Indian ATC
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Indian ATC
Does Indian ATC have its own set of standards and procedures which are pretty exasperating, or is this true for most Asian countries?. .. . For any Indian pilots out there, what are your comments? I read an article recently about there being only one airway in and out of the major airports in India. I find this quite hard to believe? Any comments?
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22 threads in flight deck forums in 14 days.. .Well done. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> Ehm...add 6. Total 28.. . . . <small>[ 26 March 2002, 22:15: Message edited by: Captain104 ]</small>
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Sorry guys, not trying to set any record or anything. I've just had a lot of questions, and now I am have found a place where i get a lot of rational and sensible answers and not too many smart-alec type comments. Will slow it down a little.
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They do not have "own" rules. If you have ever been there and seen under which conditions (not only the environment) they work, you actually don't like to give them any work at all.. .The training is adequate but there is the allmighty Mr. DGCA who thinks he knows everything better and he decides about the set-up.. .If there is a helicopter on a stable ILS approach at 10 NM, well, you will enter the hold.. .Take off runway has to be the landing runway, also this may hinder any departure....because, if the visibility is 1000 mtrs and the minimum required for landing is 2200 mtrs (i.e. VOR approach) than there is no take-off allowed as take-off minima is = landing minima.... .In Chennai (Madras - MAA) are only 2 aeroplanes allowed to be in the CTR in VMC conditions, in IMC of course only one.... .Whenever a VIP flight is scheduled to arrive or depart, the airport will be closed for around 30 minutes to give priority to the VIP flight, and there are many VIPs around. This also implies (never found it written anywhere, but was told by the DGCA myself) that you need the standard fuel reserves into Delhi + 30 minutes....otherwise you are illegal.. .You may recall the 1997 ATC strike in India, the airspace was closed for almost 3 days? Well, it was a solidarity action of ATCOs around the country because the allmighty DGCA decided to sack one ATCO for a very minor fault, actually a favour he did to Indian Airlines in providing them a rapid approach which was completely messed up by the Captain of the aeroplane..... .. .Yes, it is very tiring sometimes, but bear in mind that HF is still a necessary and essential equipment in India and CATII is a dream on most airfields as well. And 50 degr C OAT are often reached inside the controllers room as well as aircons keep breaking and power failures are standard up to 10 times a day....
Don't know about different standards and stuff, but I have experienced Indian ATC to require us to monitor three VHF frequencies at the same time, which was pretty difficult given the fact the KingAir only had two radios. In the northern areas frequency protection is also not a factor when three agencies use the same freuency simultaneously.....
Controversial, moi?
Having actually had the experience of visiting the tower and approach room at Calcutta a few years back my whole opinion of ATC there changed.. .. .If you saw the physical conditions in which the controllers work with equipment that can only be described as archaic then a little more tolerance and sympathy might be forthcoming.. . . . <small>[ 28 March 2002, 05:08: Message edited by: Checkboard ]</small>
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Being from India the sad part is I cant argue, with any of these guys above.. .So rightly put Mr.know it all DGCA, I laugh at the guys in UK when they all cry about CAA.. .Try and deal with DGCA.. .As for the ATC well a few years back they got mode C, finally we get direct routing.. .Hope and pray things change.
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M.Mouse has it correct. The next time you get frustrated with the Indian ATC folks just take the trouble to go up in the tower and se their conditions and equipment. Don,t expect the elevator to work however so be prepared for a long climb.. .Some years ago after a series of, totally unreasonable, to us, delays getting into Delhi we went over to have words. We left with a totally different attitude and appreciation. In fact it is a wonder that the system works at all and it is only the guys that make it work. With a corrupt government/DGCA that will not provide money for equipment there is no hope.. .So, please before you go off the deep end, go and see for yourself.
