Bengaluru, Sept. 15 -- India's basic trainer aircraft programme, crucial for training rookie pilots, is on the verge of a milestone as aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is preparing to conduct the maiden flight of the country's first series production Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) plane and racing to meet a longstanding need of the air force, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. The first flight of the mass production aircraft will take place in two weeks, the development coming after two HTT-40 prototypes were flight-tested for more than 900 hours over nine years before HAL reached series production of the platform that will serve as a stepping stone for pilots to develop critical flying skills, the official...