Veteran Packet flyers of IAF gather in Chandigarh for biannual meet

Four officers have especially come from USA-Gp Capt Alvinder Chand, Wg Cdr S H Butani, Wg Cdr Vinod Ahuja and Wg Cdr S C Mullick while Wg Cdr Shyam Sundar has arrived from New Zealand to attend the meet.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Wing Commander C S Grewal (retd) said that the Packet reunion is held every two years and the last one was held in Agra in December 2023.

“Tomorrow we shall lay a wreath at the war memorial at Air Force Station, Chandigarh, and also visit 48 Squadron which flew Packets initially. They have a beautiful museum with Packet history,” said Wing Commander Grewal.
Induction of Packets in Indian Air Force started in February 1964 and they were phased out of service in March 1986.

As per an article shared by Wing Commander Grewal, published in aviation magazine Vayu Aerospace Review, the Indian Air Force had expanded its transport component with the acquisition of considerable numbers of the C-47 but its military freight and airlift capability was extremely limited. This urgent requirement was sought to be fulfilled by the purchase, in the late 1953 of a small number of C-119G Packets from the USA with revolutionary rear loading clamdoors, the type then being the most practical freighter available.

The C-119Gs were formed into a Conversion & Training flight with No. 12 Squadron at Agra in February 1954. By the end of 1954, the first batch of twenty-six C-1 19Gs on order were received.

This medium freight and troop transport, also referred to as the Flying Boxcar, was the second shape with twin booms in the Indian skies and was used extensively for airlifting supplies, troops, heavy cargo and even aircraft.