Students enjoy air show

It is not every day that schools students get a chance to witness fighter jets and helicopters from close range. This was made possible by the Air Force Station Hakimpet on the eve of Independence Day. Close to 7,000 students from twenty-five schools and colleges from the twin cities made it to the Air Force Station on a bright Friday morning. Selfies with gunmen of the Quick Reaction Team, in front of helicopters and fighter planes was the order of the day.

The students were also shown a film on career in the Air Force before they headed to the air show and the museum. Laxman Singh, a class 8 student of Army Public School, Bolarum explained his experience, “It is such a great feeling to watch these planes from such close quarters. It is once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Sanjeev Raj, Officer Commanding Air Force Station Hakimpet said, “The aim is to motivate youngsters to get excited and take up a career in Air Force.” Going by the response of the students, it could well be said that quite a few were inspired. With every maneuver by the pilots, the students rose with ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. Rekha Patel, a student of KV Tirumalgherry said, “This experience is incredible and the place is so inspiring.”

Every year, two batches with a minimum of fifty pilots join the Air Force Station at Hakimpet for training. It is a launch pad for fighter and helicopter pilots. The different planes and helicopters on display included Chetak, Hawk Mark 132 an advanced jet trainer aircraft, PC-7 MK-II a single-engine low wing monoplane, Kiran MK-1 a twin-seat single jet plane that weighs 4,235 kg and can notch up 695 km per hour. With two tanks on either side or a tan in the centre, the jet is one of the powerful planes at the station. The total 1132 litres capacity plane is most sought after by trainee pilots.