Feature: Honorable army aviation regiment

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-03-2008 13:59

The quake relief helicopter that went missing and is believed to have crashed belongs to the army aviation regiment under the Chengdu military area command. The regiment's crew members led the way in arriving at the scene of the quake-struck counties of Wenchuan and Beichuan. They were also the first to deliver relief materials to the quake victims. And also were first to transport injured people to better places for treatment.

This helicopter carries on the duty to search for the  crashed helicopter.

Within 5 minutes of the Wenchuan earthquake, the army aviation regiment had emergency measures in place.

Soldiers immediately went into action transporting injured people back to Chengdu. And also delivering relief goods to quake-stricken zones. Every pilot worked nearly 12 hours a day. But beyond physical exhaustion, they had to complete their missions while facing a dangerous terrain. Many quake-ravaged towns and villages are located in canyons, scattered with high voltage power lines and surrounded by mountains. And the weather is unpredictable.

Jiang Guangwei, Deputy Head of Army Aviation Regiment said "Those power lines go up and down because of the meandering canyons. We cannot find a rule to follow their positions. Besides, they're not marked on the map. So it's not easy to spot them en route. If we're distracted, the helicopter is very likely to crash into those high voltage power lines."

Facing the daunting challenge, pilots had to judge where to land based on their experience. They also had to stay prepared for any potential mudslides or aftershocks.

Wenchuan county, located at the epicenter became isolated after the May 12th quake. Helicopters made many attempts to reach there but were constantly hampered by bad weather. Later, when the weather conditions improved two days later, they tried again. But they still had to make their missions amid the aftershocks and visibility below two hundred meters. In the end, pilots decided to bypass the high voltage power lines, landing on a hillside outside the county. From there food, medicine and rescuers were transported to the area.

The Tangjiashan quake-formed lake is located about three kilometers upstream from Beichuan county. Experts say it will likely burst its banks due to rising water levels.

On May 21st, the Deputy Head of the Army Aviation Regiment, Jiang Guangwei, navigated a helicopter to transport experts to the site to conduct assessments. But the rubble made it difficult for the helicopter to land. With nearly three decades of experience, Jiang spotted a landing site after circling over the area several times. He then attempted to accomplish his nearly impossible mission to help those in urgent need on the quake-ravaged ground.

Editor:Xiong Qu