Bathinda (Punjab), Sep 14 (IANS): A 'Heritage Flying Expedition' in a vintage Pushpak aircraft was flagged off on Monday from Bathinda town in Punjab to commemorate the golden jubilee of the 1965 India-Pakistan war.

The vintage aircraft will be flying over 3,000 km, starting from Bathinda, along the western border from Naliya in Kutch, Gujarat to Jaurian in Jammu and Kashmir. The expedition will culminate in Jaipur on September 22.

The Pushpak is being flown by Brigadier A.S. Sidhu and Lt. Col. Arvind Saini.

The flying expedition is being conducted by Sapta Shakti Command. It was flagged off by Chetak Corps. commander Lt. Gen. D.R. Soni.

"More than 55 years old, this vintage Pushpak aircraft designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, was used for air observation in the 1965 and 1971 wars. The aircraft has been rebuilt and refurbished to flying standards with no modern equipment," a defence spokesman said here.

"The aim of this Heritage Flying expedition is to honour the martyrs who laid down their lives during the India-Pakistan war of 1965. The expedition will also generate awareness among the present generation as regards the type of aircraft and difficulties under which our predecessors flew," he said.