Sulur Air Force station near Coimbatore from where the MI-17 V5 helicopter carrying chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat and others took off is one of the largest airbases in the country.
The airbase is home to 109 Helicopter Unit nicknamed “Knights” that operates the Russia-made chopper, 33 squadron “Himalayan Geese” that flies Antonov-32 fixed wing transport aircraft, two squadrons of the indigenous light combat aircraft “Tejas” and the 151 Helicopter Unit of the popular air display team “Sarang” that flies the advanced light helicopters, Dhruv, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
