureaucratic apparatus. You just have to accept and deal with it. Don't expect the kind of ground service that one gets at Luton. The infrastructure is simply not there. Be prepared to interact with ground crews to help them refuel/clean lavs if you are flying something like GV, simply because they might not have serviced bizjets before. Depending on the airport and your parking, you might want to get additional security service (for the aircraft). The Indian security procedures just make life difficult, but won't stop anyone with half a clue from breaching them. This is specially true at smaller aiports. Since this is July, try getting hangarspace, but I would be surprized if there is any even at bigger aiports.

Getting vaccination, well duh. But be prepared to fall ill even if you eat at the most luxurious/exclusive hotels, simply because there are different bacteria that your body might not have dealt with (yet). Stay in good hotels (Oberoi), eat and drink sensibly. You can minimze risk by avoiding India cuisines, most luxury hotels have diverse selection, as one would expect. Use the internet to gather as much intelligence about your destinations and plan in advance. Use the "Search" feature on Flyertalk forums to get an idea of India hotels.

As a general rule of thumb, good hotels are islands of tranquility and peace. Outside, if you exclude the areas where the rich reside, most of the country is just one big slum. Avoid going to historical sites, markets and other touristy things, frankly there is not much to see and the sheer poverty, poor hygiene (people ****ting and pissing on roadsides), poor sanitation, violent beggars .....the whole nine yards. During rains, the roads become rivers of ordure. Bigger cities are better in this respect, relatively speaking, but even they have areas that you don't want to get remotely caught into. Avoid venturing out in nights, and if in doubt it is always a good practice to ask the hotel concierge if a certain place is safe to visit. That is, if you can trust your "con"-cierge.

Be prepared for the shock of your lifetime.

[AA717driver]

Thanks, vrlsktry and chippie, that's exactly what I was looking for--a synopsis. We don't know what cities yet. I hope not too far off the beaten path.

I will check with my doc about vaccinations. Cholera is the biggie with me. I have no problems staying close to the hotel.

We use Air Routing and fly a GV so we'll keep a close lookout on the handling and catering.

Thanks again.TC

[Mzee]

Great places to go but can be seriously hot to operate. Delhi at 45C with the APU struggling to cool the a/c and still trying at low cruise levels with consequent poor performance from high TAT's - worth considering extra fuel.
With very high levels of beaurocracy at a/ports, therefore a good handler is worth the expense, they can organise all requests and even arrange credit before you go, to keep your cash float down to manageable proportions.
Delhi we used India Aviation (Capt Learoyd Williams) - helped enormously, we even took him with us to Kolcutta to smooth things over worked well. Bangalore, he was let down by his local man. Hyderabad local man was good however.
All arranged by IA - worth getting in touch early to iron out the wrinkles and set up credit etc.
Have a few Tel Nos, send PM if you need more.
Mzee

[filejw]

The CDC web site has a list of the shots you need.

[flightlevelchange]

AA717

Check your PM's if you need any advice let me know

thanks
FLC