M Vania

Stories From The Sky M Vania

Air Commodore Minoo Vania had a long and eventful innings as a Parachute Jump Instructor (PJI) at the Paratroopers' Training School (PTS) Agra, the only one of it's kind in India. He attained the highest honour a PJI could aspire to when he was appointed as the Chief Instructor at PTS in 1967. In the course of his para duties he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra and Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry and exceptional service. After the Bangladesh War of liberation in 1971 he was posted out of PTS only to be recalled a year and a half later to the Research & Development organisation dealing with airborne equipment, as the PJI specialist. In 1976 he finally bid adieu to parachuting (not quite, as you will read in this book!) and after a stint in duties connected with his basic branch, Administration, retired from Air Force Administrative College, Coimbatore where he was the Commandant, in 1990. Air Cmde M. Vania continues to persue his hobbies of reading, writing, visiting wildlife sanctuaries and helping out at "Shivani", a small play school run by his wife, Bulbul. The two sons pursue careers quite different from their father who jumped out of aeroplanes for a living!