Bengaluru, The Indian Air Force (IAF) gave an aerial salute to corona warriors by showering flowers from an helicopter on two hospitals while its two transport aircraft did a fly-past over the iconic state Secretariat building (Vidhana Soudha) in the city centre while cruising from Srinagar in Kashmir to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, an official said on Sunday.

"A Russian-built Mi-17 took off from the Yelahanka air base in the city's northern suburb at 10.15 am and flew over Victoria Hospital and Command Hospital between 10.30-10.45 am, showering rose petals over them from a low height," a defence spokesman told IANS here.

Around 4.15 pm, the air force's latest twin transport aircraft - C-130 Hercules of the American Lockheed Martin - flew over the secretariat building in a partially cloudy sky as a tribute to the healthcare professionals fighting the Covid-19 battle since March across the country.

"About 100 people, including a few state officials, an Army music band and healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and paramedics from the state-run hospitals, were stationed on the ramparts of the imposing Secretariat building to wave at the twin speeding aircraft, wearing masks and maintaining physical distance," said the official.

Earlier in the day, a clear summer sky enabled the pilot to easily locate the hospitals in the city centre and eastern suburb to drop the flower petals on their roofs and around.

Maintaining physical distance and wearing masks, doctors, nurses and staff of both hospitals stood in the open ground and cheered the chopper pilot with thumbs-up sign for greeting them with flowers on the occasion.

"They all clapped and waved to the pilot as the copter flew over the hospitals," the official said.

An IAF band played music at both the hospitals and saluted the COVID-19 warriors in the grounds.

"We are touched by the IAF gesture in honouring our healthcare professionals who have been working day and night over a month-and-a-half in taking care of COVID-19 patients in the isolated wards," a hospital official told IANS on phone.