Omair Bhat is a POMA, which is the world’s leading gondola manufacturer, certified ropeway engineer who has been with Skyview by Empyrean since its inception. He has completed his Masters in Structures and B.Tech degrees from Punjab Technical University.

He loves his challenging job and enjoys reading engineering innovations in his free time. Let us get to know him better.

Please tell us about your previous experiences.

Skyview by Empyrean is my first job. I have witnessed the entire construction process of this endeavour and it has been an amazing experience, to say the least.

Can you please share with us some interesting story during the pre-opening phase?

The pre-opening stage was extremely challenging and brought with itself many adventures and learning.

To begin with, the gondola towers were supposed to be erected via helicopters from Australia. However, due to forest fires in Australia, the choppers could not come; we decided to manually erect these 8 towers. Normally it would take 3-4 months to install 1 tower. However, due to our efficiency and out-of-the box thinking, we were able to do it in half the time.

Another incident that amazed one and all was the transportation of the bullwheel to our upper station. A bullwheel is a large wheel on which the ropes of our gondola turn. It weighs 13 tonnes and has a diameter of 17 feet.

This required us to stop the entire traffic of the vicinity, arrange 2 cranes to run simultaneously and move at a dedicated speed. The entire population of Sanget, Kud, and Patnitop were curious as to what was happening.

How is your typical workday at Skyview by Empyrean?

My day starts at 8.30 AM and includes supervising all the safety checks and ensuring everything is in order.  As part of our CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation or European Committee for Standardization) safety standards, we have 150-200 visual inspections that need to be executed every day before starting commercial operations of Skyview Gondola. During the day, I along with my team ensure the smooth functioning of the gondola and the safety of our guests.

Once we start planning to close the daily operation of the gondola, I ensure that all the equipment are functional and ready for the following day of operation.

What do you like most about your job?

I love the fact that it’s a challenging job mixed with adventure and immense constant learning. My role requires constant attention. I can’t be 99.99% sure, I have to be 100% of all the aspects to run the commercial operations as this job has no retake and focuses on the safety of our guests. I believe that any engineer will love to work here!

How do you envision the future of Skyview by Empyrean?

Skyview by Empyrean will truly reach the zenith in the coming days. It stands by its name Empyrean which means highest part of heaven. This is the only destination where you can fly amidst clouds.

When you are not working, how do you like to spend your free time?

When I am not working, I prefer reading about the innovation and technology in engineering.  I also love to write. Recently I published my paper in International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET) on Analysis of Aerial Ropeways. I was able to do this by following various Indian and international codes for urban mobility with structural modifications in monocable ropeways to make it safe, secure, economical and all-weather durable.

Any message to our readers?

I invite all the readers to visit Skyview by Empyrean. It is an experience to last a lifetime. A true wonderland!