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Renovated Gnat Fighter Aircraft unveiled | | | Indian Express
KOZHIKODE: GNAT Fighter Aircraft, which was once a showpiece of the Indian Air Force, was unveiled at S K Pottekkatt Cultural Centre here on Sunday after renovation. The fighter aircraft was rusting due to lack of proper maintenance. It was renovated by a group of retired personnel of the Indian Air Force.
Kozhikode Chapter of the Indian Air Force Association paid homage to Flying Officer Nirmaljith Singh Sekhon, who was honoured with Param Vir Chakra for his fatal defence of the Srinagar Air Base during 1971 Indo-Pak war. A family get-together of the association was also organised in which, 200 members participated.
The group of retired IAF personnel came forward to give wings to the Gnat aircraft a few months back when they noticed the showpiece of IAF gathering dust in front of the Cultural Centre.
The work was initiated by the Kozhikode chapter of the Air Force Association. According to P M Mani, secretary of the association, it was unendurable for the ex-sentinels to witness a fighter aircraft rusting.
Developed by Folland Company in the UK to guard their frontiers, Gnat was later brought to India by the then Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon and the then High Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Pandit. They had bought 88 Gnats Fighter Aircraft.
Later, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd started to manufacture and the aircraft won appreciation for the Indian pilots in the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971.A Sujanapal, president of SK Cultural Centre, presided over the function. N P Abdul Azeez, Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, unveiled the portrait of Nirmaljith Singh. T Radhakrishnan, Group Captain (Rtd), handed over a token amount of `10,000 to the president of SK Cultural Centre. Sgt. Karunan, president of the Kozhikode chapter of Air Force Association, Flight Lieutenant T Ramachandran Nair, warrant officers P V Asokan and Sasi Kumar were also present at the function.
KOZHIKODE: GNAT Fighter Aircraft, which was once a showpiece of the Indian Air Force, was unveiled at S K Pottekkatt Cultural Centre here on Sunday after renovation. The fighter aircraft was rusting due to lack of proper maintenance. It was renovated by a group of retired personnel of the Indian Air Force.
Kozhikode Chapter of the Indian Air Force Association paid homage to Flying Officer Nirmaljith Singh Sekhon, who was honoured with Param Vir Chakra for his fatal defence of the Srinagar Air Base during 1971 Indo-Pak war. A family get-together of the association was also organised in which, 200 members participated.
The group of retired IAF personnel came forward to give wings to the Gnat aircraft a few months back when they noticed the showpiece of IAF gathering dust in front of the Cultural Centre.
The work was initiated by the Kozhikode chapter of the Air Force Association. According to P M Mani, secretary of the association, it was unendurable for the ex-sentinels to witness a fighter aircraft rusting.
Developed by Folland Company in the UK to guard their frontiers, Gnat was later brought to India by the then Defence Minister V K Krishna Menon and the then High Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Pandit. They had bought 88 Gnats Fighter Aircraft.
Later, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd started to manufacture and the aircraft won appreciation for the Indian pilots in the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971.A Sujanapal, president of SK Cultural Centre, presided over the function. N P Abdul Azeez, Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, unveiled the portrait of Nirmaljith Singh. T Radhakrishnan, Group Captain (Rtd), handed over a token amount of `10,000 to the president of SK Cultural Centre. Sgt. Karunan, president of the Kozhikode chapter of Air Force Association, Flight Lieutenant T Ramachandran Nair, warrant officers P V Asokan and Sasi Kumar were also present at the function.
