While the force has augmented Aircrew for all fleets to ensure round-the-clock operations, IAF has taken stringent measures to preserve its combat potential in the face of COVID 19.
Category: Transport
** Have delivered 813 tonnes of oxygen since April 19: Rail Board Chairman
Fourteen Oxygen Expresses have already completed their journey and five more loaded trains are on the run carrying 342 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in 18 tankers.
** COVID-19: Indian Navy deploys seven warships to bring liquid oxygen from abroad
The ships which are deployed to bring liquid oxygen and associated medical equipment from abroad under operation ‘Samudra Setu II’ are Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat.
** BRO appoints first woman officer for road project along border with China
In a first, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has appointed a woman officer to command a Road Construction Company (RCC) tasked to provide connectivity in a high-altitude area along the India-China border, officials said on Wednesday.
They said Vaishali S Hiwase from Wardha in Maharastra will discharge her duties in a challenging environment.
World’s Longest Highway Tunnel ‘Atal Tunnel’ – Inaugrated October 03rd, 2020 : Himachal Pradesh
Aashi Hanspal to represent India at ‘ FIA Girls on Track ‘ : June 2020
Aashi Hanspal, teen Karting Star Racer is shortlisted for ‘ FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars Project’.
The 13-year Aashi has been selected to compete in the Age group 12 -16, out of 70 entries from 5 continents. The final shoot out of the ‘Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Girls on Track , is at Paul Richard circuit in France.
The competition is for the opportunity to become first-ever female driver to be a part of the Ferrari’s 2021 Formula 4 season.
India’s First Trans-Polar Flight to the North Pole, by the IAF : June 2003
The Indian Air Force (IAF) was the first Indian mission to reach the true North Pole and complete ‘ Exercise Cooperative Cope Thunder 2003 ‘ .
A 14-member team of the IAF, led by the pilot on on the mission – Group Captain S R K Nair on the IAF’s IL-76 reached the true North Pole on June 19th, 2003.
The aircraft reached over the true North Pole on June 19th, 2003 at 18:45 GMT (June 20, 00:15 IST).
This unique feat has not yet been repeated by any IAF Pilot or IAF team till date.
Notes:
Subsequently a Boeing 777 of Air India achieved the same feat.
ISRO gets patent for Made in India ‘moon soil’ : May 2020
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has registered a patent for its method of manufacturing highland lunar soil stimulant or simply ‘ lunar / moon soil.
The patent was granted by the Indian Patent Office on May 18th for an invention as to the method of manufacturing highland lunar soil stimulant.
Indian-American V. Vijay ‘Warrior Surgeon/Pilot’ Flying High With Securing PPE Material to Fight COVID-19 in US : April 2020
Dr. V. Vijay is both a cardiologist and pilot.
Practising Surgeon at The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City and trained Pilot with assignments at Sky Lease Cargo, Greensboro, North Carolina.
V. Vijay flies Boeing-747 cargo flights to cities in China, Japan and Malaysia to bring back PPE’s and essential medical supplies to the U.S to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Education :
- MBBS – Sai Venkateswara Medical College, Tirupati
MD, FRCSC
- General Surgical Training – Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City
- Fellowship in Rheumatic Heart Valve & Pediatric Heart Surgery – Medical University of Southern Africa, MEDUNSA, Pretoria
- Cardiothoracic Surgical Training – The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York
Firsts:
- Surgical member of the Team that performed First live-related kidney transplantation in the Caribbean
- First Fellow – Rachel Cooper Foundation for pediatric surgery at Babies Hospital, Columbia University and Montefiore Childrens Hospital, New York
- First Artificial Heart Transplantation in Long Island, New York- 1999
- Founder – Cardiac Transplantation – division of Winthrop University Hospital
Patents :
Several on cardio-pulmonary by-pass machines
Publications :
Several papers on cardio-pulmonary bypass machines
World’s First fully Solar Powered Airport – Cochin International Aiport (CIAL)
Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), Kochi, Kerala
Runs on 100% solar energy . Has about 46,000 solar panels.
Installed by Bosch. Commissioned in 2015