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Helitours
Helitours is a domestic airline in Sri Lanka operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force with aircraft not required for military use. It is currently the second-largest airline in Sri Lanka with a fleet of 16 aircraft behind Sri Lankan Airlines' 23. The airline dominates the RML-TRR-JAF route on a thrice-weekly basis on their Chinese-built Xian MA60 aircraft. The company slogan is ''Discover Serendipity.'' History Helitours' air service was started in 1972 on the initiative of Paddy Mendis, Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Paddy Mendis to cater to the tourist industry. By the end of 1972 Helitours was flying to Malé as well. In 1973 a Convair 440 was purchased second hand from Eastern Airlines, to boost Helitours' operations between Ceylon and the Maldives. In the early 1980s operations first slowed, then stopped due to operational requirements emerging from the onset of the Sri Lankan civil war. However, in 2009 upon cessation of hostilities, the air force restarted Helitours' op ...
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Helitours Mi-17
Helitours is a domestic airline in Sri Lanka operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force with aircraft not required for military use. It is currently the second-largest airline in Sri Lanka with a fleet of 16 aircraft behind Sri Lankan Airlines' 23. The airline dominates the RML-TRR-JAF route on a thrice-weekly basis on their Chinese-built Xian MA60 aircraft. The company slogan is ''Discover Serendipity.'' History Helitours' air service was started in 1972 on the initiative of Paddy Mendis, Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Paddy Mendis to cater to the tourist industry. By the end of 1972 Helitours was flying to Malé as well. In 1973 a Convair 440 was purchased second hand from Eastern Airlines, to boost Helitours' operations between Ceylon and the Maldives. In the early 1980s operations first slowed, then stopped due to operational requirements emerging from the onset of the Sri Lankan civil war. However, in 2009 upon cessation of hostilities, the air force restarted Helitours' op ...
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Sri Lanka Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft and has a projected trained strength of 27,400 airmen and 1,300 officers, who are from both regular and reserve service. The Sri Lanka Air Force has expanded to specialise mainly in providing air-support to ground forces, troop landing, and carrying out airstrikes on rebel-held areas in the Northern and Eastern theatres, but is also capable of high- and low-level air defence. The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force who holds the rank Air Marsh ...
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Ratmalana Airport
Colombo International Airport, Ratmalana ( si, කොළඹ ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, රත්මලාන, translit=Koḷam̆ba Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa, Ratmalāna; ta, கொழும்பு சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம், இரத்மலானை, translit=Koḻumpu Sarvadesa Vimāṉa Nilaiyam, Iratmalāṉai) (commonly known as Ratmalana International Airport, Colombo–Ratmalana and locally as Ratmalana Airport) , is the secondary international airport serving the city of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. It was the country's first international airport and was the only international airport in Sri Lanka until the inauguration of Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake in 1967. The airport currently serves several domestic services and is home to several aviation training organisations. A relaxation of rules has recently seen the airport open for international corporate jet operation ...
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Jaffna Airport
Jaffna International Airport ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாணம் சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம், translit=Yāḻppāṇam Carvatēca Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; si, යාපනය ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Yāpanaya Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa) , formerly known as Palaly Airport and Jaffna Airport, is an international airport serving northern Sri Lanka. It was also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Palaly or SLAF Palaly. The airport is located in the town of Palaly near Kankesanthurai, north of the city of Jaffna. It is at an elevation of and has one runway designated 05/23 with an asphalt surface measuring . The airport was originally built by the Royal Air Force during World War II, after which it functioned as the country's second international airport. It was taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Domestic civilian flights resumed in the mid-1990s and ...
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Anuradhapura Airport
Anuradhapura Airport ( si, අනුරාධපුර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Anurādhapura Guvantoṭupaḷa; ta, அனுராதபுரம் விமான நிலையம், translit=Aṉurātapuram Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; ) is a domestic airport serving Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Base Anuradhapura or SLAF Base Anuradhapura. The airport is located southeast of the town of Anuradhapura at an elevation of . It has one bitumen runway designated 05/23. Airlines and destinations Lodger Squadrons * No. 6 Helicopter Squadron See also * Nissanka Wijeyeratne Deshamanya Nissanka Parakrama Wijeyeratne ( si, නිශ්ශංක පරාක්‍රම විජයරත්න) (14 June 1924 – 7 January 2007), known as ''Nissanka Wijeyeratne'', was a Sri Lankan politician, civil servant, dipl ... References External links * Airports in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Air Force ba ...
