TNI Bureau: The iconic Dakota DC-3 aircraft, used by former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, which was stationed at Kolkata Airport, reached in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
Parts of the aircraft weighing over 8 tonne were brought to the capital on three open trucks.
It will be displayed at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar for general public. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has allotted 1.1 acres of land for this purpose at the BPIA Bhubaneswar.
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Biju Babu had used the DC-3 aircraft to rescue former Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Hatta and Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir from their enemies in July 1947.
A daredevil pilot, Biju Patnaik had formed Kalinga Airlines which had 18 Dakota planes at its headquarters at Kolkata.
Out of 18 Dakota VT-AVI aircraft, 12 have been completely damaged. Of the six remaining aircraft, one was kept at Kolkata airport, one at Chhatrapati Sivaji International Airport in Mumbai and the Indonesian Government has kept one. There is no information about the remaining three aircrafts.
The aircrafts were used by the Army for transporting jawans deployed in Kashmir and dropping food in north-eastern regions of the country.
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