Flying training institute at Berhampur soon

If things go as per plan, the second flying training institute in the state may come up at Rangeilunda air-strip near Berhampur University, about 12 km from here. The institute will be built by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, government of India.

A senior captain from the Director General office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Binodini Devi visited the airstrip recently and discussed with the state works department engineers on refurbishing it.

A senior pilot of the ministry also visited the site last week and asked the works department engineers to develop it as per the parameters required for Visual Flight Rule (VFR) air-strip and also provide at least two rooms to conduct the pilot training courses. “We have agreed to provide all necessary infrastructure facilities to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to establish a flying training institute at Rangeilunda” said district collector, VK Pandian. 

The airstrip has 720 meter run-way and a large vacant area for aircraft parking.  The works department has recently constructed a boundary wall around it, said the executive engineer, Berhampur (Division-II), PK Das. The work has already started to upgrade the airstrip to VFR airstrip standards, he added.

Rangeiulinda will be the second pilot training institute in the state after Bhubaneswar. At Bhubaneswar, 80 students are currently taking pilot training.

The civil aviation ministry has mooted the second flying institute in the state because of traffic congestion at the Biju Patnaik airport in Bhubaneswar. At least 50 percent of students from the Bhubaneswar centre will be diverted to the new pilot training institute at Rangeilunda. There are now 22 airstrips in the state including Rangeilunda.

The local Pradeep Panigrahi, who is keen on setting up of the institute in his constituency, said the local youths can avail the facility to train as pilots. Besides, this will also help in converting the airstrip into a full-fledged airport in the future.

It may be noted, Union minister for civil aviation, Praful Patel has recently ruled out the possibility of upgrading Rangeilunda into an airport through a reply to the question of Rajya Sabha MP Renubala Pradhan. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has not conducted any survey so far to develop any of the airstrips in the state as airport, the minister said.