After 38 years of inspiring flight, Shivamogga’s plane boy lands
Bengaluru, April 30: In the early 70s, a young man and his handful of friends made a habit of cutting and keeping every bit of news that appeared on the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the local dailies.
If any bit of news missed the eye of one in the group, definitely another would have grabbed it. They were the ‘plane boys' of Hosanagara, a sleepy village, around 30 km from Sagar in Karnataka's then Shimoga (now Shivamogga) District.
Their biggest dream was to become pilots, if not a job in the IAF that will bring them closer to the flying machines.
Interestingly all of them passionately chased their dreams to support their families and serve the nation.
Among them was young Rajaram, who came from a humble background. His father was a tailor and Rajaram was the eldest of seven siblings in the family. A huge responsibility laid on his shoulders in supporting the family.
Boys were keen on a train journey to Delhi
Soon
an
IAF
advertisement
caught
the
attention
of
the
‘dream
brigade'
and
everyone
applied.
"It
was
in
1976.
We
were
eager
to
travel
by
train
to
Delhi
to
attend
the
physical
tests
and
interview.
A
possible
visit
to
Delhi
was
another
reason
why
we
had
applied.
But
when
the
call
letter
came,
the
centre
was
in
Mysore," recalls
Rajaram.
Today, on April 30, Shivamogga's Rajaram, now Air Marshal H B Rajaram, will land his IAF flight after 38 years of eventful mission. He will retire after reaching the highest position of a non-flying administrative officer can reach in the IAF -- Air Officer-In-Charge, Administration (AOA).
Rajaram got commissioned to the administrative branch of the IAF in 1977. "Prior to this, I had undergone a one-year training as well," he says, even while ensuring that his boys now undertaking various missions in quake-hit Nepal get everything on a war-footing.
For air warriors, he is a man with a golden heart
To many in the IAF, Rajaram is a man with a golden heart. His liking for people and sports made him a hugely popular figure among the air warriors.
Rajaram
did
his
P-G
from
University
of
Mysore
and
had
even
registered
for
a
PhD
in
Genetics.
"In
the
earlier
part
of
my
career,
I
had
served
in
the
Air
Traffic
Controller
(ATC)
for
20
years.
To
be
at
the
ATC
is
a
strenuous
job.
I
held
Category-A.
I
was
an
instructor
and
an
Air
Force
examiner
there," recalls
Rajaram.
As AOA, Rajaram looked after matters relating to Discipline, Accommodation, Accounts, Medical Services, Education, Legal Services, Sports and Adventure.
IPKF mission in 1989 memorable one
When asked about his most memorable missions, he said: "Well, there are many. But, my operational assignment in Sri Lanka during the Indian Peace Keeping Force mission in 1989 was different in many ways. Manning the Vavuniya airport as an ATC under field conditions was very challenging."
A recipient of Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Rajaram is an avid badminton player as well.
Strong fundamentals, professional training key
With people his key assets, Rajaram ensured that all his initiatives were focused on men and women in uniform.
"As an administration officer, your fundamentals need to be strong. Hence I focused on professional training. Managing people is a very sensitive issue," says Rajaram, who will be settling down in Bengaluru.
To another query on the IAF of tomorrow, Rajaram said: "The IAF will be a key strategic force. Our approach today is focused towards professionalism and transformation of IAF into a potent aerospace power."
Blue skies and happy landings!
(The writer is a seasoned aerospace and defence journalist in India. He is the Consultant Editor (Defence) with OneIndia. He tweets @writetake.)