Air devils from the Indian Air Force (IAF) have conquered Mt Everest - the highest point on earth.
On Monday the IAF put at least three men on top from the northern side of the 8,848 m peak via Tibet.
The 30-member IAF team led by Wing Commander Amit Chowdhury created a record for the force when Wg Cdr R.C. Tripathi summited the peak at 5.15 a.m. Indian time Monday, followed by Sergeant N.R. Chaudhuri, at 6.30 a.m. and Squadron Leader S.S. Chaitanya at 9.45 a.m.
The IAF team made a spectacular start last month when four mountaineers skydived from a helicopter to present the expedition flag from the sky.
A women's team from the Indian Army is also attempting the summit from Tibet. However, it was not yet known if they had been able to make it to the top.
The Indian Army has a formidable reputation for mountaineering and has sent several successful expeditions to Mt Everest. Last year, the Indian Navy summited the peak after teeing off in a Russian EKM submarine, 250 ft below the sea level.
Prior to the IAF starting its climb, the team's training began three years ago, when they started climbing the Himalayan ranges in Garhwal, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim in India.
Asked what made the IAF choose to come down to earth, team leader Chowdhury had told mountaineering web site Mounteverst.net before the team departed that it was "a matter of time before we went to Everest".
"Air Force mountaineers have been climbing for a very long time," the 46-year-old told the mountaineering news web site.
"We've been represented in several Indian Everest expeditions. Air Force mountaineers have been on Nanda Devi, Kamet and have done several other interesting climbs.
"We have the same reasons as any other mountaineers have to climb Everest."
To promote adventure sports among its ranks, the IAF formed the Air Force Trekking Mountaineering and Skiing Society in 1952.
In 1986 it was renamed Air Force Adventure Foundation.
Team leader Chowdhury, the father of two, the alumnus of Kolkata's prestigious Jadavpur University and former principal of the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering in Gulmarg, Kashmir, has another unfulfilled dream - to go to the Poles.
--Indo-Asian News Service
Harvard students condemn Oxford University
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:11:00 AM
Two Harvard students, including an NRI, have condemned Oxford University, where they are Rhodes scholars, as "outdated" and "frustrating" and dismissed its world famous Bodleian library as "less than inspiring".
Indian embassy to outsource jobs to American firm
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:10:00 AM
After taking thousands of American jobs through outsourcing, India is planning to give a few back. The Indian embassy in the US capital is planning to outsource processing of visas to a US-based company.
Badal heads 18-member coalition ministry in Punjab(Final lead: Badal)
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:29:00 AM
Octogenarian leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday took oath as Punjab's new Chief Minister and will lead an 18-member SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition ministry.
Bareilly eunuch adopts a girl child
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:22:00 AM
It was a day of celebration for Saroj, a eunuch in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, as 'she' has become a 'mother' by adopting a baby girl.
Kalam offers prayer at Fatehpuri Masjid
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:16:00 AM
Keeping a promise made two years ago, President A P J Abdul Kalam today offered prayers at the historic Fatehpuri Masjid in Chandni Chowk here along with thousands of Muslims.
Union Budget directionless, says Modi
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:41:00 AM
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today criticised the Union Budget by terming it as "directionless".
Centre allocates over Rs 100 crore for minority zones
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:38:00 AM
Unfazed by the BJP's criticism over its welfare schemes for Muslims, the Congress-led Central Government has allocated over Rs 100 crore for development programmes in select districts with a sizeable population of minorities.
Kins of political bigwigs fail to find voters' favour
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:27:00 AM
The assembly polls in Punjab turned out to be unkind for several kins of political bigwigs as voters rejected most of them barring some of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supremo Parkash Singh Badal's near and dear ones.
High Court order on age of nursery admission tomorrow
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:24:00 AM
The Delhi High Court today observed that the city Government's submission that a child should be four-years-old to get admission in nursery class was contrary to the law.
Parliament session may be stormy tomorrow on Quattrocchi issue
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:18:00 AM
After the lull, it is going to be storm again in Parliament tomorrow.
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