New Delhi/Jamnagar, Apr 25 (UNI) A fully refurbished World War-II era Dakota DC-3 aircraft on Wednesday arrived at Jamnagar air base in Gujarat.
The vintage military transport aircraft, which played a crucial role in the 1947 Indo-Pak War, commenced its ferry from Coventry (UK) on April 17 and reached Jamnagar Air Force Station on April 25 at its port of entry.
The aircraft is planned to ferry from Jamnagar to Air Force Station Hindon on April 26 for induction into the Vintage Aircraft Flight of the IAF formed in the year 2012, Abhishek Matiman, Gujarat Defence PRO said.
The flight was formed with the initial induction of Tiger Moth aircraft and subsequently the Harward aircraft in 2015.
The Douglas DC3 aircraft, better known as Dakota, were introduced in the year 1930 as part of the 12 Squadron of the Royal Indian Air Force.
During the first Indo-Pak war, besides carrying supplies and refugees, they carried the troops of Indian Army's 1st Sikh Regiment to Srinagar on October 27, 1947 to intervene in time to save the valley of Kashmir and Poonch from Pakistan.
Dakotas flew their last missions in the eighties and finally retired from the IAF in the year 1987.
The aircraft has been gifted to the Indian Air Force by Rajya Sabha Parliamentarian Rajeev Chandrasekhar whose father Air Commodore MK Chandrasekhar was a veteran Dakota pilot in the IAF.
UNI ASH SHK 2015