Jakkur Aerodrome Template:Airport codes is an airport located in Jakkur, a suburb of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. It is the only dedicated general aviation field in Bangalore. The airfield is the site of the Government Flying Training School (GFTS), the only flying school in the state.[1]
The aerodrome is spread over Template:Convert. The premises include facilities for flight training, area leased to private parties for hangars and maintenance activities and other common facilities (airstrip, fuel station etc.).[2]
History
The Maharaja of Mysore acquired over Template:Convert of land to build Jakkur Aerodrome, which opened in 1948.[3] The airfield was then transferred to the Government of Karnataka on the condition that the latter would only build a flying school at Jakkur.[4] The Government Flying Training School (GFTS) was established on 26 March 1949.[5] It operated smoothly until 1997, when it faced a shortage of aircraft, fuel, maintenance engineers and flying instructors.[6] The school has operated sporadically since then.[3]
In January 2014, a flyover was completed over NH 44 to improve connectivity between the city centre and the international airport. The flyover, over Template:Convert high and constructed immediately west of the runway at Jakkur, presents an obstruction to aircraft landing at the aerodrome.[7] Although the western half of the runway had already been closed off to accommodate, the government closed Jakkur Aerodrome on 8 June. The GFTS was forced to relocate, with 18 students still undergoing training.[1] The school continued students' training at the airports in Hubli and Mysore.[8] However, by October 2014 the school had resumed operations.[9] The western portion of the runway remains closed, but a Template:Convert extension is planned.[10]
Runway
Jakkur Aerodrome has a single runway, oriented 08/26 with dimensions Template:Convert.[11] However, the runway threshold on the 08 side has been displaced to the east because of the obstructing flyover on the western side of the airfield.[10] A taxiway runs parallel to the runway on its north side.
Government Flying Training School
The Government of Karnataka has been operating a flying school at Jakkur Aerodrome since 1949. The Government Flying Training School (GFTS) houses aircraft maintenance facilities, an aircraft and storage hangar, a library and other facilities.[12] It has a fleet of two Cessna 152s and two Cessna 172s.[5] The school also operates air traffic control at the airfield.[12]
1 (Kar) Air Squadron NCC
1 (Karnataka) Air Squadron NCC is a premier NCC Air Squadron of India and operates from Jakkur Aerodrome. The Unit was raised on 1 June 1954 as 1 (Mysore) Air Sqn NCC and in 1973 was designated 1 (Karnataka) Air Sqn NCC. This Unit imparts flying and institutional training to Air Wing Cadets of the NCC.
Other operators
Jakkur serves as a base for several private aviation companies, including Confident Airlines,[13] Jupiter Aviation Services,[14] Agni Aviation[15] and Bangalore Aerosports, which have popularised microlight flying from the airfield.[16][17]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Patil, Ramu (7 August 2014). "Some Hope Still for Jakkur Flying School". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ↑ GTFS website.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Government flying school takes off again(24 January 2009).
- ↑ Jakkur airport, cold-shouldered by a NHAI project(14 September 2014).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New plane gives flying school enough tailwind(14 April 2016).
- ↑ Caught in tailspin(31 March 1997).
- ↑ Dreams grounded as Jakkur flying club shuts down(13 June 2014).
- ↑ Bangalore: HAL of a nightmare for Jakkur flying school(5 March 2014).
- ↑ Flying training school at Jakkur reopens(1 October 2014).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jakkur Flying School Stays, Gets Bigger Runway(28 April 2015).
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedgcm - ↑ 12.0 12.1 Infrastructure.
- ↑ Confident Airlines Maiden Flight from Jakkur Aerodrome
- ↑ Rentals down at airstrip, but pvt operators still unhappy(24 December 2014).
- ↑ Govt Flying School to be Shifted to HAL Airport(23 June 2014).
- ↑ The new rage in Bangalore is microlight(20 May 2013).
- ↑ Incredible 'LITE'ness of being(29 February 2016).