Flight Lieutenant Ellykkal Vijayan was commissioned in the Meteorological Branch of the IAF on 10 Jan 77 and is presently posted at an airbase as Senior Met Officer. He was involved in installation of the first Automatic Picture Transmission (ATP) system at the base. He took keen interest to understand the functioning of the system by studying microelectronics and solid state digital technology. He was also involved in the successful commissioning of all modern Met equipments viz. Skopograph, Ceilograph, Facsimile and INSAT MONEX-79 Experiment. He attended the National Seminar on Satellite meteorology organized by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Banglore in Jul 83 and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) symposium in Jodhpur held in Dec 84 and presented research papers.

He was selected to participate in the 4th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica, 1984-85. There he was instrumental in establishing all modern Met equipments at the Dakshin Gangotri Research Station. The most significant achievements were the installation of an APT and Data Collection Platform (DPC) for hourly transmission of weather through INSAT-1B.

Apart from providing routine forecasts for airborne logistic operations, he collected invaluable weather data staying at Maitree Hill Camp, our new location in Antarctica braving inhospitable weather and difficult living conditions. He also helped establish the radar transponder beacon on the highest hill feature near the camp.

For his significant contribution to the success of the 4th Antarctica Expedition, laudable professional competence and deter mination to achieve targets, the President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Flight Lieutenant Ellykkal Vijayan.