Srinagar: Helicopters have not stopped hovering over the Valley for the past five days. Operating from a lawn converted into a temporary helipad in Badami Bagh cantonment, the choppers relentlessly engage in airlifting stranded civilians, dropping relief material and ensuring evacuation from inaccessible points.
We board one of these rescue helicopters to figure out what it takes to reach those in need.
Two advanced light helicopters (ALHs) land at the Alpha Mess helipad with ready-to-eat meals, water cans, medicines and emergency ration. They don’t stop the engine because there is not much time to halt. Two Cheetah helicopters hover above, waiting for the ALHs to take off. It is about noon and the ALH has already operated for three hours. It’s now time to leave for Manasbari to refuel.
Inside the chopper, it smells like a general store — it has been carrying kerosene, sunflower oil, food, water and other ration. A winch is attached beneath to lift stranded people or lower heavy supplies. At Manasbari, the crew fill the helicopter with aviation turbine fuel. An Army personnel says, “We fill about 800 kg of ATF, which lasts about three hours. Each of these choppers has been doing almost 50 sorties per day, dropping about 15,000 kg of ration.” The ALHs are operated by two pilots and seven crew members. In the Valley, each of these helicopters — 15 Mi-17s, four ALHs and 11 Cheetahs — have been flying for 14-15 hours a day.
14/09/14 Pranav Kulkarni/Indian Express
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We board one of these rescue helicopters to figure out what it takes to reach those in need.
Two advanced light helicopters (ALHs) land at the Alpha Mess helipad with ready-to-eat meals, water cans, medicines and emergency ration. They don’t stop the engine because there is not much time to halt. Two Cheetah helicopters hover above, waiting for the ALHs to take off. It is about noon and the ALH has already operated for three hours. It’s now time to leave for Manasbari to refuel.
Inside the chopper, it smells like a general store — it has been carrying kerosene, sunflower oil, food, water and other ration. A winch is attached beneath to lift stranded people or lower heavy supplies. At Manasbari, the crew fill the helicopter with aviation turbine fuel. An Army personnel says, “We fill about 800 kg of ATF, which lasts about three hours. Each of these choppers has been doing almost 50 sorties per day, dropping about 15,000 kg of ration.” The ALHs are operated by two pilots and seven crew members. In the Valley, each of these helicopters — 15 Mi-17s, four ALHs and 11 Cheetahs — have been flying for 14-15 hours a day.
14/09/14 Pranav Kulkarni/Indian Express
