71 years of Dakota: Special cover on Dakota DC-3 released in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 27: Indian Air Force (IAF) and Postal department on Saturday launched vintage aircraft Dakota's special cover to commemorate aircraft's role in the first India-Pakistan war.

Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadunia, Postmaster General (Karnataka) Dr. Charles Lobo and Air Cmde MK Chandrasekhar, father of Rajya Sabha BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, released Dakota's special cover in presence of Army, IAF veterans and officers.

Special Cover

Air Cmde MK Chandrasekhar, the man behind today's event, has an emotional attachment with Dakota aircraft. He said, "I joined the IAF in 1954-55. I have flown Dakota's for nearly 6000 hours. I have trained a lot of people on this."

Postmaster General Charles Lobo told OneIndia, " The cover shows the Dakota aircraft used and cancellation stamp shows the Airforce emblem. It is a pictorial cancellation, unlike normal cancellations which shows the name post office in Hindi and English, date of booking or delivery. After the usage on 1000 covers after that the seal is destroyed, so not used again. That's why we call it special cover and cancellation."

Why Dakota VP-905 is so special?

Seventy-one years ago, on 27th October, troops of 1 Sikh Regiment flying aboard Dakota VP-905 landed in Srinagar and protected Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan's attack soon after independence. This was the first IAF operation in Independent India. Dakota DC-3 is the first transport aircraft of the IAF. Subsequently, the aircraft was used in 1962 and 1971 wars.

The double engine aircraft with a top speed of 150 miles/hour has least accident rates.

Dakota DC-3 gifted by Rajeev Chandrasekhar

A Dakota DC-3 aircraft of 1940's vintage,gifted by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Flight of the Indian Air Force on May 5, 2018. 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. IAF took over the completely refurbished aeroplane. The aircraft was given a tail number that belonged to the first Dakota that landed in Srinagar.

Ceremonial gifting

Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa with Air Commodore (retd) M K Chandrasekhar during a function to mark ceremonial gifting of the Douglas DC3 Dakota to IAF, in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI Photo