The Winner of Indian Aviation… who is it?

 

India has the third largest aviation market in the world as of 2025. The competition of starting a profitable airline is more than any other country’s aviation market. An airline should have low fares, on time departures and arrivals, and should have reliable and safe aircrafts. There are a whopping 7 major airlines in India, some with extreme profit, while others almost on the verge of bankruptcy. Let us rewind a bit: -

 

In 2012, a major player in Indian aviation, Kingfisher Airlines officially filed for bankruptcy after they bought an airline which was also in huge debts, that being Sahara Airlines. This merger between the two airlines made Kingfisher go in heavy losses, which could never be recovered.

 

In 2019, the largest airline of India, Jet Airways also retired due to insufficient recovery from losses. This happened due to the reason of providing luxury experiences while the costs were sky- rocketing. This shows that Indian passengers do not require luxury experiences for just a 2-hr flight. They just need to reach from one place to another. This is where the king of Indian Aviation made a huge blunder.

 

Let us talk about the Indian Aviation Market in 2025: -

The National Carrier of India, Air India is now the most untrusted airline. SpiceJet is on the verge of bankruptcy. Go First is also going in losses. On the other hand, airlines like IndiGo and Akasa Air are gaining more profit. But why so? Remember when I told you that Indian passengers do not have any interest for travelling in luxury. They just want to travel to their destination and want to spend as less money as they could. IndiGo and Akasa Air. IndiGo did not offer free meals or free in-flight appliances, but they gave a price of the ticket that no one could reject. Akasa Air, however is a recent airline and it is hard to beat IndiGo right now

Hence, the winner of Indian Aviation is IndiGo.

The Defence Line concept of NEFA

This post deals with the "Defence Line concept of NEFA" proposed by Gen Thorat but rejected by the Government. I will try and analyse that how this would have affected our defence of NEFA when the Chinese  actually came down the hills in Oct 1962.

 

In his book, "War in the High Himalayas" Gen Palit writes ....

 

" The truth is that we were planning and operating in a doctrinal vacuum. (Well we had a doctrinal vacuum till early 2000s, that is when we first came out with The Indian Army Doctrine) At no time do I recollect receiving  an assessment of threat from Divisional HQ (presumably HQ 4 Infantry Division, which had been moved from Ambala to Tawang).

 

The Division based its deployment less on tactical appreciation and more on a gut reaction that all available troops must be pushed quickly up into the mountain reaches. how the defensive positions would be coordinated or the troops kept supplied in battle was never made clear. I do not think that any formal study had been made of Chinese army organisations, force structures or methods of warfare. We were given no policy or guidelines regarding static or mobile defence, harassing roles to be played by stay-behind parties, or the possible employment of tribal manpower for our defence preparations.

 

Thorat intended to hold strong-points along a defensive line running more or less parallel to the McMohan Line but between 50 and 60 miles to the south. From this line army patrols or posts could be sent forward to support Assam Rifles detachments on the border. "

 

 

The map above shows the places selected by Gen Thorat for his line of defence of NEFA.

 

Gen Palit in his book writes that Thorat had listed the places without carrying out a reconnaissance in the mountains. Each of these points were separated from each other by many kilometers of high mountain ranges and deep valleys unconnected by lateral routes. But then the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was set up for the purpose of building lateral routes, in which it has failed, till date. Also, as we shall see, Gen Palit's criticism of this plan may be valid but had this been implemented, it would not have resulted in our forces running away from NEFA as subsequently happened. (The Chinese took Tawang without a fight, 4 Infantry Division disintegrated at Dirang and one of its brigade withdrew from Se-la - Senge complex without a fight)

 

Palit continues ...

