Politics takes wing

The concerned citizen has a right to know why the primary regulatory authority on aviation 8212; the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA 8212; had to wait for another accident before issuing a tighter standard of inspection and safety of helicopters in the civil sector? After all, it is known that aircraft, including helicopters, in the general aviation sector, operate in small outfits, if not in single units. And these also function in an environment where commercial profit becomes an important element in imposing pressures for short cuts. These, and many other associated factors, demand a stringent regime of safety standards, quality control and the management of flying from highly dispersed locations.

The processes of elections and their punishing campaign schedules inevitably add to the normal pressures on safe operations exactly under circumstances when the need for safety is probably higher than at any other time. The crashlanding of the Ecquirel AS-350 bearing Congress party functionaries, at Khanvel on Wednesday, is just one pointer to this. Aviation functions, intrinsically, at levels of technology and the risk is very much higher than in any other segment of national activity, except probably space operations. Helicopter flying and maintenance are even more demanding than fixed wing flying which itself must brave the hazards of the elements as well as those of human failure whether of design, manufacture, maintenance or operations. L.K. Advani8217;s bus can break down twice in two days without the type of catastrophic outcome inherent in the failure of a machine that defies the laws of nature by flying.

The very fact the DGCA took half a century after helicopters came into India to establish a separate 8216;cell8217; to handle them, speaks poorly of its understanding of the dynamics of helicopter operations. At the same time, this does not absolve the operators and their technical/ operational staff from their responsibility of ensuring that safety and quality control are given the highest priority. Insurance agencies can also play a constructive role in support of better safety norms. Ultimately, though, it is the person who maintains and flies the machines who must ensure that the highest professional standards are adhered to at all times.