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IAF flies high on rescue mission

Our Bureau

New Delhi , May 31

THE Indian Air Force (IAF) has set a world record by landing at 23,249 feet to rescue three critically injured mountaineers on the Kamet Glacier in Garhwal Himalayas.

The dramatic rescue operation was carried out by Wing Commander S.K. Sharma and Flight Lieutenant A.P. Dhanake, who were flying a `Cheetah' single engine chopper from IAF's 111 Helicopter Unit based at Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. The pilots carried out the rescue missions between May 11 and 13, flying in extremely turbulent weather. Incidentally, the helicopter's manual allows the machine to be flown only up to 23,000 feet.

"It was the first time that the Cheetah helicopter has landed at such an altitude on snow-covered slopes. We had to remove our oxygen masks to carry out one victim at a time," said Sharma.

The Cheetah is a four-five seat single engine Alouette chopper. Along with its sibling, Chetak, it forms the mainstay of the IAF's small helicopter fleet.

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