Dabolim, Goa. Indian Navy along with defence industry, research organisation and academia brainstormed on the flight testing of fixed and rotary wing aircraft towards integrating them on the aircraft carrier and small decks in a Naval Flight Test Seminar held at INS Hansa in Dabolim, Goa on September 20.

This was the inaugural edition of Naval Flight Test Seminar conducted by the Indian Navy.

The Seminar witnessed the presentation of a series of papers on weapon integration on service aircraft and towards building and sustaining the training for Naval Experimental Test Pilots and Flight Test Engineers. A number of speakers from the International arena including Boeing, Dassault and International Test Pilots School also took part in the Seminar.

Various scientists and heads of Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratories including Defence Avionics Research Establishment, Aeronautical Development Agency, National Aerospace Laboratories and Centre for Airborne Systems were also present in the Seminar.

The industry participation included Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Boeing Defence and Dassault Aviation in addition to the retired and serving experimental test crew from Indian Navy.

The inaugural Seminar was organised under the aegis of Headquarters Western Naval Command and Headquarters Naval Aviation under which a Naval Flight Test Squadron was set up in Goa recently. The Naval Flight Test Squadron, since its inception in July 2017, has been undertaking various flight testing tasks on fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft of Indian Navy.

The Seminar was given the right thrust by the presence of former Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd), Flag Officer Naval Aviation Rear Admiral Philipose George Pynumootil, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Air) Rear Admiral Mukul Asthana and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Air Materiel) Rear Admiral VM Doss, all three recipient of a Nausena Medal (NM).