AP, The Indian air force has been struggling to sign up new recruits because of concern about its frequent aircraft crashes, a survey has found, according to a report Saturday.
The air force is said to be short of a few hundred officers though officially it maintains there are no manpower problems. It commissioned a survey for the first to find out why too few promising young people are opting for a career in the service, the Hindustan Times said.
“There was a presumption that bright youngsters are not attracted to the IAF because of the lower pay packages (as compared to the corporate sector). But we were wrong,” air force chief S. Krishnaswamy told the newspaper.
Accidents involving IAF fighter aircraft — mainly the MiG-21s — have put people off joining the service, he said.
At last 273 MiGs, nicked named “flying coffins,” were lost in crashes between 1991 and 2003, killing more than 100 pilots.
In September, India awarded a contract for 66 advanced jet trainers to British Aerospace. It is hoped these will ease the transition of rookie pilots from sub-sonic to supersonic flying.
The ongoing survey by a market research firm has revealed that young people do not know enough about the force and its service conditions, Krishnaswamy said.
To dispel misgivings and make up for the lack of information, the IAF is planning to open its bases to civilians and hold air shows.
