Vintage Dakota DC-3, World War II Plane to Re-Join Indian Air Force

Jamnagar, April 25: A Dakota DC-3 aircraft of 1940's era would be inducted shortly into the Vintage Aircraft Fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft will land at Jamnagar Airbase today. The IAF organises ceremonial reception of this aircraft.  A large fleet of Dakota DC-3 served in the IAF till 1988. It was one of the most versatile transport aircraft of its time. The first Dakota aircraft transferred the 1st Sikh Regiment to Srinagar during the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan in 1947 just after India's independence. It is World War II-era aircraft, which was built in 1944. It also served in the United Kingdom's (UK) Royal Air Force.

The particular aircraft is recovered from the scarp from the UK by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Rajeev Chandrashekhar. He gifted this aircraft to the IAF. The Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B.S Dhanoa had ceremonially accepted the aircraft into the IAF from Rajeev Chandrasekhar in February this year. His father air commodore M K Chandrasekhar (Retired) was a veteran Dakota pilot in the IAF. It will bear the tail number VP 905, the same one which the first such Dakota which transported troops to Srinagar on October 27, 1947. The Dakota will join the vintage fleet which was raised in Palam in 1988.

Having started its flight from the UK on April 17, the Dakota DC-3—named Parashuram-- will land on Indian in a short while. The aircraft had made halts at France, Italy, Greece, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. The IAF had signed a contract with M/s Reflight Airworks Ltd London for upgrading its navigational systems. The Dakota is being flown to India by a joint crew of the Indian Air Force and M/s Reflight Airworks Ltd.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2018 02:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).