Wings of Duty

Wings of Duty — Page 24

Syed Muhammad Ahmad 24 was only a short unpaved stretch of about 250 yards in its eastern extension where a small light airplane could land. After this short trip, Deputy Muhammad Latif flew the L-5 to Walton Airport in Lahore and left it under the care of the CAA, while he returned to his job in Bombay. The L-5 was used by the American Air Force in the latter part of the Second World War to survey battlefronts and take injured troops from the frontline to medical facilities in the field. It was a sturdy airplane that could land in the tightest of places, which is why it was often referred to as an air jeep. At the front was the pilot’s seat. The back seat also had controls to fly the plane and there was a lever which could be pulled to convert the seat into a stretcher for injured soldiers to lie on. This plane was such a success during the Second World War that the Americans made a more advanced version of it, the L-19, which is still used by the Pakistani Air Force. The L-5 bought by the community did not have electronic instruments to navigate in the dark. Therefore, even though it was possible to take off and land, one could not fly the plane at night without the help of a land-based radar system which the country did not have at the time.