Bangalore: If operations at the Yelahanka Air Station during Aero India 2007 are like an orchestra, then the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower is the conductor.

This room will be the nerve centre coordinating all the flying and activities related to it.

"Our basic task is to make the environment as conducive as possible for flying. Then we handle the runway surfaces, aircraft parking areas and the environment that includes a bird watch," said Wing Commander R.K. Chaudhary, Chief Operations Officer.

He said that the planning for the jamboree started a long time ago and the details of air movements and the flying slots were first finalised. Interestingly, the ATC is only in charge of the display aircraft till the take off or after landing.

While in the air, the aerobatics are coordinated by a Flying Display Director (FDD), Air Commodore P.P. Reddy from the Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE).

The ATC operates with out the help of radar. All the sorties are kept track of over the radio as the aircraft relay their positions and the ATC assigns them flight paths.

The air show has been given 30 nautical miles of airspace in between the radials 300 and 060.

When the aircraft goes out of this, it is handed over to the tower at HAL Airport.

The length of the runway during the 2005 edition of the air show was 7,250 feet and it has been extended to 8,000 feet with the taxiways and parking areas being further strengthened to handle heavy aircraft.

Even though there are pilots from different parts of the world, communication is not a problem because they all follow the same standard, but the ATC controllers say they have to listen carefully to understand Russian accents.

Also, the Russians use metres instead of feet for measuring distance so a conversion chart is always handy.

As display flights are restricted to north of the runway, three cameras have been installed to spot violations. Four crash tenders are positioned, two below the ATC and one each at the ends of the runway.

They are issued orders from the ATC in case of an emergency.

The arrestor net to catch aircraft, which might overshoot the runway, is also raised and lowered from here.

Three people at a time coordinate operations with their tasks being — pre-flight, ground handling and controlling flying respectively.

Interestingly, Indian Airlines is offering the ground handling services for all the foreign aircraft.

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