HANGING IN THIN AIR
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
12/IV/2022
It was in 1985-86 while undergoing the ‘Commando Course’, that we used to laugh at the ‘mock helicopters’ jutting out their butt from trees. A hessian cloth cover with a few round windows painted in ‘Geru’, with rotors made of wooden planks would depict a hovering helicopter. How one hated going up the tree over and over again just to slither down. Slithering looked like a cake walk. Wear your mittens and come down the rope. Simple.
The final moment dawned when we heard the chopper blades of a MI 17 with its bums sliced off approaching our training area. They would land and we would jump in. It was scary to be in a helicopter with its backside blown off. The instructors anchored themselves, while we prepared to jump out. The discussion during tea break would hover around which Ustad to tip off from the chopper to teach him a lesson, so that he never troubles commandos again. Well, that fleeting thought ‘came and went’ because of the consequences one would face.
We all successfully completed our slithering practice and also training for induction into enemy territory. We were made to jump off the helicopter close to our targets. While it hovered a few feet off the ground for us to jump and infiltrate behind enemy lines to blow off enemy targets. It was near real time practice of a ‘surgical strike’ of sorts.
The first step when you left the helicopter, knowing full well that the only way to keep alive was to hang on to the damn rope. If one descended too slowly, the rhythm and flow of the commandos after you got disturbed. If you came down too fast, a twisted or a broken ankle was assured. All the practice done on the dummy chopper came into play. Then they would make a few of us hang on to the underslung rope and take us for a spin around the training area. We held on to the dear rope. Thank God it was over.
In Oct of 1992, we had heard on the news about the Prawanoo Timber trail rescue operation from the cable car. Ten occupants were winched in a daring effort by the IAF helicopter and Para commandos. One of them even spent the night dangling along with those who were yet to be rescued giving them confidence and faith that ‘God’ was with them in ‘combat fatigues’ while the other ‘Devtas’ in blue were hovering above in a helicopter.
Last two days we have been witnessing the rescue operations in Deogarh in Jharkhand. Three people have unfortunately died. But the undying spirit of the rescue teams both on the ground and air needs to be saluted. A bow to the pilots and their piloting skills too. They are risking their lives for the people who are stuck. They are trying to work it out as fast as they can. More than the occupants, it is the rescuers who understand what would be going through the people who are stuck. Their aim being to reduce their mental trauma and bring them to safety.
While listening to TV channels it made me pity the anchors asking questions to their reporters. Why did the helicopters arrive so late? Why couldn’t they continue the operations at night? Why doesn’t the ‘Air Force’ conduct audits of all cable car ways? Why are they not supplying water & food to the victims? Last but not the least, one of them had the cheeks to say that the Air Force is not trained for such operations? I switched off the TV.
Madam, did you see the wind speeds, the terrain, the way that guy was swirling due to the twist in the cable? Do you know that the same aircrafts and commandos saved Mumbai by slithering down when Kasaab and gang ran berserk in Mumbai? Many of these anchors must be in kindergarten then. Shame on such anchoring.
The politician there also started blabbering that the facilities were lacking. There was no audit. Cable cars were running over capacity. Timings were not being adhered to. Maintenance was not carried out as per norms etc-etc. May I ask you ‘Honourable Sir’, this is your constituency. What have you been doing about it? I am sure, at the inauguration you would have hogged the limelight and then forgotten about it. Where was your administrative machinery?
Folks in uniform need not be told what encompasses such operations, but our civilian friends must understand that it is not as easy as picking up your child from school. The anchor should be made to sit in the cable car. When mid-way, it should be stopped just for half an hour. Hanging and swaying at 3000 feet above the ground in thin air would give them all the answers.
Why anchors ask such stupid questions? I wonder!!!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND© NOEL ELLIS
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