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VVIPs bully pilots to fly by changing weather reports
Updated On: 07 September, 2009 07:12 AM IST | | Chandran Iyer
Several chopper pilots say they are under tremendous pressure from politicians to fly by getting Met to change visibility status
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Several chopper pilots say they are under tremendous pressure from politicians to fly by getting Met to change visibility status
After the death of YSR Reddy in a helicopter crash, pilots are coming out of the closet admitting that politicians put them under tremendous pressure to flout safety norms, especially during elections.
"Pilots should be careful and study the weather report before they take-off.
But I know of instances when politicians have forced pilots to take-off under difficult weather conditions," said N Banerjee, a Mumbai-based pilot.
Demanding
Once, said Banerjee, a former Bihar chief minister forced the Meteorological Department officers to state that there was clear visibility of 1,500 metres when it was just 200 metres.
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Out in the Open: After YSR Reddy's death in a helicopter crash, pilots have revealed that politicians force them to fly in difficult weather conditions.u00a0Pilot Colonel (retd) Ranjit Singh Dev, who has flown prime ministers and presidents, says a minister in the then BJP-Shiv Sena state government was difficult to deal with. Read Next Story Trending StoriesLatest Photos |
