Tag: pilot

MP: Trainee pilot, flight instructor killed as flight crashes in Balaghat

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Balaghat: A trainer aircraft crashed on Saturday in the hilly region of Madhya Pradesh’s Naxalite-affected Balaghat district and caught fire, killing the flight instructor and the woman trainee pilot, officials said.
The aircraft belonged to the IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi) which was on a training sortie, and prima facie bad weather caused the crash, said an official from Gondia in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Balaghat Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh said two badly burnt bodies were recovered from the spot which falls under the Lanji police station.
He said the charred body of a man (believed to be that of pilot Mohit Thakur’s) was found on the hills of Lanji and Kirnapur areas, about 40 km from the Balaghat district headquarters, near the site of the crash.
“We received information at around 3:45 pm (about the crash). As the area falls under the Naxalite-infested belt, security forces were summoned. Other personnel reached the spot after the area was cordoned off. We have recovered the bodies of the flight instructor and the woman pilot which are badly burnt. The spot comes under the Lanji police station”, Saurabh added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Anurag Sharma told PTI the trainer aircraft took off from the Birsi airstrip in Gondia district bordering Balaghat at 3.06 pm. It lost connection with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 3.11 pm.
“It is widely believed that the charred body was that of pilot Mohit Thakur’s (around 25 years),” he said and added the woman trainee pilot, Vrikshanka Maheshwari, (around 20 years) is missing.
“Prima facie, both of them perished in the crash,” he added.

The trainer aircraft belongs to IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi). It crashed at the hills near Bhukkutola village in Balaghat district at around 3:30 pm, killing a flight training captain and a female trainee, IGRAU Administrative Officer Satya Kumar told PTI in Gondia.
“The trainer aircraft with flight instructor captain Mohit took off from the Birsi airport on a routine sortie at around 3 PM. It reportedly crashed due to bad weather in the hills near Bhukkutola village,” he said.
“The aircraft caught fire in which bodies of captain Mohit and the trainee pilot were badly mutilated. After getting the information, a fire-fighting team and a rescue team from Birsi along with other officials concerned rushed to the spot,” he added.
The wreckage of the aircraft was traced on the hills, Kumar said, adding villagers were first to reach the spot.
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#Trainee #pilot #flight #instructor #killed #flight #crashes #Balaghat
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 18, 2023
Asia’s first lady loco pilot commands Solapur-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express

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Mumbai: Asia’s first woman loco pilot Surekha Yadav piloted the new Vande Bharat Express from Solapur to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai on Monday.
On arrival, Yadav was felicitated at by rail officials at platform No. 8 of CSMT, the World Heritage headquarters of Central Railway.
In her brief speech, Yadav expressed her gratitude to the CR for giving her the honour to pilot the new age, state of the art technology encompassed in the Vande Bharat trains.
The train departed Solapur at the right time and reached CSMT five minutes before time.
The train crew learning process involves signal observance, hands on new equipment, coordination with other crew members, observance of all parameters for the successful running of a train.
Hailing from Satara in Maharashtra, Surekha Yadav created history by becoming India’s first female train driver in 1988.
For her achievements, she has been honoured with many awards at state, national and international levels.

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#Asias #lady #loco #pilot #commands #SolapurMumbai #Vande #Bharat #Express
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 14, 2023
Meet Hyderabad’s Indira Eegalapati, metro pilot in Saudi Arabia

