Landing on roof-top to lift commuters’ worries

Landing on roof-top to lift commuters’ worries
Helipad To Come Up On Tall Building Near Soudha To Ease VVIP Movement
The Times of India

Bangalore: This may end problems of road-users in Bangalore when VVIPs come visiting the city. The Karnataka government has been advised to put up a helipad on top of a tall building around Vidhana Soudha for easy transport of VVIPs from Bangalore airport.

The state government’s earlier search for an ideal vacant lot near the state legislature for a helipad has not yielded results. Hence the new idea from experts. The buildings being considered for putting up the roof-top helipad are: Public Utility Building on MG Road, Visvesaraya Towers on Ambedkar Veedhi and High Point Building on Palace Road.

As per rules, only twin-engine helicopters are allowed to land on rooftop helipads in the country. This leaves only the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and which has a certification from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to land and take off from roof-top helipads, says HAL chief test pilot (Rotary Wing) Wing Commander C.D. Upadhyay.

The Karnataka government has already taken an ALH on lease for VVIP movement , which is being run by the HAL Rotary Wing. The helicopter is parked at the HAL Academy at the Bangalore airport.

Though hundreds of roof-top helipads exist in the US, Malaysia and European countries, India has only one. It is in Mumbai, built by Essar. But that too has not been in use, since the DGCA does not allow single-engine helicopters to use it and Essar has only such flying machines.

Roof-top helipads can be put up on any high-rise buildings, as they can withstand the landing of a helicopter. Sources said JW Marriott Hotel, coming up at UB City on Vittal Mallya Road, is planning a roof-top helipad. The promoters have asked operators like Air Deccan if they could use the facility when it is built. Air Deccan MD, Capt G.R. Gopinath, said if there is a roof-top helipad, “we would acquire and operate a twin-engine helicopter. In foreign countries, they allow even single-engine helicopters to land on roof-tops’’.

HAL is discussing with Manipal Hospitals, which is building a helipad adjacent to its premises, for airlifting of accident victims. Other areas where roof-top helipads can be put up include ITPL in White Field and Electronic City.