" Thorat had indeed made his defence plan from a study of the map and not rom personal reconnaissance. Till the end of 1959, the Governmend of India had entrusted the defence of NEFA to the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force under the Ministry of External Affairs (now under Home Ministry), which was neither equipped nor trained for this role. The Prime Minister had made this decision for the socio-political reason. 'Philosophy for NEFA' aimed at protecting the primitive tribal peoples from a precipitate exposure to the commercial and often venal culture of the plainsmen. He (i.e. Nehru) did not wish to disrupt this experiment with the sudden influx of large numbers of army troops. The Assam Rifles, essentially a police force operating under the local administration, could be blended in with the tribal experiment, whereas the army would perforce give top priority to defence rather than to administrative requirements. (Now, regular Army officers and other ranks are posted to Assam Rifles on temporary basis)"

 

The gist of the Thorat paper on defence of NEFA is as under :

 

"IT MUST BE APPRECIATED THAT IN THE EARLY STAGES OF ANY WAR THE ATTACKERT WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE INITIAL ADVANTAGE OVER THE DEFENDER BECAUSE HE CAN CHOOSE THE TIME AND PLACE FOR THE ATTACK AND CAN THEREFORE  APPLY ALL HIS STRENGTH AT ANY GIVEN POINT. THEREFORE, HE WILL GET INTO THE DEFENDER'S TERRITORY AND MAKE PENETRATIONS. IF THIS HAPPENS THE DEFENDER MUST NOT LOSE HEART BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE HIS SAY WHEN HE HAS LOCATED THE MAIN THRUST AND MOVES HIS RESERVES TO MEET IT - VERY LIKELY ON GROUND OF HIS CHOOSING. THERE HE WILL GIVE BATTLE, STABILIZE THE SITUATION, AND THEN STEADILY PUSH THE ENEMY BACK. THIS PROCESS MAY TAKE A LONG TIME, BUT THERE IS NO OTHER ANSWER TO IT WHEN ONE IS ON THE DEFENSIVE.

EVEN IF I WERE TO DISPERSE MY FORCE ON A 'THIN RED LINE' ALL ALONG THE BORDER, IT WILL SERVCE NO USEFUL PURPOSE FOR I SHALL BE WEAK EVERYWHERE AND STRONG NOWHERE. THEREFORE, I DO NOT PROPOSE TO DO SO.

AS THE ENEMY COMES FARTHER AWAY FROM HIS BASES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MCMOHAN LINE, HIS COMMUNICATIONS WILL GET STRETCHED. HE WILL FIND IT INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN HIS FORCES, AND THE SITUATION WILL GET WORSE DAY BY DAY. A STAGE WILL COME WHEN HIS MAINTANENCE DIFFICULTIES WILL BE SAME AS MINE, AND IT IS THEN THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM THE FIRST REAL FIGHT. THE SCENE OF THIS BATTLE WILL BE A LINE RUNNING EAST AND WEST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEFA AND FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PAPER I PROPOSE CALLING IT THE DEFENCE LINE.

THE DEFENCE LINE WILL CONSIST OF A SUCCESSION OF VITAL POINTS. THE CHOICE OF THESE WILL DEPEND NOT ONLY ON THEIR TACTICAL VALUE BUT ALSO ON OUR ABILITY TO MAINTIAN AND SUPPORT THEM. THIS PRESUPPOSES THAT THERE SHOULD BE A ROADHEAD OR AN AIRHEAD (ROAD AND AIR LINKS) AT EACH OF THESE POINTS. WITHOUT THESE THE ABILITY OF THE GARRISONS TO PUT UP A PROTRACTED DEFENCE WILL BE LIMITED. THE DEFENCE LINE AS I ENVISAGE IT WILL BE TOWANG (KAMENG DIVISON) - ZIRO-DAPORIGO (SUBANSIRI DIVISION) - ALONG (SIANG DIVISION) - ROING - TEZU - LOHITPUR HAYULIANG (LOHIT DIVISION) - JAIRAMPUR (TIRAP DIVISON)

THIS LINE SHALL BE THE MAIN DEFENSIVE POSITION BEYOND WHICH I SHALL ACCEPT NO PENETRATION. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS ON THIS LINE THAT I SHALL STOP THE ENEMY AND PROCEED TO DRIVE HIM BACK ACROSS THE MCMOHAN LINE. I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT GIVEN THE NECESSARY RESOURCES I WILL NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO CROSS THIS LINE. THIS LINE WILL DIVIDE NEFA INTO TWO HALVES. THE AREA NORTH OF DEFENCE LINE SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE NORTHERN SECTOR AND THE AREA SOUTH OF IT AS A SOUTHERN SECTOR."