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Jeddah: Saudi Arabia was once known for being the only country in the world that does not allow women to drive vehicles. A common stereotype once prevailed that “Women cannot drive”. However, women have been breaking stereotypes with vision 2030 women’s power in Saudi Arabia is in full effect.
Not only vehicles, but women are also now steering trains in Saudi Arabia for the first time. Indian woman loco pilot Indira Eegalapati deserves special attention from the Indian community on International Women’s Day.
She is the pilot on Riyadh Metro Train, hailing from Guntur and settled in Hyderabad. Before coming to pilot trains in Saudi Arabia, Indira worked in Hyderabad Metro for over 3 years and she logged 15,000 km total.
An IT engineering post-graduate whose friends settled in the software field yet she chose to be different by driving trains not only at home but also abroad.
“While I was a child I used to assist my mechanic father by giving him tools and spare parts and now I am driving one of the most advanced trains in the world”, said Indira.
“We are three sisters and our father has given utmost importance to the education of girls, though some of our relatives oppose spending on education instead of saving for dowry as we don’t have brothers,” she recalled.
“When I was selected for Riyadh Metro, most of our relatives were apprehensive as to how a single woman can go to Saudi Arabia to work as train pilot, my determination didn’t deter me and I made my way to Saudi”, added Indira.
Indira also operated the train in Doha during the world cup where she was sent by Saudi Arabia.

She is full of praise for her Saudi female colleagues and impressed with women empowerment in Saudi Arabia as part of Vision 2030. It is noteworthy to mention that Saudi women pilots constitute a major part of metro train pilots in the Kingdom.
Indira is married and her husband also works as a loco pilot in Qatar.
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#Meet #Hyderabads #Indira #Eegalapati #metro #pilot #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 8, 2023
Pentagon releases selfie taken by US pilot of Chinese spy balloon

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Wshington: The US Department of Defense (DOD) has released a selfie image taken by an American pilot which shows the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down earlier this month.
The selfie, taken by the pilot of a U-2 spy plane, shows the shadow of the aircraft on the balloon and a clear image of the latter’s payload as it crossed across the continental US, CNN reported.
The suspected spy balloon, which was first spotted by the US on January 28, was shot down on February 4 by an American F-22 fighter jet.
The officials waited until the “strange object” was safely over water before shooting it down.
The balloon was retrieved off the coast of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina on February 5.
A senior State Department official said earlier this month that fly-bys “revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations”.
The image, which was released on Wednesday was taken the day before the balloon the shot down, has reportedly “gained legendary status” inside the Pentagon, reports the BBC.
The balloon was said to be hovering at 60,000 fee in the air. U-2 spy planes routinely fly at altitudes over 70,000 feet, according to the Air Force.

The single-seater reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, nicknamed the Dragon Lady, were previously flown by the CIA.
Pilots are required to wear full pressure suits similar to those worn by astronauts.
Recovery efforts for the balloon’s scattered remnants in the Atlantic Ocean ended on February 17.
Pieces of the debris were transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Virginia to be studied further, reports CNN.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a briefing on Wednesday that the payload of the balloon had been recovered.
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#Pentagon #releases #selfie #pilot #Chinese #spy #balloon
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 23, 2023
If Asad can come from Hyderabad for Junaid, Nasir, why can’t Ghelot, Pilot?: Owaisi

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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national president Asaduddin Owaisi while addressing a public meeting at Tonk on Sunday hit out at the Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress leader Sachin Pilot for remaining quiet on issues relating to Muslim minorities in fear of losing out on Hindu votes.
“Today we have witnessed a gruesome murder of Nasir and Junaid,” said Owaisi referring to the bodies of two Muslim men who were charred to death in Haryana earlier this week in what is believed to be an attack by cow vigilantes.
“Nine MLAs won seats in Rajasthan among them three were Mewati Muslims, how many of them raised their voice in support of deceased brothers?” questioned Owaisi.
“If I can go to Bharatpur to meet the family of Nasir and Junaid, why can’t Gehlot and Pilot from Jaipur and Tonk visit them? They are scared that if they are spotted with Muslims they might lose the support of our Hindu brothers. This is the reality that they want your vote, but they don’t want to visit your brother’s graveyard,” he added.
Owasi pointed out Pilot’s casual statement over the Bhiwani killings where he said that “culprits should be punished.”
While slamming Pilot’s casual attitude, Owaisi stated, “This is being said for the last 70 years, Mr Sachin, that the culprits must be punished. But the culprits are not punished. We (Muslims) are. Our houses are being deserted and our daughters’ futures are destroyed. We are punished,” states Owaisi.
Owaisi went on the slam Pilot stating that he did not have the courage to take Junaid and Nasir’s names or that Meo Muslims are being oppressed by cow vigilantes.
“They are afraid that if they are seen with Muslims they will not get the votes of their Hindu brothers. They want your votes but they will not stand by you when the dead bodies of your brother and son are lying in front of you. They want your vote but will not garland the grave of my brothers and sons,” Owais slams the duo asking Muslims of Rajasthan to beware of Congress and BJP’s ‘propaganda’.

