Mumbai: After successfully landing a Hercules C-130J transport aircraft at Juhu airport last month, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has asked for several advertising billboards, coconut trees and streetlight poles to be taken down on Juhu beach and Juhu-Tara Road in the interest of flight security.
The IAF's 77 Squadron, also known as the Veiled Vipers, which operates the C-130J fleet has written in this regard to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi. It said the terrorism-preparedness drill involving landing the massive transport aircraft had revealed that advertising billboards next to Bora Bora restaurant, coconut trees next to Citizen Hotel and electric poles lighting up the beach are all obstacles with height ranging from 6 to 11 metres (19 to 36 feet).
While the IAF pilots managed to land the C-130J on Juhu airport's 3,750-foot runway - Mumbai airport's runway is much longer at 12,008 feet - they said the problem due to obstacles nearby would arise at night.
"While the aircraft could land smoothly during the day, these objects can be cause a concern during a night landing since the airport does not even have a runway lighting system. It is in this regard that we have made our recommendations," an officer of the 77 Squadron based in Hindon, Ghaziabad said.
07/04/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror
The IAF's 77 Squadron, also known as the Veiled Vipers, which operates the C-130J fleet has written in this regard to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi. It said the terrorism-preparedness drill involving landing the massive transport aircraft had revealed that advertising billboards next to Bora Bora restaurant, coconut trees next to Citizen Hotel and electric poles lighting up the beach are all obstacles with height ranging from 6 to 11 metres (19 to 36 feet).
While the IAF pilots managed to land the C-130J on Juhu airport's 3,750-foot runway - Mumbai airport's runway is much longer at 12,008 feet - they said the problem due to obstacles nearby would arise at night.
"While the aircraft could land smoothly during the day, these objects can be cause a concern during a night landing since the airport does not even have a runway lighting system. It is in this regard that we have made our recommendations," an officer of the 77 Squadron based in Hindon, Ghaziabad said.
07/04/15 Aditya Anand/Mumbai Mirror
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