 

Gen Palit's analysis of this paper is given below.

 

" ..a border is unlikely to be the most suitable locality for the main defensive battle, which is what Thorat was arguing. Paramilitary forces, less heavily armed than the army, can hold a border temporarily, offer initial resistance, but fall back when pressed. The regular army chooses the main defensive positions on the basis of suitable terrain, communications and logistical potential.

 

The salient points of Gen Thorat's warcraft was that our main forces must not be stretched thin along the length of the border where every military advantage would lie with the enemy. Instead, the defence plan must allow for an initial enemy penetration, while our main forces prepare to defeat the invader in a depth area, on ground of our own choosing and where we could bring superior resources to bear on the battlefield.

 

Thorat envisaged manning the border with paramilitary assam rifles, whose task it would be to inflict causalities, delay an enemy invasion, give early warning and either harass the enemy's line of communication as stay behind guerrillas or fall back to the southern sector to thicken its defences. Regular forces would hold the southern sector which unlike the northern sector would be accessible by road and thus logistically feasible."

 

Brig Dalvi, in his book "The Himalayan Blunder" gives out the following analysis and his own perception regarding Gen Thorat's plan.

 

"General Thorat.... correctly appreciated that the key to the defence of the Assam plains was around Bomdilla.

 

It was necessary to move from firm base to firm base(Firm base is an area of tactical importance, the occupation of which by troops, enables the commanders plan to be implemented), and not backwards from the political boundaries of the country. Political and military boundaries seldom coincide. The McMohan line cannot be defended by sitting on it.

 

The strategic deployment and disposition of regular troops is dictated solely by the ground and administrative factors.

 

In the context of the border problem with China it may be necessary to setup check posts, border posts or flag posts to establish our claims by physical possession, and to provide day to day protection to the civil administration. They must not, however be treated as defended zones or tactical positions, to be defended to the last man and last round.

 

In 1960 the Chinese already had a network of good roads opposite NEFA. The General's plan might have entailed the initial trading of space for time to rush fresh troops forward, establish communications, setup the administrative arrangements and above all, ascertain the main thrust of the enemy before committing his reserves.

 

Government's solution to the military problem of defending the border was to locate a string of small, weak outposts (which were mostly section strength, i.e. approx. 10 persons)  backed by company strength (approx. 100 personnel) detachments of regular troops all along the border.

 

In difficult terrain, it is militarily unavoidable to trade space for time. In war the primary aim is the destruction of enemy forces."

 

Brig Dalvi gives three excellent examples of trading space with time for final destruction of enemy forces. I quote them below.

 

" Both in 1812, when Napoleon invded Russia and in 1941 when Hitler launched an invasion, the Russians drew the advancing armies deep into Russian territory. They relied on their most formidable weapons -- snow in winter and the dreaded spring thaw which turns turns Russia into a vast sea of mud, that brings armies to a grinding halt. In both cases the Russians sapped the vitality of the advancing enemy; and on both occasions mighty Russian counter-offensives regained all lost territories and destroyed or ejected the invaders.

 

In 1944, Field-Marshal Sir William Slim, commander of the British/Indian 14 Army, faced a major Japanese offensive from Burma into India, aimed at capturing the base at Dimapur. Slim had the option of fighting from his postions or falling back to Kohima. After careful delibration, he opted for the latter course despite strong political pressure not to abandon any Indian territory and give the Indians the impression that the Allies were losing. He stood firm and based his plans entirely on military considerations. Had he fought from his forward positions on the Chindwin river, his lines of communication would have been long and tenuous. A defeat would open the way to the plains of Assam. His decision to fall back and shorten his lines, and to a better killing ground at Kohima, forced the Japanese Commander, General Mutaguchi, to extend his lines. By standing fast at Kohima despite being invested, till the outbreak of the monsoons, victory was assured. The Japanese could not maintain their forces and had to retreat. The defeat was so overwhelming that Field-Marshal Slim followed up his Kohima victory with the classic pursuit operation to Rangoon itself, which fell in May 1945" 