After the murder of the duo, allegedly by members of the Bajrang Dal, the chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot announced a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the families of the deceased.
Owaisi also accused chief minister Gehlot of discriminating against the families of Juniad and Nasir by grating them a compensation of a mere Rs 15 lakh, while the similar cases in Udaipur and Bhilwara, the families of the deceased were given Rs 50 lakh and a government job.
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#Asad #Hyderabad #Junaid #Nasir #Ghelot #Pilot #Owaisi
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 20, 2023
H1B visa: US planning to resume ‘domestic visa revalidation’ on pilot basis

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Washington: In a move that could benefit tens of thousands of foreign tech workers on H1B and L1 visas, the US is planning to resume “domestic visa revalidation” in certain categories on a pilot basis with the goal of scaling it up in the next few years.
The pilot project, to be launched later this year, when fully implemented, would be a big relief to thousands of Indian tech professionals in the United States.
Until 2004, certain categories of non-immigrant visas, particularly the H1B, could be renewed or stamped inside the US. After that, for renewal of these visas, in particular, those on H1B, the foreign tech workers have to go out of the country, mostly to their own country to get the H1B extension stamped on their passport.
For all the H1B visa holders, when their visa is renewed, they need to get their passports stamped with renewal dates. This is required if they wish to travel outside of the US and re-enter the US. As of now, H1B visa restamping is not allowed within the US.
Restamping can only be done at any US consulate.
This was a big inconvenience for foreign guest workers and also for their employees, particularly at a time when the visa wait time is more than 800 days or more than two years.
The much-sought-after H1B visas are issued for three years at a time. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

“We are working in earnest on plans to restart this service for certain petition-based NIV categories, and we hope to have a pilot up and running later this year. This would eliminate the need for these applicants to travel abroad to renew visas,” a State Department spokesperson told PTI.
The State Department facilitated domestic visa revalidation until 2004 for applicants who were physically present in the US and renewing a visa in certain petition-based nonimmigrant visa (NIV) categories, the official said.
“We cannot comment on how many visa holders would be initially eligible, but the pilot would begin with a small number of cases before scaling over the following 1-2 years,” said the State Department spokesperson in response to a question.
Over the past few months, the Biden administration has taken several steps to streamline the visa processing system and reduce inconveniences.
Notably, this was one of the recommendations of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, which now seems to have been implemented by the State Department.
Under the existing rule, that came into force in 2004, the procedure for restamping H1-B and L visas is to visit the home country and submit their H1, and L1 visas, passports, and documents by way of a dropbox or interview.
People have to wait months or years for H1-B visa stamping or sometimes they get no response after submitting all documents and get stuck for over 2 years in their home country. While their families are waiting in the US for him/her to come back, the presidential commission had argued in one of its meetings last year.
Moved by a commission member, Ajay Jain Bhutoria from Silicon Valley, the presidential commission recommended that H1-B and L visas be allowed for restamping in the US by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
It urged the USCIS to establish a separate department or unit to handle restamping of renewed H1-B and L visas within the US.
The commission felt that the whole process has proven to be very painful for legal immigrants who are invited to work here in the US to support the US companies and the economy.
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#H1B #visa #planning #resume #domestic #visa #revalidation #pilot #basis
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 10, 2023