Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Veterans of daredevil operations

Thiruvananthapuram: The veteran pilots of the 109 ‘Knights’ helicopter squadron who took part in Sunday’s air show are the heroes of many daredevil rescue operations.

Wing Commander P. Kathpal recalled how he made a difficult landing on a tsunami-ravaged Andaman and Nicobar island to deliver relief supplies to the stranded population of nearly 200 residents. The landing area was small and the ground was soft. “We kept the rotors running to ensure that the helicopter’s weight did not bear fully on the landing surface. Otherwise, the undercarriage would have got stuck in the mud, making lift-off difficult.”

The pilot remembers the look of hope the IAF brought to the faces of the stranded islanders. “They ignored the downwash of the chopper and continued to wave at us even as we lifted off to bring in more supplies,” he said.

Wing Commander Manish Giridhar was involved in the post-tsunami relief and rescue operations in Sri Lanka. Wing Commander Sajal Kundu made a daring act when he flew his MI-8 in harsh weather to rescue five persons who were stranded on a rock in the middle of the rising Amaravati river during the monsoon in Tamil Nadu in 2005.

The ‘Knights’ are based at IAF’s Suloor airbase in Coimbatore. By 2012, Suloor will host modern medium-lift helicopters that can carry a maximum load of 4,000 kg. The IAF is searching the world market for such helicopters and possibly the latest Russian M-17 V helicopter or the U.S.-made Chinook would suit its needs.

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