Latest news with #AI‑171
Time of India
12-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Career as a pilot: 5 crucial cockpit lessons every aspirant learns in training
Pilot Focused in Modern Cockpit (AI Image) When most students dream of becoming a pilot, they imagine soaring through skies, wearing crisp uniforms, and commanding the cockpit like a movie hero. But as the recent Air India crash has grimly reminded us, aviation is less about glamour and more about grit. In the tightly enclosed space of a cockpit, every switch, every second—and every silence—can mean life or death. The preliminary findings from the Air India AI‑171 crash show something chilling: both engines were cut off manually, seconds after takeoff, and the cockpit voice recorder captured confusion, not command. One pilot asked, 'Why did you cut off the fuel supply?' The other replied, 'I didn't.' No one took responsibility. Both engines shut down. 260 lives were lost. The disaster has forced the industry to revisit one unsettling truth: Flying is not just about skills; it's about psychology, procedures, and high-pressure thinking. Here's what every pilot trainee is taught—lessons that the world rarely sees, but actually shape and surprise every aspiring pilot. Flying the plane is just 10% of the job What students believe: You're in command, flying hands-on all the time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 수천시간을 투자해서 만든 이미지영어 40분 특강 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo What they learn: The autopilot is your co-pilot—and sometimes, your boss. From the very first simulator sessions, students realise flying is less about 'stick and rudder' and more about systems management. Modern aircraft are designed to be flown through layers of automation. The pilot's true role is to monitor, anticipate, and intervene intelligently—not to constantly maneuver the aircraft like a video game. Pre-flight planning, weather checks, alternate routing, fuel load optimisation, and traffic management are just as critical as actual take-offs and landings. A large chunk of training involves understanding avionics, FMCs (Flight Management Computers), and multi-layered system checks. Reality check: A pilot isn't paid to fly. They're paid to step in when systems fail. The cockpit is designed for the brain, not the hands What students believe: Flying is a physical task. What they learn: It's a cognitive marathon. Pilots are trained in situational awareness—which means constantly knowing what's happening, what's about to happen, and what might go wrong next. You're taught to "stay ahead of the aircraft," mentally projecting the next 3–5 minutes at all times. Every button has a reason. Every silence has a protocol. Trainees are drilled to monitor six instruments at once while interpreting radio instructions and adjusting fuel mixes or flaps in real time. Key lesson: Aviation punishes reaction time and rewards anticipation. You communicate more than you navigate What students believe: Communication is just announcing positions to ATC. What they learn: Precision in language saves lives. Flight training dedicates serious time to teaching radio discipline—concise phraseology, non-negotiable callouts, and structured responses. It's not just formality. A minor miscommunication at 30,000 feet can trigger mid-air confusion or miscoordination with air traffic control. Students practice standard ICAO phraseology and learn the exact tone, pace, and timing of cockpit communications. Any hesitation, or talking over a radio channel, is considered a major procedural error. Fun fact: Pilots are marked down more harshly for talking too much than too little. Emergencies are simulated until they become boring What students believe: Emergencies are rare and terrifying. What they learn: They're routine—if you're trained right. Engine flameout, rapid cabin depressurisation, gear malfunction, fire warning mid-flight—these aren't Hollywood plot points in aviation. They're daily simulator drills. Trainees are taught to treat every emergency not as a crisis, but as a checklist execution. One of the first phrases drilled in is: 'Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.' Pilots learn to suppress emotion and switch into protocol mode. Lesson for life: In aviation, panic is not part of the workflow. Procedure is. Captain's seat comes with psychological weight What students believe: Seniority equals skill. What they learn: Leadership, not hierarchy, runs the cockpit. Multi-crew cockpit training introduces a concept called CRM (Crew Resource Management). It's about how to command, listen, question, and even disagree—without ego. Pilots must manage human dynamics: Dealing with a co-pilot's mistake, absorbing a ground controller's delay, or making decisions when there's dissent on the flight deck. Even tone of voice and posture matter during crew briefings. Captains are trained to listen actively, and First Officers are encouraged to challenge decisions that don't align with procedure. Bottom line: The cockpit doesn't run on hierarchy. It runs on mutual accountability. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Hans India
17-06-2025
- Hans India
Air India plane crash: 144 victims identified by DNA tests, recovery efforts intensify