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Batticaloa
Batticaloa ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு, ''Maṭṭakkaḷappu''; si, මඩකලපුව, ''Maḍakalapuwa'') is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the Batticaloa District. The city is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka and is a major commercial centre. It is on the east coast, south of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island. Pasikudah is a popular tourist destination situated northwest with beaches and flat year-round warm-water shallow-lagoons. Etymology Batticaloa is a Portuguese derivation. The original name of the region being the Tamil "Matakkalappu" (translation: ''Muddy Swamp''). According to Mattakallappu Manmiyam (மட்டக்களப்பு மான்மியம்) the word Mattakkallpu consists Tamil words "Mattu" (மட்டு) Matta-derived from "Mattam" (மட்டம்) means 'flat' and geographical name KaLappu. Mukkuwa named this pl ...
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Batticaloa Airport
Batticaloa International Airport ( ta, மட்டக்களப்பு சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம், translit=Maṭṭakkaḷappu Vimāṉa Nilaiyam, si, මඩකලපුව ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Maḍakalapuva Guvantoṭupaḷa) , formerly known as Batticaloa Airport, is an airport serving eastern Sri Lanka. It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Batticaloa or SLAF Batticaloa. The airport is located in the village of Puthunagar on the island of Thimilathiu, south-west of the city of Batticaloa. It resides at an elevation of and has one runway designated 06/24 with a bitumen surface measuring . Established in 1958 as a domestic airport, the airport ceased functioning in 1979 following the collapse of Air Ceylon. The site was taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Domestic flights resumed in 2018 and in 2019 it became Sri Lanka's fifth international airport. History ...
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Paddy Mendis
Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Pathman Hariprasadha Mendis, FBIM (24 January 1933 – 18 January 2022) was a Sri Lankan aviator. He was the fourth Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force from 1971 to 1976. Early life and education The son of a doctor, Mendis was educated at S. Thomas' College. Air force career He joined the newly formed Royal Ceylon Air Force as its fifth recruit (1005 AC2) as a Cadet Officer on 8 August 1951. Mendis and Cadet Officer D. De S. Seneviratne were sent to Britain for their training at RAF College Cranwell. After graduating on 6 April 1954, Mendis specialized in De Havilland Vampires until he returned home in December 1954. The government decided to deploy more transports instead of the Vampires, Mendis trained for Airspeed Oxfords in the flying wing. In 1959, Fight Lieutenant Mendis and Fight Lieutenant Situnayake were sent to the RAF Central Flying School for training as flying instructors and on his return he became a flying instructor at the Royal ...
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Ampara Airport
Ampara Airport ( si, අම්පාර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Ampāra Guvantoṭupaḷa; ta, அம்பாறை விமான நிலையம், translit=Ampāṟai Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; ), also known Gal-Oya Airport, is a domestic airport in Gal-Oya in southeastern Sri Lanka. It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Ampara or SLAF Ampara. The facility is located northwest of the town of Ampara at an elevation of and has one runway designated 07/25 with a bitumen surface measuring . History An air strip in Gal Oya near Uhana was built in the 1950s by the Gal Oya Development Board. A Sri Lanka Air Force detachment from SLAF Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) ( si, බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Bandāranāyaka Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa; ta, பண்டாரநாயக்க ... moved onto the air strip on 19 December 1989. T ...
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China Bay Airport
China Bay Airport ( ta, சீனக்குடா விமான நிலையம், translit=Cīṉakkuṭā Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; si, චීන වරාය ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Cīna Varāya Guvantoṭupaḷa; ) is an air force base and domestic airport in China Bay in eastern Sri Lanka. Located approximately south west of the city of Trincomalee, the airport is also known as Trincomalee Airport and SLAF China Bay. Originally built by the British, it was transferred to the Royal Ceylonese Air Force which later became the Sri Lanka Air Force. History During the 1920s the British built an airfield in China Bay in eastern Ceylon. The Royal Air Force (RAF) established an airfield called RAF Station China Bay in March 1942 with Hurricane, Spitfire and Catalina aircraft. A number of RAF squadrons ( 17, 159, 205, 240, 258, 261, 273, 321, 357, 648) and other units were stationed at the airfield during and immediately after the war. The airfield was ...
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Killinochchi
Kilinochchi ( ta, கிளிநொச்சி, translit=Kiḷinocci; si, කිලිනොච්චි, translit=Girānika) is the main town of Kilinochchi District, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna. It was the administrative center and de facto capital of the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) until 2 January 2009, when troops of the Sri Lankan Army recaptured the city. History Creation (1936) The Kilinochchi town was established in 1936 as part of a colonization project that sought to ease overpopulation and unemployment in Jaffna. Kilinochchi is still part of Jaffna electoral division and it was separated from the Jaffna district in the 1980s as a new district. Most of the people living in this district are farmers and related to agricultural work. Most of the people were migrated from Jaffna 1930s to acquire government grants for land and to engage in paddy (rice) cultivation. Large influx of migration from Hill country ...
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SLAF Iranamadu
SLAF may refer to *The Sri Lanka Armed Forces, the combined military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka **The Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...
, a subset of the above. {{Disambig ...
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