PAR 11 Officially Lifts Off As Weather Gods Join The Fray
12:09pm on Tuesday 23rd August 2011
22 August 2011 - Mount Lavinia Hotel and Ratmalana Air Base, Sri Lanka. The much anticipated wait was over and it was time for the action to unfold. Pacific Airlift Rally 2011 was officially launched. Participants representing Air Forces (or in some instances the Army as applicable) of 20 countries assembled at the Maitland State Room at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, located near the southern edge of the Colombo city limits to join in a week long mission of intense planning and reasoning. The atmosphere within the stately hall adorned by the portraits of former governors of the country during its occupation by the British bore a sombre ambience but the mood was jubilant and the excitement could be read in everybody’s eyes.
The residential palace of a few British governors had been transformed into the nerve centre of activity and although a far cry from NASA’s mission control centre, it did bear the appearance of a good deal of authority. Neatly spaced and erect liquid crystal displays reflecting in technical perfection before every team proudly seated behind their country flags showed that this exercise meant business. It was not a kid’s play area where a mutual game of mortal combat may be fought, but it was the hub of activity from where the simulated situation of humanitarian assistance / disaster relief would be planned out.
The main co-ordinator of the exercise, Air Commodore Sumangala Dias extended a hospitable welcome though a vividly delivered address. The initial briefing was then carried out by the CPX co-ordinator (flying) Wing Commander Tharindu Semasinghe. The co-ordination and administrative crew were introduced and the turn then passed on to each and every member of the control room exercise to introduce themselves to which everybody responded with vigour and enthusiasm. Soon afterwards the country briefs began which were intended to cement the bonds established at yesterday’s ‘ice breaker’. The country briefs were also intended to serve as an initial mutual sharing of each others knowledge and expertise in disaster relief.
Whilst the planners were busy setting the field for the planning of the coming days, the teams in the flight line were wasting no time at all. The morning briefings done and the crews were on their own to formulate the final preparations. Cargo pallets were being prepared and securely latched in preperation of being dropped off as “disaster relief” cargo over the “disaster zone” at Ampara. The US contingent was neatly preparing their pallets with four barrels secured together. Water would serve as ballast to bring the weight up to 600 lb, simulating any kind of humanitarian / disaster relief cargo made up to the specific weight. The pellet would be dragged out of the rear ramp of the C 130 H Hercules by a drag chute when the aircraft is flying at a delivery height of approximately 500 ft. With the water bowser reversed in, the US crew were busy manhandling the hose to tame the water, reminding one of an attempt to tame a giant anaconda.
The Australian team had a different strategy however. The application of a unique dropping device known as the “Helibox” was a first timer. A simple, low cost solution for air delivery of essentials in small scale the Helibox proves to be an ingenious design. The simple approach of bending the flaps of the top of a cubical box in such a way that gives the flap an angle of incidence and are held extended in flight by attaching tautening chords to the rear could be truly termed “thinking out of the box”. The incidence would cause the box to rotate imitating the movement of a helicopter, thus the namesake “Helibox”. The impact forces are cushioned by a thick pad of corrugated cardboard embedded in the bottom of the box. The team claims that this could be used to deploy a cargo load between 10 – 14 lb which may typically consist of emergency rations, MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), first air kits, drinking water etc. The ingenuity of the design only makes one eager to witness the kit in action which is not very far from now.
Lengthy and meticulous briefings done ensuring that no point was left uncovered, the Australian, US and Sri Lankan crews walked up to their aircraft. It was rather disappointing that the Royal Malaysian Air Force C 130 had to remain on ground for the second day running owing to a technical defect. The RMAF roundel is largely missed in the skies of the exercise and the entire FTX team eagerly awaits its display above ground level. With the cargo loaded one C 130 each from the Royal Australian Air Force, United States Air Force and Sri Lanka Air Force started up, “backed up” and taxied in a smooth procession. Gracefully the giants rose to the heavens beginning at 2.00 pm taking on the challenge posed by a dull eastern sky.
The parking apron remained quiet for a few hours until the Australian contingent decided it was time to emulate the success of their national cricket team in their own way here at Ratmalana engaging in a happy-go-lucky makeshift game of cricket which needs absolutely no introduction to any schoolboy in this country. A few hours later two more USAF C 130s spun their engines chopping through the rain, which had descended down Ratmalana, with the intention of following the path of their predecessors. As the massive turboprops held their sway against the parking brakes of the aircraft holding at the location meant just for that, the pilots had no choice but to take that painful decision of aborting the sortie. Truly, the eastern sky had now taken a threatening mauve and was in no condition to let a mighty transporter through. After all, this exercise was meant to simulate disaster relief and not to create an actual one. It may have been a hard decision on the part of the pilot but in the interest of safety there remains no questions.
The day’s activities came to a graceful conclusion as the three aircraft that went through the clouds made a safe return back to Ratmalana. Whilst those on ground were eagerly awaiting to pick up the story of the flight through the weather, the weary and wry smiles on the faces of the air crew told it all. Indeed, flying through weather is no easy and simple task.