Ahmedabad: Four days after the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171 en route from Ahmedabad to London, authorities have confirmed that 144 DNA samples have been successfully matched as of noon Tuesday, according to Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi. The identification process is being led by a combined team from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University, working around the clock to bring clarity to grieving families. "This is a highly sensitive and emotional task. Every match is not just a technical confirmation, but a step toward giving closure to families waiting in anguish," an official from the forensic unit said. Emergency response teams remain stationed at the crash site in Meghaninagar, where investigators continue to recover personal belongings and body fragments amidst the wreckage. Authorities have stated that all efforts are being made to ensure the dignity of the deceased and transparency in communication with the victims' relatives. Tata Group, which re-acquired Air India in 2022, has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs one crore to the families of each of the deceased from the AI‑171 crash near Ahmedabad. In addition, Air India has immediately released an interim relief payout of Rs 25 lakh per family -- and to the lone survivor -- to cover urgent needs. The group will also cover all medical expenses for the injured and pledged financial support for rebuilding a damaged hostel at BJ Medical College. Chairman N. Chandrasekaran described it as 'one of the darkest days in the Tata Group's history.' As of June 17, rescue and recovery efforts at the Ahmedabad crash site of Air India flight AI-171 remain intense and deeply coordinated. Over 300 firefighters, supported by 60 fire vehicles and 20 water bowsers from Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, ONGC, and other nearby agencies, continue to clear debris and extinguish smouldering wreckage. On the ground, three NDRF teams, 150 CRPF officers, Indian Army personnel, and teams from the CISF, BSF, and Western Railway Disaster Management are conducting systematic searches for remains and missing belongings. Specialised sniffer dogs are aiding in the recovery of human remains, while Ahmedabad Police, responding to disturbing reports, have deployed animal rescue teams to safely relocate stray dogs scavenging at the crash site.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Dreams cut short in Ahmedabad plane crash: The Air India crew members who never came home
As Air India flight AI‑171 fell from the sky on Thursday and struck a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff, many promises were left unfinished and phone calls went unanswered. The tragedy has cut short the journeys of young crew members who were looking forward to reconnecting with their families and making future plans. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal , a veteran pilot with 8,200 flying hours under his belt, had made a promise just days earlier to take a break from his hectic schedule and spend more time with his 82‑year‑old father. 'A few days ago, he promised to take a break to spend time with his father,' said MLA Dilip Mama Lande, who met the family. The senior Sabharwal is a former DGCA official. For co-pilot Clive Kunder 's family, the shock came in a phone call that never arrived. His former landlord, Kenneth Carvalho, explained: 'Clive's parents are in Australia, visiting their daughter. We are all very shocked.' His brother Danny, who lives in the city, was also unreachable for comment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Aparna Mahadik, 42, a cabin crew member, leaves behind her husband Amol — who is Air India cabin crew himself — and is the nephew of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare. The couple lived in Oberoi Esquire in Goregaon East. For Saineeta Chakravarti , the tragedy struck without her elderly parents in Juhu Koliwada having a chance to say goodbye. Saineeta, previously a stewardess with Indigo , had recently joined Air India. 'Her elderly parents learned of the tragedy through neighbours and television news reports. The family was yet to receive any formal communication from Air India.' Live Events Nganthoi Sharma K, a native of Manipur, Shradha Dhavan and Irfan Shaikh were also believed to have died in the incident. Deepak Pathak, a Badlapur resident who lived in Katrap with his wife and parents, had been with Air India for 11 years. 'Deepak had informed his mother in the morning that he was in Ahmedabad, headed to London. After the incident, his family members kept calling him, but his phone was unreachable.' Roshni Songhare, a young, single cabin crew and social media influencer from Dombivli, lived with her parents and brother in Rajaji Path. Her brother and father rushed to Ahmedabad in the evening after the tragedy. For 22‑year‑old Maithili Patil from Nhava in Uran, flying was a lifelong dream. Her maternal uncle Jitendra Mhatre said: 'She always wanted to take up aviation as a career. She last spoke on the phone with her father at 11.30am from Ahmedabad, to say she was on her way to London.' Her parents were left stunned and in shock.
Hans India
12-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
Mangaluru Roots and Mumbai Beginnings: The Story of Co-pilot Clive Kundar
Mangaluru: Among the crew of the ill-fated Air India Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (AI‑171), First Officer Clive Kundar—who tragically perished in the crash—was a young pilot with family roots in Mangaluru and a present-day base in Santa Cruz–Kalina, Mumbai . Clive, aged in his early thirties, logged approximately 1,100 flight hours at the time of the accident. He trained at the Paris Air Inc. flight school in Florida before being inducted into Air India's Dreamliner division. Sources describe him as 'soft‑spoken, highly focused, and deeply passionate about flying', while maintaining strong ties with his coastal hometown of Mangaluru. He was serving alongside Captain Sumeet Sabharwal (8,200 flight hours) during the aircraft's emergency call and subsequent crash shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. Clive's tragic death marks a profound loss for both the aviation community and his coastal roots, as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.
