The President of India, Mrs. Prathiba Devi Singh Patil, inaugurated India’s office-in-the-sky Air Force One, a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), on Wednesday at Air Force Station, Palam, New Delhi. The aircraft, inducted in the Communication Squadron of the Indian Air Force in 2008, took its first VVIP flight from Delhi to Lilabari in Assam.
The Communication Squadron, which was entrusted with the responsibility of flying dignitaries within India and abroad ever since its raising in 1947, is equipped with various types of aircraft, which include the Dakota, Devon, Viscount, Avro, Boeing 737, Mi 8 Helicopter, the Embraer Legacy Jet and now the Business Boeing Jets.
The flight marks the formal induction of these jets into the Communications Squadron. The squadron is responsible for ferrying the president, vice president, prime minister, service chiefs and other dignitaries on their visits within and outside the country.
The jet, named Rajdoot, is patterned on the US president’s executive jet and is one of three purchased by the IAF. The aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art security gadgets and the latest communication systems.
New-generation features
The Boeing Business Jet is an executive derivative of the Boeing 737 – 700 new generation family and comes with winglets and powerful engines, which give it increased range, lower fuel consumption and enhanced handling capabilities.
The aircraft comes with various safety features that take inputs from other systems and generates advisories in order to obviate any situation that comprise the safety of the aircraft such as EGPWS (enhanced ground proximity warning systems), TCAS (traffic collision and avoidance systems), intruder detection system and emergency equipment provisioned with a resuscitator, automatic external defibrillator, therapeutic oxygen cylinder, life rafts and emergency medical kits.
It has a glass cockpit with head-up display (HUD), inertial navigation system, dual flight management system, CAT-III ILS with auto land capability. The aircraft is capable of cruising up to 41000 feet at a speed of 450 knots. The aircraft is equipped with amenities, which enable it to establish itself as an office in the air.
The interiors of the aircraft have been designed aesthetically and are configured to seat 60 passengers. The aircraft is divided into three zones. There is a VIP Conference Room, which has six executive seats, a 32″ LCD and a video tele conferencing (VTC) camera, personalized screens along with noise cancellation headset.
The aircraft also has a VIP bedroom with a 24″ LCD screen, in-built closets, therapeutic oxygen cylinder, emergency medical equipment and a reclining bed. The communications centre that serves the VIP is equipped with SATCOM, video tele conferencing, internet, fax, printer and a UHF set for onboard security personnel.
The executive zone can accommodate 12 passengers. This zone also has personalized screens and ports for LAN access. The third zone called the staff zone can accommodate 36 passengers and is equipped with six drop down screens. The aircraft also caters for in-flight entertainment, which consists of four DVD players, 30 CD changers and an air show.
