Pulling G at Aero India 2017

Vayu’s Angad Singh strapped into a Saab Gripen at Aero India 2017, for a ‘hands on’ experience of a lifetime!

Arm seat,” says a voice in my ear. This is the point of no return, as I head to Yelahanka’s 3-kilometre runway in the rear seat of a Saab Gripen D ( tail number 830). I depress the catch that secures the ejection seat arming mechanism and push the switch from the ‘safe’ position to ‘armed.’ This simple action, more than anything in the past ninety-odd minutes of briefings drives home the reality of what is about to happen.

“Seat armed,” I reply, trying my darndest to sound like a fighter pilot. I am not certain I succeeded.

Waves of heat radiate off the asphalt runway, baked by the midday sun. Holding short to the north side of the runway as we line up are two Tejas LCA trainers, readying to depart after us. Behind us and lined up to the right of the centreline is another two-seat Gripen D. We wait for what seems like an eternity, made worse by the nerves that seem to amplify the discomfort of my g-suit. In reality it was probably only a few seconds from line up to ATC clearance for take-off. My pilot, Saab’s Wing Commander Flying Hans Einerth, doesn’t waste time or words – he releases the brakes as soon as ATC gives him the word.

This is not so bad, I think to myself. My anxiety begins to subside as we gather speed in much the same way as an airliner.

Then suddenly I’m slammed back into my seat by a force that can only be described as ‘a kick in the pants.’ Oh. That’ll be the afterburner then. Having experienced a catapult launch from the deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier in the recent past ( see Vayu VI/2015), I have to admit the take-off was only the second most visceral acceleration I have ever felt, but the deceptive nature of the afterburner engagement versus the complete and utter sensory overload of a ‘cat shot’ makes this a much more enjoyable experience!

We are airborne in moments, pulling smoothly upward along the runway before banking into a sharp right turn heading south and away from Yelahanka. For a few seconds Aero India 2017 is visible in its entirety from on high – the crowds, hangars, outdoor displays and dozens of parked aircraft – until we level out and head out to our designated ‘play area’ far from the base.

The Gripen Experience

Shortly after take-off, Gripen 837, piloted by Swedish Air Force Captain Fredrik Barske with Times Now Senior Editor Srinjoy Chowdhury in the back seat formed up on our wing. We climbed together as Fredrik flew his aircraft around ours, giving me a series of incredible views of the Gripen

in flight. When we reached our play area, Hans and Fredrik carried out a spectacular display of precision flying, conducting aerobatics in formation. My g-suit caught me by surprise the first time it inflated – I was not expecting anything near as rapid, and the pressure was quite uncomfortable! Within a few minutes, however, I learned to anticipate which manoeuvres would lead to suit inflation and to his credit, Hans seemed to know exactly what I was, and was not, ready for. The ‘sick bag’ that had thoughtfully been placed in a pocket on the right leg of my flight suit remained unused!

After the formation aerobatics, the two aircraft split up to head to separate sections of airspace near Yelahanka, specially designated for demonstration flights during Aero India 2017. There, Hans showcased some of the ‘head down’ capabilities of the Gripen, cycling through various displays on the three multifunction displays and demonstrating the radar in air-to-air andto-ground modes. Albeit without any firsthand points of comparison, the air-to-air radar range was singularly impressive. In look-up mode we were able to detect and track airliners flying off India’s east coast – a range comfortably in excess of 300 km! Hans showed me how to use the throttle grip to slew the cursor on the radar display to select a target and engage it with a mock BVRAAM. He pointed out that the PS- 05 Mk3 radar (current standard fit on all Swedish Air Force Gripens) is already able to take advantage of the MBDA Meteor’s formidable range. Sweden’s fighters were upgraded last year to incorporate the latest MS20 operating software standard, making the Gripen the first combat platform to operationalise the Meteor BVRAAM ( see Vayu III/2016).

Hans then switched the radar to Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) air-tosurface mode, which immediately displayed the heavy traffic on National Highway 44, the primary north-south highway in the state of Karnataka. Again, Hans then guided me through a mock air-to-ground strike with a simulated GPS-guided bomb. Upon selecting a target, a green circle was displayed on the map, enclosing both the target and the launch aircraft (us). The circle denoted the area in space from which the bomb could be released and still relied upon to hit the target, and was calculated based on the launch platform’s speed and altitude. I clicked the trigger saw a JDAM disappear from the weapon status screen on the left hand MFD.

After the sensor and weapons demonstration, Hans asked if I was up for some aerobatics. I answered in the affirmative, and he immediately put the aircraft through some breathtaking ( if utterly gut wrenching) moves. The formation aerobatics from earlier in the flight were obviously an order of magnitude gentler! Civilians generally tend to be slightly in awe of fighter pilots, but this took my respect for the men and women in the profession to new heights (pun intended). I was not at any point unable to handle the aerobatics, but essentially was no more than a passenger in the back seat without any real ‘responsibilities.’ The idea that combat pilots are required to not only endure these incredible forces in three dimensions, but also simultaneously operate sensors and weapons, is mind-boggling.

Just as I was coming to grips with the kind of abilities the good gentleman in the seat in front of me possessed, he returned us to level flight and asked “Do you want to take the stick now?”

I didn’t bother trying to sound like a fighter pilot as I let out a shaky “Yes.”

Stick Time

Hans first put the aircraft into autopilot and showed me how to steer using the rudder pedals. The Gripen autopilot only disconnects if it detects manual input to the stick or throttle. Using the pedals allows a pilot to steer the aircraft in the horizontal plane (i.e. heading only) while maintaining altitude. This is apparently a useful feature for long ferry flights, allowing minor course changes while still flying ‘hands off.’