Hindon: On its 79th anniversary, the Indian Air Force’s first ever all-women skydivers’ team flagged off the ceremony at the Air Force Station here, even as the freshly inducted C-130J Hercules heavy lift transport aircraft made its maiden appearance during the flypast.
The celebration flypast which also comprised MI-17 helicopters, Sukhoi and Mirage fighters and the Russian IL-76 Transporter, also saw the first all-women team of six skydivers make their official debut during the annual Air Force Day parade.
The team had recently undergone an advance course in free-fall and formation sky-diving at Sky Dive Arizona in US, after undergoing initial training in sky-diving formation at Agra and several other Air Force bases in the country.
The all-women team, led by Wing Commander Asha Jyothirmai, jumped out of an AN-32 transport aircraft from a height of 8,000 feet besides undertaking a series of mid-air formations, including star-formation, before touching down the tarmac.
Later, the team gave its first salute to IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne.
Each sky-divers in the team has undergone a series of training, with at least two years of sky-diving experience comprising not less than 135 jumps, and have been pulled out from several branches of the IAF such as technical, logistics, accounts and education.
The team is eagerly waiting to participate in the forthcoming World Military Games (WMG).
Hogging the limelight at Saturday’s show, the newly inducted transport aircraft C-130J, brushed shoulders at the fly-past along with veteran fighters and other aircrafts.
The special operations aircraft, based here at Hindon, has the capability to function in all-weather conditions besides taking off and land at short runways.
It recently participated in the relief and rescue operations in Sikkim following the earthquake. (UNI)