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Introduction; History of Naval Aviation the Assistant PAO. The Project Coordinating Officer
was Wing Commander (Rtd) RomeshMendis while
Genesis of modern naval aviation runs back as Group Captain (Rtd) RanjithYapa was appointed as
far as the first decade of the 20thcentury when the head of aeronautical engineering department.
the Royal Navy (RN) constructed Mayfly in 1909, All the retired SLAF officers were enrolled into SLN
thus making the first air component of the navy with their corresponding naval ranks. Thus the Sri
to become operational in any part of the world. Lanka Navy’s air wing was officially inaugurated on
The RN established Fleet Air Arm (FAA) bases 01stAugust 2000. Logistic facilities were set up at
in Ceylon but FAA was moved to Mombasa after SLNS Gemunu so as to be ready for the requirements
the Japanese strike on Ceylon, Easter 1942. that would arise.
However, FAA Squadrons continued to use the
station and these came under HMS HIGHFLYER How the selection was done
(Naval Base at Trincomalee) until 01.01.1944
when HMS BAMBARA commissioned to comprise The candidates for flying training were in the rank
the RN section at China Bay and the RN Aircraft of Lieutenant from the Executive branch who were
Maintenance Yard at Clappenburg Bay. On below 28 years of age at the time of closing date of
01.11.1944 the name of the Air Station was application. All the officers were subjected to initial
changed to RNAS TRINCOMALEE, the name of the viva voce interview at NHQ by a board comprised of
nearby port and naval base. RNAS RAJAALIYA was senior SLN officers which was headed by Cmde Sunil
established at Puttalam, Ceylon as a Naval Aircraft Cabraal.We were questioned on general knowledge,
Salvage Unit. When the World War ended, these current affairs and certain aspects on flying. Later
units were handed over to local units but no FAA the selected candidates were sent for strict Aircrew
was transferred. medical examination followed by an IQ test to shortlist
the selected officers. Finally, the flying aptitude was
Initiative done by ex SLAF and civilian A1 pilots from Lion Air
flying school at SLAF base Katukurunda for five days
With the dawn of the new millennium the SLN which included both air and ground school tests. Those
took a great step ahead by planning to take the who topped the both merit lists were to be trained by
Navy to the skies by forming the Naval Air Unit the same flying school on approval by the NHQ.
(NAU) with a beneficial vision of making the SLN
a two dimensional force. The idea was hatched “It was so strict that I remember on the
under the auspices of the then Commander of 3rdday of the aptitude test Group Captain (Rtd) CT
the Navy Admiral HCAC Tissera,VSV,USP,ndc and Gunawardana without any prior warning asked me to
the corner stone was laid with the acquisition of start-up the Cessna 152 light aircraft with proper RT
a Sukanya class Indian Navy’s OPV with facilities with the Air Traffic Control tower. He had not touched
to have shipboard helicopters. The acquisition the ‘Controls’ until we returned for the final circuit for
of the ship SLNS Sayura (formerly INS Saryu) at landing after an hour’s flying. The feeling of taking off
accost of 19 million US dollars was the first step of an aircraft by myself unassisted just into the third hour
an ambitious strategy to establish a fleet air arm of flying in my life gave me an unforgettable memory in
capable of carrying out Search and Rescue (SAR) my entire service life of which I am so proud of as a self-
missions even under hostile conditions. achievement purely on ability”
Altogether SLN were to acquire five Indian-built ~ Sanjeewa.
HAL Chetek helicopters over a period of time. The
second ship was to be ordered with time to come. Same way all who were sent for the aptitude
Sri Lanka Navy was to take delivery of the first had been tested under such unexpected circumstances
Chetek in 2001, the second in July 2002 and so on even under accepted procedures through challenging
until the SLN established a capable naval air unit. manoeuvres to select whom they said an apt Military
Pilot should differ from a civilian pilot with inherent
Setting up of NAU abilities of quick grasping and super-fast decision
making which makes them do daring performances
The SLN hurriedly sprouted its wings by enlisting despite any adversities.
