After 5 yrs, NCC gets two microlight aircraft

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 15

After a long wait of nearly five years, the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) got two microlight aircraft yesterday.

With arrival of the aircraft at the Karnal Aviation Club, an issue of parking of these aircraft arose between the Civil Aviation and the 2nd Haryana Air Squadron NCC. However, with the intervention of Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Singh Brar, who apprised Principal Secretary, Civil Aviation, Mahabir Singh about the issue, the permission for parking of the aircraft was granted.

“The Union government has given two aircraft to Haryana, but the aviation club in charge refused to park these in the hangar, due to which these aircraft were parked in the open,” said Pardeep Bishnoi, Group Capt and Commanding Officer, 2nd Haryana Air Squadron, NCC. “If the place to park them was not allowed then these aircraft could be given to other state,” he added.

With these aircraft, the NCC cadets could gain practical experience in flying and it would enhance their capability of flying, he added.

“We had already denied the permission to park any aircraft at the Aviation Club due to space crunch, but the 2nd Haryana Air Squadron had brought two microlight aircraft without our consent,” said Capt Mohit Mohan Sharma, Deputy Chief Flying Instructor, Karnal Aviation Club.

The issue came to the notice of the DC this morning and he called the Commanding Officer to his office and directed him to apply for permission.

“I have requested Principal Secretary Mahabir Singh to grant permission to park these aircraft and in the evening, the permission was granted,” said Mandeep Singh Brar, DC.

Welcoming the move of the Union government to give two aircraft to the NCC, the DC said: “It is an opportunity for the budding pilots and due to a minor issue, we cannot send the aircraft back.”