 

Use of Air Force for tactical air support (from “War in the High Himalayas – by Maj Gen D K Palit, VrC)

COMMENTS IN BRACKETS ARE MY OWN

“At that time there were two schools of thought on the question of the use of tactical air support in case of hostilities on the northern border."

1.     "The General Staff was strongly in favour of it because we felt that it was the most effective way of restoring the imbalance of forces at the front, particularly in Ladakh. Furthermore, air force officers at squadron and wing level considered it an eminently feasible task. ( Gen Palit, here conveniently doesn’t mention the thoughts of officers in air force staff or higher headquarters and restricts himself to wing level.) I had discussed the possibility of air strikes in that area with the pilot (in a vampire fighter for an air reconnaissance of western kameng) and he had agreed that identification and destruction of ground targets woiuld be much easier on that high and open expanse than in the rugged, heavily forested and weather-driven terrain on our side of the border. (But wouldn’t the pilot have to fly the aircraft through the same weather driven terrain ? Wont that pose a problem?) Later in informal discussions with other officers of the squadron the consensus was that strikes on targets north of the border were a feasible task. In Kameng the frontier zone was close to the airfield at Tezpur, a factor that would allow our fighters enough time-over-target to be effective. In ladakh the circumstances would be moreadverse but the task coiuld still be worthwhile."

2.     "Counter-argument – India would be the loser should hostilities escalate to the use of air forces, because cities in north India were vulnerable to Chinese bombers based in Tibet, whereas Chinese cities were clearly beyond the range of our aircraft."

3.     "Counter Counter Point – There was little reason to fear strategic bombing by the Chinese. First, we had no positive intelligence of a bomber base anywhere in Tibet. (Well, we had no positive intelligence on the invasion in waiting and massing of Chinese troops as well. Intelligence was as such defunct and most of it was being fed by CIA to IB, Military Intelligence was as such non-existent). Second, if hostilities broke out over border claims, all indications till then were that fighting was unlikely to spread beyond the border regions. (The general impression in Delhi amongst the politicians, bureaucrats and the defense personnel was that the Chinese would never attack, forget fight in the border regions) Third, even if the Chinese action did escalate to air bombing of civilian targets, our air defense potential, although not sufficiently well equipped at that stage, could still meet the challenge. The most the enemy could hope to do would be to mount occasional raids over northern India which, while causing some damage, would have litter effect on the border war. (What about the lowering of morale of the citizens when the cities are bombed ?)"

The fact of the matter :-

"When the Chinese finally attacked, in October, a hasty decision was taken under a counsel of fears and with no homework done by the Air Force. It was decided that it would be best not to escalate the intensity of operations in case the Chinese retaliated in like measure. This was a grave misjudgment because, as Deputy Air Chief Arjun Singh admitted  to me a year later, the Chinese could not have launched bombers and fighters from Tibet at that time. Airfields located at heights of 4,000 meters or more require protracted and costly preparations, such as extended runways and other facilities. This was a gross failure of air intelligence. (Why only air intelligence, intelligence community at large had failed and so had the people in staff who could not appreciate this at an early stage)"

1962 Indo China War - Character Sketch

As I have been reading the 1962 operations against China as part of my Military History syallabus for my promotion exams, I have come across certain intersting information which the general public lacks. I will try and bring out various myths that are present in general environment regarding 1962 operations and personalities involved there in. I am drawing my inputs from various sources, the most prominent being “War In High Himalaya” by Maj Gen D K Palit, VrC, “India's China War” by Neville Maxwell and “The Himalayan Blunder” by Brig J Dalvi.

Gen Palit in his book, gives us a character sketch of few personalities who were involved then. Lets take a look at them one by one.

