Problems reported at new SANG aviation training base

SANG pilots complete an MD 350F course in October 2017. Training appears to have continued at this facility north of Kashm al-An after Dirab was completed. (Saudi Arabian National Guard)

The Saudi Arabian National Guard's (SANG's) new helicopter training facility in Dirab, southwest of Riyadh, needs remedial work to bring it up to standard, according to a notice published by the US government's System for Award Management website.

The facility's air traffic control tower needs its windows modified so they slope out at an angle of 15˚ as the current angle of 6.5˚ produces “multiple simultaneous reflections and visual illusions”, according to a 6 October notice seeking contractors to carry out the work. The windows' mullions also need to be modified so they are not directly in the line of sight of critical aircraft movements.

The contractor will also have to install a new access hatch to the tower's roof with a retractable ladder that is not over a workstation.

Most of the markings and signs on the base's runway, three helicopter landing lanes, helipads, and taxiways need to be removed and repainted. The contractor will also need to check the magnetic runway heading to ensure the current markings are correct.