Bengaluru: With Aero India approaching fast, adrenaline levels are rising in the city. A Dakota aircraft, rechristened Parashurama, after the Hindu saint, flew into the city last weekend and has been kept at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to remind the Aviation City of its glorious past.
Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who bought the aircraft, got it restored to flying condition and gifted it to the Indian Air Force's flying squadron. Expressing his gratitude to the IAF, Mr Chandrasekhar said, “The Dakota (Dak) was part of my childhood as my father flew it all over India. Today, I fulfil my dream of helping my father donate a DC3 Dakota to the Indian Air Force. It is our seven years of effort to rebuild this aircraft to bring it back to flying condition and the plane took about nine days to reach India from England. This is a proud moment for me and also marks years of debt that I owe my father and IAF, where among these heroes I grew up.”
He said, “I welcome ‘Parashurama’ VP905 Dakota to Namma Bengaluru, a city that is home to many great aviators. Thank you IAF, for letting Aero India 2019 and Bengalureans enjoy and experience the rich heritage of our Air Force.”
The vintage aircraft dates back to 1947 when immediately after India achieved freedom, Pakistan army along with raiders invaded Kashmir. On October 27, 1947, three Dakotas of No.12 Squadron took off from Wellingdon Airfield (Safdarjung) at 0500 hours for Srinagar signalling the start of the IAF operations in the 1947-48 War. By the end of the day, 28 Dakota sorties were flown including six civilian sorties.
The first Dakota aircraft to land in Srinagar, piloted by Wing Commander K.L. Bhatia and carrying the first batch of troops of 1 Sikh Regiment under the command of Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, bore the Tail No VP 905.
The same tail number has been allotted to Parshurama. To revive its glorious history, the decommissioned aircraft was resurrected in 2011 and restored to flying condition in the United Kingdom. On February 13, 2018, Chief of Air Staff B.S. Dhanoa ceremonially accepted the aircraft into the Indian Air Force from Mr Chandrasekhar, whose father Air Commodore M.K. Chandrasekhar (Retd) was a Dakota pilot in the IAF.