Mr. Krishna Menon

Image: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/04/29/stories/2007042900100300.htm

“ Krishna Menon had been appointed Defence Minister three year previously (the author writes about this when he took over as Director of Military Operations in November 1960). Like many men of intellect, he was a loner by inclination. He had no previous miniterial or administrative experience and found it necessary to disguise this deficiency by affecting a perpetual sneer at officialdom. He also sought to dominate the military bureaucracy by trying to make a dent in the solidarity of its senior ranks. In this he succeded to the the extent that Bijji Kaul – basically loyal by nature but emotional, insecure and ambitious – fell for his blandishments and for a time an unwonted relationship was established between the Minister and the general officer. The result was that the Thapar(Chief of Army Staff) and Kaul (Chief of General Staff)team took over under a cloud of suspicion and resentment.”

More on Krishna Menon later...as I continue reading.

Gen Thimayya

 

Image: http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/16/stories/2006041602300400.htm

“Thimayya was a popular general. Open, outgoing and with a glowing operational record, he had during his career gained the loyalty and affection of the officer cadre as no other Indian officer before or after him. It was therefore understandable, if not entirely accurate, that his fall from grace was viewed as a Menon machination and that Kaul's name was inevitably linked with Menon”

Gen Thapar

 

Image : http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Personnel/Chiefs/126-PN-Thapar.html

“Thapar was nevertheless a lackluster personality and he did not possess the reclame and professional reputation of Thorat who, though a name lower in the army list, was a more charismatic figure and experience at battalion-command level during the Second World War. Most people had expected that Thorat would be nominated as the next Army Chief. Thus Thapar's appointment was regarded as another example of the Menon-Kaul conspiracy”

Lt Gen Kaul

 

“Personable, even dapper, in appearance, Kaul was a live-wire – quick thinking, forceful and venturesome. He could also be subjective, capricious and emotional. Once he had taken you into confidence he gave unstintingly of his personal support and even warmth. There were some among his subordinates, mainly those of mediocre capability, from whom he demanded and obtained a personal and almost feudal commitment, and whom he did not on occasion scruple to use as his confidential henchmen. Yet to those whose professional capability and intellect he recognized, he offered a more egalitarian, though not necessarily close relationship. He could be soft-hearted to a fault, a trait often mistaken for kindness or generosity. However, like many egocentrics, Kaul was not empathic by nature; his way was to dispense his sympathy and support explicitly as largesse rather than as subtle and understanding gifts.

Prominent among his characteristics was hypersensitivity about his lack of regimental and combat service; and he was ever on the lookout for an intended slight in this respect. Yet his amour propre, a somewhat lesser thing tha ambition, moved him to strive constantly for professional excellence. It is nto true to say, as many did, that his primary loyalty was to his own advancement. Although convinced of a great future for himself, even beyond the confines of his service, he did not spend his time accumulating ballast for his career.

His instability was another outstanding characteristic, one exacerbated by his proclivity to be tossed about in a whirlwind of random events. In the midst of an operational crisis one might find him happily spending time and energy on quite extraneous or irrelevant pursuit. Apart from amateur Hindi dramatics, in which he occasionally dabbled, he appeared to have no personal interests or hobbies and played no games. After late hours at office, he would go home and oftern receive a motley relay of callers, people from all starta of society, not necessarily connected with professional work, and most of them petitioners of some sort. His magpie interest was easily kindled by an emotive approach and these durbar performances became a substitue for social involvement. Only when visiting hour ended would he work at his files, often till midnight or later.

