| Civliian Flying |
After his last posting at the RAF Station Kohat at the end of the war, like many war time emergency commissioned officers, OD Agnihotri left the RIAF to take up a career in civil flying.
Post WW2, a number of private operators cropped up operating on surplus DC-3s left over from the war. One such airline was Air Services of India (ASI). OD Agnihotri spent a couple of years with them.
The photographs on this page are from his time with ASI. ASI seems to have made a proving flight to Srinagar airfield in April 1947 and a number of photos are from that occasion.
When the state of Kashmir acceded to the Indian
Union in October 47, a number of Civilian aircraft were impressed to provide airlift
facilities to the Indian Army. OD Agnihotri is one of the many civilian pilots who
participated in that legendary airlift.
| OD Agnihotri in the Air Services of India Uniform. As a huge number of pilots who flew with the Civil airlines were ex RIAF officers, It probably was the custom for such ex RIAF veterans to wear their 'medal entitlements' on the uniform. |  |
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Photograph taken on one of the first flights to Srinagar on 5th April 1947. Within months of this photograph, Srinagar airfield would see one of the largest post war Military airlifts, after Kashmir acceded to India. |
| The Crew of the aircraft, OD standing on top. The Unidentified Captain and Radio Operator below him. |  |
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With unidentified passengers and officials. The aircraft is a DC-3 Dakota - VT-AUS. |
| Same occasion, the group moves away from the aircraft to the terminal |  |
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Note the sparse background of 'Srinagar Airfield', a far cry from what it is today! |
| This is another occasion and another aircraft VT-AUU. Circumstances and location unknown. |  |
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OD Agnihotri in the Co-Pilot's chair in a Dakota |
| Flying on the "Gaganrath" , a De Havilland Dragon Rapide - any ideas as to its registration and antecedents? |  |