Wednesday, January 19 2005 16:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gandhinagar: Driven by the aim to provide relief to the Tsunami affected in Sri Lanka and Maldives, Indian Air Force pilots mounted relief operations in the neighbouring countries often landing at soggy fields with bricks placed to accommodate only the three wheels of the choppers.

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots did a commendable job of providing succour to Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and Maldives, Air Marshall S K Jain of Headquarter South Western Air Command (SWAC) said in Gandhinagar today (Jan 19, 2005).

The IAF once again demonstrated its resolve to undertake relief operations anywhere, he told reporters on the occasion of arrival of pilots of Avro Transport fleet and MI-8 helicopters after relief and rescue operations.

A day after Tsunami struck on December 26, two HS 748 Avro aircraft of SWAC were airborne before first light from Vadodara to operate between Thiruvananthapuram and Male International Airport to airlift emergency relief materials and support personnel, he said.

Stating that the IAF crew of 11 Squadron AF had adequate experience in relief operations, Jain said that even before the world could come to know the magnitude of the devastation, IAF helicopters had begun relief operations from the Katunayake airbase at Colombo.

The experienced Indian helicopter pilots landed at dusty beaches, devastated cricket stadiums, soggy fields with bricks placed to accommodate only the three wheels of the helicopter to provide relief to survivors.