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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1580.PDF
FLIGHT, 5 June 1959 773 THE INDIAN AIR FORCE An Appraisal of a Commonwealth Air Arm By ALASTAIR PUGH PART THE I.A.F. takes technical training very seriously and in sizeand scope the training facilities are most impressive.Jalahalli Air Force Technical College at Bangalore, where technical officers are trained, is the keystone of technical educa-tion, while at I.A.F. Jalahalli are No. 1 Ground Training School for airmen in the non-technical branches, No. 3 Ground TrainingSchool (signals) and the Medical Training School for airmen who have enlisted to become ward orderlies or medical assistants. WithNo. 2 G.T.S. at Tambaram, near Madras, the combined popu- lation of these extensive establishments is between 2,000-3,000.The school at Bangalore was begun in 1944 and has taken over the pleasant buildings, sheltering behind the shade of ramblingbougainvillea, that were erected as a hospital town during the war; altogether the various schools and college extend over ten miles. This was more than I could hope to see, but from his office atStation Headquarters G/C K. Chand, who commands I.A.F. Jalahalli, painted for me an overall picture of the progress of train-ing. The various courses last from 40-52 weeks and 300 or 450 permanent staff are employed in looking after the training institu-tions, each of which is entirely devoted to instruction; administra- tion and welfare are the enthusiastic responsibility of the IA-F.H.Q. Dormitory huts are models of neatness, and even the cook- house and mess—where chapatis were being cooked over thetraditional open fire—preserved an air of orderliness that be- tokened strict and determined training. Here, as throughoutthe I.A.F., the official language is English, and it may be the only common denominator between boys of widely different back-grounds. In the past few years, however, the schools in the country have taught English less well than was formerly the case, and somebasic training may have to be given before technical instruction can get under way. The officer commanding No. 3 Ground Training School isW/C. Sabhaney, and he is responsible for the training of sig- nallers, radio operators, met. assistants and fighter plotters. SeniorN.C.O.s in the Aeronautical Inspection Service are also trained here. Under W/C. Sabhaney's guidance I visited various class-rooms in the school and as we walked he told me that courses are divided into four phases, with exams at the end of each three-monthly period. The final examinations are conducted by a central school examinations board, and a review board redirectsinto a more suitable trade those airmen who cannot make the grade as technicians. Instructors are obviously extremely keen: the sergeant whoshowed us around the air-conditioned A.I.S. standards room in particular was very reluctant to let us go until he had explainedin detail every function of all the materials test equipment. Instruction has obviously been thought out to place the maxi-mum emphasis on realism. For instance, a fighter-plotter class were moving their counters in simulation of a large-scale exerciseunder the watchful eye of the controller; radio servicing is prac- tised in a deliberately restricted space to simulate the confines ofan aircraft; and for training airfield controllers a complete and working AD.200 VJLF./D.F. set has been established in a hutwhich is an exact replica of those to be found on I.A.F. airfields. After passing out at the end of the basic course, the airmen(who are enlisted for an initial period of five years' service) are posted to their units, but they may return to Jalahalli five yearslater for advanced training as senior tradesmen. One feature of the school that left a deeply favourable impres-sion was the off-duty information room, lined with wall charts giving statistical information on India and the rest of the world.Almost everything seemed to be there: India's animal population, the world's air speed record, the seven wonders of the world, theaims and progress of the second five-year plan, the fastest time for the mile, the names of cabinet ministers, and so on. The third school at Jalahalli (commanded by S/L. R. Jayaram)is for medical students who undergo a 5 2-week course of all- through training. It is excellently equipped and some of themedical demonstration models (to the layman, as horrifying as most of their kind) are exquisitely made; I particularly liked atable-top model showing "an insanitary village" before and after it had been cleaned up and re-organized. The senior I.A.F. institution at Bangalore, commanded byG/C. M. J. Kirpalani (a graduate of Manchester University and Cranfield) is the Air Force Technical College, which stands in itsown grounds near Jalahalli airfield some miles from Bangalore. It was established with the expansion of the I.A.F. in 1949 withthe twofold aim of training apprentices as a nucleus of skilled tradesmen and supervisory N.CLO.s, and to train technical officersto be able to undertake any type of technical work, including research and development. The college carries something of the esprit de corps of theR.A.F. Colleges at Halton and Henlow, the functions of which it largely combines, although the terms of entry are adjusted tosuit local conditions. In particular, the I.A.F. does not as yet have to face such severe competition from industry as does the R-A.F.,though with the industrial expansion contemplated under the successive five-year plans it seems probable that this may becomea growing problem. Indicative of the standard expected from I.A.F. technical officersis that a condition of civilian entry to Jalahalli College is an engineering degree, armed with which graduates are commis-sioned as pilot officers on joining. A small number of entrants are accepted from the ranks, and these men become flight cadets forthe duration of their training, after which they are commissioned as technical officers. This course lasts about one-and-half-years. For technical officers academic, scientific and practical studiesbegin after eight weeks of full time general service training, which is then reduced to a commitment of six hours per week forthe rest of the course. The encouragement of "critical thinking and logical reasoning" is the very essence of all the training andscope is provided for practical (and original) project work in con- nection with operation, servicing, repair and overhaul, withparticular emphasis on research and development. How well these aims are fulfilled must partly depend upon thequality of the instructors and the facilities, and on both scores Jalahalli seems particularly well equipped. Both service andcivilian instructors are employed and are chosen not only on their qualifications but by their ability to teach. The installationsare excellent; the college was most comprehensively equipped by Air Service Training of Hamble when it was established in 1949,and the range and layout of the equipment is a source of particular pride to the staff. Particularly noticeable during a quick tour of a few of theclassrooms were a smoke tunnel with a variable working section, a standards room equipped with beautifully maintained equipment Two aspects of training: (left) a pupil at the Parachute Training Wing practises jump-ofts from the indoor simulator and (right) in a darkened room at Jalahalli, trainee fighter plotters follow the onslaught of a hypothetical "blue force" under the watchful eye of their instructor "Flight" photographs
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