BENGALURU: While pilots perform daredevil stunts in their lean mean machines capturing the attention of the audience during Aero India, little is known of men who work behind the scenes supporting these pilots.
These are the men who ensure that the aircraft are not low on fuel. “We cannot afford to rest. We have to be present not just when a call is made, but also immediately after an aircraft lands. Be it choppers, Hawks or trainer jets, nothing can ever be low on fuel,” said a fuel operator, working with the Indian Air Force.
The backend of the main runway is busy as these fuel tablet teams continuously make rounds to the runway and hangars to refuel the craft and coordinate with pilots and the ground team.
“We carry jet fuel, similar to what is used in the civil airlines, only from stipulated stations, to each of the aircraft soon after it lands. We check the fuel levels and refill them,” said a busy tanker operator.
The personnel are trained to work with the IAF. The mobile fuel teams work round the clock with the defence forces and the technical teams of each aircraft to check each time they land. They also have to closely follow the flying schedules.
An officer from the IAF explained, “Each aircraft has different capacity. While for war and other operations, they carry optimum fuel, for air display and manoeuvres in air shows, they need not be filled to the optimum. However the biggest guzzlers are the Russian planes and Sukhois, needing around 9,000 litres of fuel.
It is not just because of their big tank capacity, but because of the number of manoeuvres they do and the power they need. The Hawk-MK-132 that the Surya Kiran team flies has a total fuel capacity of 15,000 litres, but for each display consumes around 600 litres.”
This is not the only team that works behind the scenes. There is also the Ground Handling Team, a wing of the IAF that comprises technicians, engineers and experts who jump into action soon after an aircraft comes back to designated hangars and bays.
“They work behind the scenes to maintain the craft, the hangars, the runways, and the air base. Their job is never-ending. They have to ensure the runway is clean and clear, and the engines and hangars are well-maintained. The team comprises around a hundred personnel and special teams are trained to handle each aircraft. During the first year of their induction, they undergo theory training and then it is on-the-job training,” the IAF officer explained.
“Aircraft coming from other countries like Russia carry their own maintenance team. But they have to coordinate with our ground handling team for upkeep and requirements. These are the men behind the action in the sky,” the officer stated.