I image he made a difficult subordinate. Basically insecure, aware of the hostility and scorn of his seniors, his relationship with Nehru – about which he boasted openly – lent him an air of self-assurance which often bordered on hubris. I think his superiors at Army HQ Thapar and Wadalia (Deputy Chief of Army Staff), disliked and distrusted him, although they refrained from open expression of their feelings. At the same time, I think they were both aware that he was an efficient and effective CGS and to my knowledge both ahd, each on at least one occasion, sought his good offices to resolve some personal problem that required word in high places. For them Bijji was at once an unruly subordinate and a friend-at-court”

 

Lt Gen Umrao Singh (Commander XXXIII Corps)

 

From Brigadier John Dalvi's... "The Himalayan Blunder"

 

"Gen Umrao is a tall, handsome man with an imposing personality. He hails from a famous Rajput family of Jaipur, in fabled Rajasthan - the home of generations of warriors. When I first met him during these operations, I found him calm and unruffled. his very presence was reassuring. He lived in terms of open hostility with General Sen (Eastern Army Commander) and consequently worked under severe pressure. He had had a hard time trying to resist the impracticable tasks which were being foisted on the troops. He was subjected to unjust criticism for the alleged tardiness of his command and his failure to 'evict the Chinese'. Despite this he remained coldly analytical of the military tasks given to him. He resolutely refused to get involved in the political aspects or to allow himself to be pressurized into unsound measures to pacify the politicians. He gave his opinions fearlessly and effectively. He was one of the few senior actors in the Thagla drama who had the moral courage to record his views in writing. He proved too outspoken and had to be eliminated before the powers-that-be could complete their self-destroying policy."

 

Viewing pics on your TV

View the High Resolution photos you clicked from your new Digital Camera or mobile on your HD TV

 

 

The explosions of cameras everywhere, (mobiles, digiSLRs, tabs, etc)  makes it very easy and handy for us to capture photographs of the events. A very common problem that I faced in last few days in Mumbai while attending a family event was about displaying the photos for everyone to see. Gone are the days when we used to take a print of the photos or develop films. Everybody wants to see them instantly and the fact that most of the devices have very small screens doesn't help. I just found out a very efficient, cheap (practically free if you are using new equipment at home) and least time consuming of displaying the pics for everyone to see.

 

This is what you will need,

 

1.     The device on which you have clicked the photos. (In most of the cases it is likely to be a digital camera or a cell phone)

2.     A laptop for transferring the images from the device. (Again, I assume that the laptop you would be using is not more than 3 years old and that means it has an HDMI port)

3.     A modern TV set. By modern I mean not more than 3 years old (approx. again), flat screen set.

4.     A modern set top box. The box has to be an HD one. This could be from any company, what matters is the HD portion.

5.     If a HD set top box is not available you will have to purchase an HDMI cable.

A brief introduction of HDMI is given below for the uninitiated :-

 

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a compact audio/video interface for transferring uncompressed video data and compressed/uncompressed digital audio data from a HDMI-compliant device ("the source device") to a compatible computer monitor, video projector, digital television, or digital audio device.^[1] HDMI is a digital replacement for existing analog video standards.

 

For more on HDMI :-  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

 

And this is how the cable looks like

Ok, don’t confuse with USB cables, these are different. Take a closer look and it is apparent. Generally these ports are found near USB ports, but it may not always be.

Now here are the simple steps for displaying your recently clicked photos on a large screen HD TV

1.     First, transfer the photos from your camera, mobile to your laptop.

2.     Second, take the HDMI cable (either from your HD Set Top Box or a separate purchased cable) and connect your laptop and TV.

3.     Now, press the Source/Input button on your Remote control of the TV and select HDMI

Done in three simple steps. Enjoy the High Resolution pics of your new phone or Digital camera on your HD TV.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Jaipur airport experience

I reached Jaipur airport a bit early today to catch a flight for Mumbai. As is the norm with me, I prefer enjoying some cup noodles at the airport after security check-in. ( I have done this at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad to name a few.) I had high expections  from Jaipur airport as this is an international tourist destination. However I was badly let down here. The washrooms are unclean and unhygienic, the sandwich's are stale, too much sugar in machine coffee. I thought this might be a one time phenomena as this is an off season because of summer heat. So I decided to check out some reviews on the net. Here is what I found.

by Maria
"I was stranded in Jaipur Airport from about 5 AM to 2 PM waiting for a delayed flight in Fall of 1997. Have to say, it was one of the nicest places I found in Jaipur... definitely the nicest airport I've found in India. Brand new, I think, nicely air-conditioned, sparkling clean (for India), nice little gift shops, decent toilets, and completely empty for much of my time there. Unfortunately, molded plastic seats so it was hard to nap, and not much selection in terms of food... I think just a little stand or two... no proper cafeteria."

