Wing Commander Sadhu Singh Gill- Sikhs The Supreme

Wing Commander Sadhu Singh Gill set a World Record on June 30, 1981 when he landed the AN-12 aircraft, meant for delivery of supplies of stores and equipments, for the 1261st time at LEH, which has highly fluctuating temperature varying from 30oc in summer to minus 30oc in winter. This was the maximum number of landings carried out by a military pilot in the world, on the highest air-field of its kind. This is the actual terrain which tests the grit, determination and skill of a pilot. Wg. Cdr. Gill, a flight commander of Squardon No.44 of I.A.F., has flown over 10500 hrs including 8800 hours as captain of the AN-12 aircraft. This brave feat earned Wg. Cdr. Gill at the age of 40, a silver memento, depicting Western Air Commands crest was Wg. Cdr. Sadhu Singh receiving the momento a replica of the Wester Air Command crest, from Air Marshal L.M. Katre The Mighty Sikhs / 156 presented to him by the then Air Marshal L.M. Katre at a special ceremony at Leh on 30.6.81. It is significant that the breaking of the world record coincided with the completion of 20 years of air maintenance by Russian-built AN-12 in the Ladakh Region.

Wg. Cdr. Gill spent most of his 19 years career in the Himalayan region and became the man of the Himalayas. Speaking at the ceremony, the Air Marshal Katre admired Wing Commander Gill and said, "Wg. Cdr. Gill has proved that with consistent effort and dedication, a man can do the impossible."

It is also significant that this world record followed the venture of late Air Commodore Baba Mehar Singh of landing on the unprepared air strip at LEH on May 24, 1948, against heavy odds viz. unpredictable weather, absence of roads and communications, which paved the way for the supply of troops, ammunition and supplies to the eagerly-awaited besieged garrison and could save Ladakh in 1948.

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