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Tipnis for strides in manned
space missions: PTI

''We must take a position in the vanguard in the (manned space mission) field,'' the air chief marshal exhorted, inaugurating the 41st annual conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) in Bangalore.

''We have put into space only one cosmonaut (Rakesh Sharma). We must move ahead. We should support man in space,'' he emphasised at the ISAM, the nodal centre for aerospace medicine in India.

The chief of air staff also expressed concern over the human element in air accidents. ''The human factor in air accidents is an area of concern,'' he said. ''Pilots appeared to be a limiting factor.''

The chief of air staff, however, asserted that the human element cannot be allowed to become a limiting factor in aerial combat.

''(Human) errors are unforgivable,'' he told reporters later, when asked about MiG crashes that took place this year.

''We are working on how to reduce the fallibility of the human element in aerial operations. We have to make sure the probability of human beings making errors is reduced,'' he underscored.

In this context, the chief of air staff called for greater research and training, as well as a study on human bevavioural science to overcome human deficiencies, to substantially bring down aviation-related accidents.

Models in this regard in other countries may not be applicable to India, whose conditions have its own peculiarities. ''We need to fully exploit technologies. Man should keep pace with the advancement in technologies.''

He said the air force should also enhance its capability several folds vis-a-vis its performance in adverse conditions, as well as better its night adaptability.

Stating that simulators and infrastructure development was important, he said the procurement of human centrifuge was on and would be made available to ISAM shortly.

He commended the ISAM for its considerable growth and said it had come to be accepted as an international body of high standards.

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