Point to be noted here is that there was no proper cafeteria in 1997 and the state still persists. Also instead of maintaining itself as one of the "nicest airport" in India it has further deteriorated. 

Beat the Heat this summer

Jaipur Temperature today :- 43 Degrees

A terrible day to spend in Jaipur. How does one work in such an environment without facilities (read desert coolers and air conditioners) ? Well unfortunately I don't have either. Had a bad bad day today because of the rising temperature. As a next logical step, tried to search the net on how to beat the heat and here are the findings. (the classical cut copy paste tools ;))

23 Ways to Beat the Heat

By Adam Bluestein and Allegra Muzzillo

Baby, it's hot outside―and inside, too. Here, no-sweat ways to cool off.

Put Up Sun Blockers

Try a desert trick. When the air outside is dry and cooler than the air inside, hang a damp sheet in an open window. "That's what we do here in Death Valley," says Dale Housley, a ranger at Death Valley National Park. Incoming breezes are cooled by the evaporating water.

 Block the sun. Closing curtains and blinds (ideally with sun-deflecting white on the window side) can reduce the amount of heat that passes into your home by as much as 45 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Don't Blow Hot Air

Make a makeshift air conditioner. If it's hot but not humid, place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan and enjoy the breeze. As the ice melts, then evaporates, it will cool you off.

 Give your A/C some TLC. Clean or replace the filter in room and central air conditioners about once a month during the summer. If you have central air-conditioning, have the ducts checked for leaks, which can reduce a system's efficiency by as much as 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Seal any cracks between a window unit and the frame with peelable caulking or a sealant strip. These steps help ensure good airflow and keep the coils cleaner, which means more efficient and more effective cooling.

Close It Down

Close the damper. While running any kind of air conditioner, shut your fireplace damper. An open one "pulls hot air into your house instead of sucking it out," says Tommy Spoto, a master chimney sweep at Chimney Chap, in Copiague, New York. "This is called flow reversal."

 Close everything else, too. Whether the air conditioner is on or off, keep windows and doors shut if the temperature outside is more than 77 degrees Fahrenheit (most people start to sweat at 78). Whenever the outside air is hotter than the inside air, opening a window invites heat to creep in.

Give a Squirt

Spritz yourself. Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt. "It's all about thermal regulation," says John Lehnhardt, an elephant expert at Disney's Animal Kingdom, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. "As the water evaporates, it cools you." While elephants wet their ears first by blasting water from their trunks, humans should begin with their wrists to quickly cool down the blood flowing through their veins.

 Fan strategically. If the day's heat is trapped inside your home, try a little ventilation at night or when the temperature drops below 77. A window fan can help; the trick is to face the blades outside to suck warm air out of the house and pull cooler air in. "Kind of surprising," says Bill Nye, the Science Guy, a scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor. "Having a fan blowing in is a good idea―but it's not as effective as one that's blowing out."

Vent a Lot

Run a fan and an air conditioner simultaneously. You can use the air conditioner at lower power and still feel cool if the fan is blowing over you. That's because the air conditioner removes humidity from the air while the fan helps evaporate sweat and moves heat away from your body. (Note: Fans don't cool a room; they just make people feel cooler, so shut them off before you leave.)

 Turn on the vent in the bathroom. When taking a shower, be sure to use the vent fan: It helps sticky moisture escape.