Thus as evening rays begin to cool the tarmac, both Ratmalana and Mount Lavinia prepare themselves for a high riding wave of operations in the coming days.
Flight Lieutenant Shyam Ranasinghe SLAF, for SLAF Media
The residential palace of a few British governors had been transformed into the nerve centre of activity and although a far cry from NASA’s mission control centre, it did bear the appearance of a good deal of authority. Neatly spaced and erect liquid crystal displays reflecting in technical perfection before every team proudly seated behind their country flags showed that this exercise meant business. It was not a kid’s play area where a mutual game of mortal combat may be fought, but it was the hub of activity from where the simulated situation of humanitarian assistance / disaster relief would be planned out.
The main co-ordinator of the exercise, Air Commodore Sumangala Dias extended a hospitable welcome though a vividly delivered address. The initial briefing was then carried out by the CPX co-ordinator (flying) Wing Commander Tharindu Semasinghe. The co-ordination and administrative crew were introduced and the turn then passed on to each and every member of the control room exercise to introduce themselves to which everybody responded with vigour and enthusiasm. Soon afterwards the country briefs began which were intended to cement the bonds established at yesterday’s ‘ice breaker’. The country briefs were also intended to serve as an initial mutual sharing of each others knowledge and expertise in disaster relief.
Whilst the planners were busy setting the field for the planning of the coming days, the teams in the flight line were wasting no time at all. The morning briefings done and the crews were on their own to formulate the final preparations. Cargo pallets were being prepared and securely latched in preperation of being dropped off as “disaster relief” cargo over the “disaster zone” at Ampara. The US contingent was neatly preparing their pallets with four barrels secured together. Water would serve as ballast to bring the weight up to 600 lb, simulating any kind of humanitarian / disaster relief cargo made up to the specific weight. The pellet would be dragged out of the rear ramp of the C 130 H Hercules by a drag chute when the aircraft is flying at a delivery height of approximately 500 ft. With the water bowser reversed in, the US crew were busy manhandling the hose to tame the water, reminding one of an attempt to tame a giant anaconda.
The Australian team had a different strategy however. The application of a unique dropping device known as the “Helibox” was a first timer. A simple, low cost solution for air delivery of essentials in small scale the Helibox proves to be an ingenious design. The simple approach of bending the flaps of the top of a cubical box in such a way that gives the flap an angle of incidence and are held extended in flight by attaching tautening chords to the rear could be truly termed “thinking out of the box”. The incidence would cause the box to rotate imitating the movement of a helicopter, thus the namesake “Helibox”. The impact forces are cushioned by a thick pad of corrugated cardboard embedded in the bottom of the box. The team claims that this could be used to deploy a cargo load between 10 – 14 lb which may typically consist of emergency rations, MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), first air kits, drinking water etc. The ingenuity of the design only makes one eager to witness the kit in action which is not very far from now.
Lengthy and meticulous briefings done ensuring that no point was left uncovered, the Australian, US and Sri Lankan crews walked up to their aircraft. It was rather disappointing that the Royal Malaysian Air Force C 130 had to remain on ground for the second day running owing to a technical defect. The RMAF roundel is largely missed in the skies of the exercise and the entire FTX team eagerly awaits its display above ground level. With the cargo loaded one C 130 each from the Royal Australian Air Force, United States Air Force and Sri Lanka Air Force started up, “backed up” and taxied in a smooth procession. Gracefully the giants rose to the heavens beginning at 2.00 pm taking on the challenge posed by a dull eastern sky.
The parking apron remained quiet for a few hours until the Australian contingent decided it was time to emulate the success of their national cricket team in their own way here at Ratmalana engaging in a happy-go-lucky makeshift game of cricket which needs absolutely no introduction to any schoolboy in this country. A few hours later two more USAF C 130s spun their engines chopping through the rain, which had descended down Ratmalana, with the intention of following the path of their predecessors. As the massive turboprops held their sway against the parking brakes of the aircraft holding at the location meant just for that, the pilots had no choice but to take that painful decision of aborting the sortie. Truly, the eastern sky had now taken a threatening mauve and was in no condition to let a mighty transporter through. After all, this exercise was meant to simulate disaster relief and not to create an actual one. It may have been a hard decision on the part of the pilot but in the interest of safety there remains no questions.
The day’s activities came to a graceful conclusion as the three aircraft that went through the clouds made a safe return back to Ratmalana. Whilst those on ground were eagerly awaiting to pick up the story of the flight through the weather, the weary and wry smiles on the faces of the air crew told it all. Indeed, flying through weather is no easy and simple task.
Thus as evening rays begin to cool the tarmac, both Ratmalana and Mount Lavinia prepare themselves for a high riding wave of operations in the coming days.
Flight Lieutenant Shyam Ranasinghe SLAF, for SLAF Media