2 former SLAF ace pilots and a renowned
aeronautical engineering officer and one of the However, the initial plan altered course
brilliant retired SLN officers. They were namely and the candidates were sent to undergo another
Group Captain (Rtd) Sunil Cabral as the Principal aircrew medical, similar flying aptitude test at the
Aviation Officer (PAO) who was placed directly SLAF base Anuradhapura when the training contract
under the Commander of the Navy while Capt was handed over to SLAF. There we were tested by
(Rtd) Prasanna Rajarathne was designated as the best SLAF and Pakistan Air Force(PAF) Qualified
Introduction; History of Naval Aviation the Assistant PAO. The Project Coordinating Officer
was Wing Commander (Rtd) RomeshMendis while
Genesis of modern naval aviation runs back as Group Captain (Rtd) RanjithYapa was appointed as
far as the first decade of the 20thcentury when the head of aeronautical engineering department.
the Royal Navy (RN) constructed Mayfly in 1909, All the retired SLAF officers were enrolled into SLN
thus making the first air component of the navy with their corresponding naval ranks. Thus the Sri
to become operational in any part of the world. Lanka Navy’s air wing was officially inaugurated on
The RN established Fleet Air Arm (FAA) bases 01stAugust 2000. Logistic facilities were set up at
in Ceylon but FAA was moved to Mombasa after SLNS Gemunu so as to be ready for the requirements
the Japanese strike on Ceylon, Easter 1942. that would arise.
However, FAA Squadrons continued to use the
station and these came under HMS HIGHFLYER How the selection was done
(Naval Base at Trincomalee) until 01.01.1944
when HMS BAMBARA commissioned to comprise The candidates for flying training were in the rank
the RN section at China Bay and the RN Aircraft of Lieutenant from the Executive branch who were
Maintenance Yard at Clappenburg Bay. On below 28 years of age at the time of closing date of
01.11.1944 the name of the Air Station was application. All the officers were subjected to initial
changed to RNAS TRINCOMALEE, the name of the viva voce interview at NHQ by a board comprised of
nearby port and naval base. RNAS RAJAALIYA was senior SLN officers which was headed by Cmde Sunil
established at Puttalam, Ceylon as a Naval Aircraft Cabraal.We were questioned on general knowledge,
Salvage Unit. When the World War ended, these current affairs and certain aspects on flying. Later
units were handed over to local units but no FAA the selected candidates were sent for strict Aircrew
was transferred. medical examination followed by an IQ test to shortlist
the selected officers. Finally, the flying aptitude was
Initiative done by ex SLAF and civilian A1 pilots from Lion Air
flying school at SLAF base Katukurunda for five days
With the dawn of the new millennium the SLN which included both air and ground school tests. Those
took a great step ahead by planning to take the who topped the both merit lists were to be trained by
Navy to the skies by forming the Naval Air Unit the same flying school on approval by the NHQ.
(NAU) with a beneficial vision of making the SLN
a two dimensional force. The idea was hatched “It was so strict that I remember on the
under the auspices of the then Commander of 3rdday of the aptitude test Group Captain (Rtd) CT
the Navy Admiral HCAC Tissera,VSV,USP,ndc and Gunawardana without any prior warning asked me to
the corner stone was laid with the acquisition of start-up the Cessna 152 light aircraft with proper RT
a Sukanya class Indian Navy’s OPV with facilities with the Air Traffic Control tower. He had not touched
to have shipboard helicopters. The acquisition the ‘Controls’ until we returned for the final circuit for
of the ship SLNS Sayura (formerly INS Saryu) at landing after an hour’s flying. The feeling of taking off
accost of 19 million US dollars was the first step of an aircraft by myself unassisted just into the third hour
an ambitious strategy to establish a fleet air arm of flying in my life gave me an unforgettable memory in
capable of carrying out Search and Rescue (SAR) my entire service life of which I am so proud of as a self-
missions even under hostile conditions. achievement purely on ability”
Altogether SLN were to acquire five Indian-built ~ Sanjeewa.
HAL Chetek helicopters over a period of time. The
second ship was to be ordered with time to come. Same way all who were sent for the aptitude
Sri Lanka Navy was to take delivery of the first had been tested under such unexpected circumstances
Chetek in 2001, the second in July 2002 and so on even under accepted procedures through challenging
until the SLN established a capable naval air unit. manoeuvres to select whom they said an apt Military
Pilot should differ from a civilian pilot with inherent
Setting up of NAU abilities of quick grasping and super-fast decision
making which makes them do daring performances
The SLN hurriedly sprouted its wings by enlisting despite any adversities.
2 former SLAF ace pilots and a renowned
aeronautical engineering officer and one of the However, the initial plan altered course
brilliant retired SLN officers. They were namely and the candidates were sent to undergo another
Group Captain (Rtd) Sunil Cabral as the Principal aircrew medical, similar flying aptitude test at the
Aviation Officer (PAO) who was placed directly SLAF base Anuradhapura when the training contract
under the Commander of the Navy while Capt was handed over to SLAF. There we were tested by
(Rtd) Prasanna Rajarathne was designated as the best SLAF and Pakistan Air Force(PAF) Qualified