Observe Key Notes

Let your computer take a nap. Set it to go into low-power "sleep" mode if you are away from it for more than 10 minutes and it will give off less heat. When you're finished for the day, shut the machine down completely. Despite what some IT guy may have told you years ago, properly shutting down and restarting modern-day computers won't put undue strain on the hardware. And forget about working with a computer on your lap―it's too darn hot. "That's why they changed the name from laptop to notebook," says Justin M. Solomon, a 19-year-old undergraduate at Stanford University who took first place in computer science at the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

 Wick while you work. To keep yourself cooler when computing, plug a Kensington FlyFan ($40, amazon.com) into a USB port on your machine. The fan's flexible neck lets you direct the breeze to your sweaty brow.

Try Air Drying

Skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher. Instead, leave the door open to let the dishes dry. And put off using the dishwasher until evening, when the air is cooler. Or simply wash your dishes the old-fashioned way: by hand.

 Dress right. Wear one of the widely available synthetic fabrics designed to wick away sweat and that sticky feeling (examples include Coolmax and Nano-Tex); they're not just for athletes anymore. If you prefer cotton, make it thin, light colored, and, most of all, loose. "The best thing is to have sweat evaporate directly from skin to air," says Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology and kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University, in University Park. "The next best thing is for the sweat to move quickly from your skin to clothing and then evaporate. Loose, billowy clothes allow air movement next to the skin and help with evaporation."

Lose (or Choose) the Hot Stuff

Shuck your shoes. As the sweat on your feet evaporates, it cools the skin and the blood in your feet. Blood vessels then whisk that blood to other parts of the body, so "you're getting a greater sensation of coolness," says Donald R. Bohay, M.D., a member of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society.

 Spice it up. As people who live in scorching climates, such as those of Mexico and India, know well, eating hot stuff can cool you down. "Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical compound that helps us to perspire more readily," says Rick Bayless, the James Beard Award-winning chef of Frontera Grill, in Chicago. When this sweat evaporates, you experience brief relief.

Stay Hydrated

Swig often. To replace the moisture that you lose as you perspire, be sure to drink. As you lose water to dehydration, your body temperature rises, so replacing fluids is essential to keeping cool. Avoid beverages that contain alcohol, caffeine, or lots of sugar, which are dehydrating. "Also opt for hydrating foods," says Deena Kastor, a marathon runner and an Olympic bronze medalist. "Try a smoothie for lunch, and add more fruits and vegetables to all your meals. Watermelon has the greatest water content of any food out there."

 Eat light. There's a reason we reach for salads in the summer. They're easier to digest than, say, a fatty hamburger, which leaves you feeling sluggish in the high heat. Instead, go for fruits and vegetables, which are watery and help keep you hydrated (and cooler), says Robert Kenefick, a physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, in Natick, Massachusetts, which studies the effects of extreme climates on soldiers' bodies.

Opt for a Shutdown

Give your oven a summer vacation. If you cook, use the stovetop, the microwave, or a barbecue. "Grill some extra vegetables when you're making dinner," says Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison's Kitchen (Broadway, $20, amazon.com). "The next day, mix them with a little Feta cheese and olive oil for a great, cool snack."

 Shut the lights. Or change the bulbs: Long-lasting compact fluorescent bulbs produce about 70 percent less heat than standard incandescents.

Take Some Dry Measures

Give the clothes dryer a break, too. Hang a clothesline and let your towels and sheets flap in the breeze. "They smell wonderful," says Paul Hooker, whose company, Sferra, sells sheets made in Italy, where, he adds, almost everyone hangs them out to dry.

 Make a "cold compress." Fill a cotton sock with rice, tie the sock with twine, and freeze it for two hours before bedtime. Then slide it between the sheets. Rice retains cold for a long period because it's dense and starchy, says Jim Hill, Ph.D., an associate dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California at Davis.

Think Cool

Escape. Relax with A Winter's Tale, The Call of the Wild, Doctor Zhivago, or Smilla's Sense of Snow. "Reading about cold can take your mind off the thermometer, evoking one's own experience of ice and snow," says Walter A. Brown, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the medical schools of Brown and Tufts Universities and an expert in the placebo effect. "It's also a bit of self-hypnosis. Sometimes when I shower and the water is cold, I tell myself it's hot and I can make myself believe it." You can save that last insight for another season entirely.