Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [‎59r] (117/431)

Para 1 Contd.
Pago 3«
Afghan Air Force* Full and coraploto training is required in
each case*:
(iv) ?.n enquiry as to the possibility of the R.A.F. in India
homg a.ble to tf?win 'i7wo Afghan mechanics in electric and gas
welling. These niechaiii®s if and ^hen trained would probably
be used for effecting repairs to unserviceable Italian -Romeo
aircraft,
(v) an enquiry as to whether it would be possible for four
Afghan students to be given full apprentice training with air
craft manufacturing firms for a period of 4 or 5 years. Two
students to be trainee, as engine mechanics and two as fitters
and riggers* The idea underlying this request is that the four
students when fully trained should be capable of rebuilding
badly damaged aircraft and their engines,
(vi) a request foe the supx^ly of and import from India of
3000 sheets of corrugated iron for the roofs and doors of
hangers on airfieldsic at Kabul, Kandahar and Herat. It was
stated thp.t if 3000 sheets could not bo supplied immediately,
supply could be made by instalments of 1000 sheets at a time.
The above requests or enquiries have been or are being
passed on to the Govt of India by thesLegation.
2. Hind Squadrons t
(a) Flying hours+
, rt+vr Practically no flying training was carried out in Kabul
between November 1st and April 15th. During the last half of
April Axghan pilots carried out two short flights each of 30
minutes duration.
Only two or- three short training flights were carrier!
out by che Training Flight an! aircraft, based on Jalalabad
ouring the period 6th January to 8th April,
(b) Fly in# Efficiency.
ihere was trie usual deterioration in efficiency owin#
to tne lack of practice during rh ^ &
one winter months.
(c) Operations.
(i) No active operations were carried out, and no bombs
or expended during the past six months,
+ ^ ^tconnaisance fligilts by Hind aircraft from Jalalabad
£ n - s ’ t to watch tribal movements connected with
Mazrak 2aoran were carried out about once per fortnight igmin#
the period January _6th to April 8th. On 15th April two Hind^
^ dor Matun for a similar roconnaisance in connection
movement of a hostile tribal force headed by the
on 12th Afghanis ten from British tilbal territory
, aircraft remained a.t Matun untii? 17th April
and then returned to Kabul. A ^ riJ *
(vd) Accidants f
On 6th April a Kind aircraft left Jalala.bad for Khost to
There was heavy cloud* on that day
an^ tne ^not oi tne aircraft instead of taking a south westerly
course took a nortn westerly one, and eventua.lly force landed
in uie ^Dara-i-Suf area south of Mazar-i-Sharif in Northern
Afghanistan*