Sainik School, classmates on a high as new Southern Air Command chief takes over on Tuesday

Thiruvananthapuram, May 1 (IANS) In August last year when the news came that Kottayam native B, Manikantan had been cleared for the post of Air Marshal, one rank below the Chief of Air Force, it was greeted with joy as he became only the third Malayali to reach that rank. On Monday, his classmates and his alma mater Sainik School Kazhakootam, celebrated as he will now take charge as the Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Air Command here on Tuesday.

The 57-year-old Mani, as he is popularly known among his 1983 batch classmates at the Sainik School, is an experienced helicopter pilot having flown various types of helicopters for close to 5,500 hours.

Into his 37th year of donning the uniform, he has taken part in air operations at several places including the Siachen glacier and Sri Lanka.

Born to a teacher couple at Kottayam, Mani joined the Sainik School here in 1976 and left the school when he cracked the NDA entrance exam when he was in Class XI in 1982. He was just one of the three in his class to have done it in the first attempt.

Speaking to IANS his classmate at Sainik School and his colleague in the Air Force, Air Commodore (Retd) Sunil Jose said Mani is an exceptional professional who does his work quietly.

"Mani is a high quality helicopter pilot of the first order and I know it quite well, as I also flew helicopters and at one point of time he was my boss. We worked together in my last posting at Delhi, after which I retired," said Jose.

Another classmate Air Commodore (Retd) B. Balachandran who had worked with him fondly remembers Mani as a complete professional, a thorough gentleman and a close buddy.

One reason why the Sainik School is on a high is that by virtue of his post, Mani will be heading the Local Board of Administration of the Sainik School.

Many of his classmates recall the arrival of the then LBA chairman Vice Admiral Barboza in a helicopter from Kochi in 1976 and landing at the parade ground of the school, when all including Mani perhaps saw for the first time a helicopter at close quarters.

But Mani will not be flying down in a helicopter as the headquarters of the Southern Air Command is only a stone's throw from the school and hence he will be arriving for his first meeting at the school by road.

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