Vonthibettu Prabhakara Hegde (24 August 1925 – ?) was a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force who was awarded the Vir Chakra.[1] The third highest military decoration in India for the services rendered by him during the Kashmir Operations carried out by India during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.[2]
Hegde was the first to make a landing in the Mangalore International Airport, then known as Bajpe Aerodrome on a DC-3 (Dakota) airliner on 25 December 1951. His passenger was Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. He retired from service in 1968.[3]
References[]
- ↑ Indian Air Force Gallantry & Service Awards Register [www.bharat-rakshak.com]
- ↑ Service Record for Wing Commander Vonthibettu Prabhakara Hegde 3080 GD(P) [www.bharat-rakshak.com]
- ↑ "First man who landed in Mangalore: Airport is fine". Rediff.com. 26 May 2010. http://www.rediff.com/news/report/first-man-who-landed-in-mangalore-airport-is-fine/20100526.htm. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
The original article can be found at Vonthibettu Prabhakara Hegde and the edit history here.