The (above) photograph of India’s Tejas fighter taking off, captured during the just-concluded Aero India, by Express photographer Suresh Nampoothiri, has gone viral in aeronautical circles. (Below) A combo of photos show India's Tejas take-off during Aero India.
Photos: Suresh Nampoothiri, The New Indian Express
By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service
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| Suresh Nampoothiri |
Bangalore: The show is over, but the stories keep pouring in one after the other. In military aviation one of the most-discussed aspects of a combat fighter is its Angle of Attack -- popularly known as AoA. (Wikipedia explains AoA as the angle between the chord line of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft and the vector representing the relative motion between the aircraft and the atmosphere.) But, little did Express’ sharpshooter Suresh Nampoothiri realize that his ‘AoA’, while on duty, might fetch him rare laurels from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and leading shutterbugs! Like any military story from the tarmac, this too has its share of suspense and thrill. And, in this case there’s a happy ending too!
On assignment at Yelahanka’s Air Force Station during the just-concluded Aero India, Express photographer decided to take a different flightpath. Bored with ground realities, he ducked the security and climbed atop a building which was hitherto a ‘no-fly-zone’ for the media. Back with his prized catch of the day, he began processing the frames at the Media Centre. Unaware that every move of his was under scanner, one senior official of MoD encountered Suresh asking one question after another about the photo, the angle, the position, the permission and the like.
However, the MoD officials were soon impressed with the series of photos taken by the young man, capturing the take-off of India’s Tejas combat fighter. Col Basudev Maitra, MoD’s Photo Division Director, was heard telling everyone at the Media Centre: “Bahut badia angle hain. Great photo!”
On Tuesday, Sitanshu Kar, MoD’s Principal Spokesperson and Additional Director General (Media and Communication) told City Express from Delhi that the Tejas take-off photo has virtually gone viral in the defence circles. “It’s very rare that one gets such a photo. The parked aircraft on the front adds more life to it. It also shows Tejas in a very dramatic frame. Many felt that Tejas was looking like a foreign fighter. The frame and angle made all the difference. It is a very stunning photo and definitely drew the attention of many,” says Kar, an avid photographer himself.
It is now confirmed that the Tejas stunner from the hangars of Express in Bangalore will find a place very soon at Dilli’s South Block. Moral of the story: AoA matters for planes and in photography!
Copyright@City Express, The New Indian Express
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