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| | #REDIRECT [[S. K. Majumdar (commodore)]] |
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| {{Infobox military person
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| |name= S. K. Majumdar <br> সুধীন্দ্র কুমার মজুমদার <br />
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| |birth_date=8 October 1927
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| |death_date= 20 July 2011
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| |birth_place= {{flagicon|British India}} [[Patna]], [[British India]]
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| |death_place= {{flagicon|India}} [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
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| |image=
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| |caption=
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| |nickname= Maju
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| |allegiance={{flagicon|British India}} [[British India]]<br>{{flagicon|India}} [[India|Republic of India]]
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| |serviceyears= 1945–1977
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| |rank= [[File:UK-Air-OF6 infobox.svg|20px]] [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]]
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| |branch= {{air force|British India}} <br>{{air force|India}}
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| |commands=
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| |battles= [[World War II]]
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| |awards= [[Sikorsky Pioneering Award]] (2004),<br>[[Rotary Wing Society of India]]
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| |laterwork=
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| [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]] '''Sudhindra Kumar Majumdar''' ([[Bengali Language|Bengali]]:সুধীন্দ্র কুমার মজুমদার) (8 October 1927 – 20 July 2011) was an officer and helicopter pioneer in the [[Indian Air Force]].
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| ==Early life==
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| [[File:Majumdars.jpg|thumb|100px|The Family in his young days - [[Patna]], [[Bihar]].]]
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| Majumdar was born on 7 October 1927<ref name="Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Record/view.php?srnum=3484|title=Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force -}}</ref> at [[Patna]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]. His parents were Shri. [[S. K. Majumdar, Bar-at-Law|S. K. Majumdar]], Bar-at-Law, and Smt. Jyoti Devi.
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| ==Military career==
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| ===Fixed-wing aircraft===
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| Majumdar began his flying career with [[Royal Indian Air Force]] (RIAF). At the height of the [[Second World War]] in 1945, he was inducted in the RIAF. He received his ‘flying wings’ in 1948,<ref name=obit-outlook/><ref name=seema/> and commissioned on 14 May<ref name="Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force"/> as a Pilot Officer and Flying Officer, flying [[Hawker Hurricane|Hurricanes]] and [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfires]] – in the halcyon days of the fledgling Air Force of newly independent India.
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| He continued flying fixed-wing craft with the Indian Air Force (the word "Royal" was dropped in 1950), prior to selection for [[helicopter]]s in 1953.
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| ===Helicopters===
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| When India decided to induct the [[Sikorsky S-55]] helicopter for the IAF, then Flight Lieutenant S. K. Majumdar was selected to be sent to the [[United States]] along with Flight Lieutenant Neil Todd, for training, on the selected type for induction into the Indian Air Force.
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| During his long innings in the Indian Air Force, he achieved many firsts:
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| * First pilot in the Indian defence and para-military forces to fly the helicopter, an S-55 Sikorsky,<ref name=obit-yahoo/> in India (March 1954<ref name=obit-outlook/>)
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| * First helicopter qualified flying instructor
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| * First to do an amphibious operation
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| * Founder of the helicopter training unit of the Indian Air Force
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| * First to carry out a roof-top landing (1959<ref name=obit-yahoo/>).
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| Apart from pioneering the concepts of usage of helicopter in India, he was a pioneer in mountain terrain operations. He "evolved concepts of mountain flying in erstwhile NEFA (Arunachal Pradesh), Assam, Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir, and displayed an astonishing degree of dedication and professionalism."<ref name=obit-yahoo/>
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| After 29 years of distinguished service in the Indian Air Force, he retired in March 1977.<ref name=obit-yahoo/> 'Clients' during his Air Force time included former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.<ref name=seema/> His career is also noteworthy for being accident-free.<ref name=obit-yahoo/>
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| In recognition of his yeoman service and pioneering work in the field of helicopter aviation, he was awarded [[Sikorsky Pioneering Award]] in 2004 by the [[Rotary Wing Society of India]].<ref name=obit-yahoo>{{cite news | url = http://in.news.yahoo.com/indias-first-military-pilot-fly-helicopters-dead-132721973.html |title = India's first military pilot to fly helicopters dead | date = 20 July 2011 | publisher = Yahoo! India | author = [[Asian News International]] (ANI)}}</ref>
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| <!-- The above material sourced from ANI press release, therefore meant for publication
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| Reference to [[Asian News International]]???-->
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| ==Anecdotes==
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| There are many anecdotes of his life involving political stalwarts like [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], K. K. Menon, [[Indira Gandhi]], [[V. V. Giri]] and the like. He had many stories to tell about his experiences.<ref name=seema/><ref>{{cite news | url = http://marutfans.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/air-cmde-sk-majumdar-rip/ | title = A haven indeed | last = Seetharam | first = H.K.}}</ref>
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| He was regarded by his peers and family as "cheerful [and] generous"<ref name=seema>{{cite web| url = http://marutfans.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/air-cdre-majumdar-large3.jpg | title = Air Commodore Majumdar is no more | last = Harkuali | first = Seema | date = July 2011 | location = New Delhi}}</ref> with "very high integrity, honesty and extremely patriotic. He had a good sense of humour and was a great story teller."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://marutfans.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/air-cmde-sk-majumdar-rip/ | title = Air Cmde SK Majumdar – RIP | author = Wg.Cdr. H.R. Seetharam, Retd | date = July 2011 | publisher = Marutfans, About those whom the Marut brought together}}</ref>
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| ==Death==
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| Early in the morning of 20 July 2011, Air Commodore SK Majumdar - "First military helicopter pilot of India", "Doyen of the Indian Air Force", "Father of One-Oh-Four Helicopter Sqd, (Fire Birds)" - bid us his last good bye after a semi-prolonged illness! He died at age 83<ref name=obit-yahoo/> at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in the [[Delhi Cantonment|Delhi Cantt]]<ref name=obit-yahoo/> section of New Delhi.<ref name=obit-outlook>{{cite news | url = http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?728335 | title = India's First Military Pilot Dead | location = New Delhi | date = 20 July 2011 | newspaper = OutlookIndia.com}}</ref>
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| == References ==
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| {{reflist}}
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| == External links ==
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| * {{citation | url = http://www.rwsi.org/| title = Rotary Wing Society of India}}
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Majumdar, S. K.}}
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| [[Category:Indian Air Force personnel]]
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| [[Category:1927 births]]
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| [[Category:2011 deaths]]
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| [[Category:People from Patna]]
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| [[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
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