He has had extensive experience in flying De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otters in the North Eastern Frontier Agency, otherwise known as NEFA. Photographs from his early part of career can be seen in the Profile of a Transport Pilot
He was one of the first to convert to the De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou, a STOL transport aircraft introduced just after the 1962 India China War. some of his photographs of Caribou Operations are displayed in this special Album.
PS Bhachu posing with the Caribou at Gauhati during his
conversion to the type. As per the manufacturer's recommendation, Conversion at that time
was earmarked for pilots with experience in flying the Otter. Bhachu
was one of the first batch converting to the Caribou. |
A
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou BM-773 named as Mishimi Princess
parked in Jammu. |
A Caribou lands at the Walong ALG in 1963. Note the
Otter parked midway alongside the runway. Even today one of the Caribous which became
unserviceable can be seen at Walong in a makeshift 'memorial'. |
A
rare color picture of a Caribou supply drop at Hayuliang ALG in NEFA. There was a very
small ALG at Hayuliang. But the requiremant for maintenance was very high, because of the
Border road project and security requirements. This ALG had seen an Otter fatal accident
and a Caribou accident.(F/L Ratnam was involved in a Caribou accident) |
A Caribou formating on another during formation flying training at the base in Gauhati's 19 Wing around Feb 66. |
Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh DFC visits 14 Wing at Chabua around Nov 66. The Chief was also accompanied by Mrs Arjan Singh who was recieved by the ladies of the Station. |
Killar Valley 1980: The civilian
administration in Killar valley SE of Srinagar valley was cut off by road due to heavy
snowfall in the winter of 1979-80. They requested an emergency drop from the IAF. It is a
very narrow valley and large aircraft could not have dropped on the untested DZ. A single
Caribou was sent by EAC for the urgent commitment. The drop was carried out in Apr80. |
 
[Left] The Caribou dropping supplies at Killar in 1980 and [Right] after finishing the Supply drop. |
The Caribou on its return flight from Killar. This was the one of the rare ocassions that the Caribou found itself flying in the J and K Sector. Throughout its career in the IAF, the Caribou concentrated mainly on the NE. |
Flying the An-12 on the Assam courier starting
at Jorhat (10 Wing) on the return flight 30 Jan 77. The crew right to left, MWO Munjal
(Sig), F/L Mohan (Co-p), S/L Bhachu (Capt), S/L Sidhu (N), WO Bhattacharjee (Gun)/(load
master), WO Ajit |