Commander test lands at SLAF Iranamadu runway
7:54pm on Sunday 9th December 2012
The Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal HD Abeywickrama flew and landed a Y 12 aircraft at Iranamadu runway this evening. The Commander did the landing to test the surface of the runway which has been completed up to a distance of 1100 metres where the third layer of the runway surface has been laid. The runway will be extended up to 1500 metres and the total responsibility of its construction lies with the RRR Wing. The Commander was on an official visit to inspect the work in progress at SLAF Iranamadu prior to the ceremonial opening of the runway which will be done in the near future by His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Director Civil Engineering AVM CR Gurusinghe and Staff Officer Design of the Directorate of Civil Engineering Wg Cdr MRK Samarasinghe accompanied the Commander during the visit. The Commanding Officer SLAF Iranamadu Wg Cdr MMTC Manamperi and the Commanding Officer RRR Wing Wg Cdr KIS De Silva explained the progress of the construction to the Commander during the visit.
The construction of the runway indigenously through the civil engineers of the Air Force will pave the way for the access to the area by air. The RRR Wing was entrusted with the responsibility to construct the runway to enable it to land heavy transport aircraft such as the C 130. The construction from gravel to a fully surfaced runway indigenously will reduce cost manifold and a flashback of the construction process is shown below.
