New Delhi: The Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Monday flew a MiG-21 Type 69 aircraft along with Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa from the Pathankot air base, which was part of the Balakot strike operations.
Sources said Abhinandan, who will be conferred the Vir Chakra for his role in thwarting a Pakistani offensive a day after the Balakot strikes in February, was the co-pilot on the sortie that lasted for about half an hour, after taking off at 11.30 am.
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa, a Kargil veteran, has flown the MiG-21 Bison before, and has regularly flown fighter aircraft during his tenure as the IAF chief. He is set to retire on 30 September.
This would be his last fighter aircraft sortie flown by Dhanoa before his retirement.
‘Honour to have flown my last fighter sortie with Abhinandan’
Speaking to the media after the sortie, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said Abhinandan and him share some things in common.
“First, both of us ejected and second both of us have fought the Pakistanis. I fought in the Kargil and he fought after Balakot,” the IAF chief said.
ACM Dhanoa added that he had flown with Abhinandan’s father and it was an honour for him to do his last sortie in an IAF fighter with his son.
While there are different models of the MiG-21, only the Type 69 is a trainer aircraft.
Abhinandan without his trademark ‘gunslinger’ moustache
Abhinandan’s signature ‘gunslinger’ moustache was missing today.
The moustache had led to commercials being made both in India and Pakistan. It had become so popular that several youngsters had started sporting the Abhinandan-style moustache.
The flying plan for Monday
ThePrint had reported on 26 August that the two officers are set to fly together. Though the original plan was to fly on 3 September, after the induction ceremony of the Apache attack helicopters, the schedule was changed.
It was felt that there would be a media frenzy on that day and that it would take the focus away from the induction ceremony at the Pathankot airbase.
The Pathankot airbase is the front-line fighter base and is home to the 26 Squadron of the IAF. The IAF currently operates five squadrons of the Russian-made MiG-21 fighters. Of these, four squadrons comprise the upgraded MiG-21 Bison fighter jets. All five are likely to be decommissioned soon. The 26 Squadron has not been upgraded and will be decommissioned by the end of this year.
Also read: What Wing Commander Abhinandan told his wife when he called while in Pakistan’s custody
Abhinandan had resumed flying earlier
Wing Commander Abhinandan has already started flying the MiG-21 Bison at an air force station in Rajasthan, five months after he injured his back and ribs due to the hard landing and the subsequent assault he received in Pakistani custody.
The IAF’s Bengaluru-based Institute of Aerospace Medicine had given him the go-ahead to fly again late last month, following a thorough medical evaluation.
The 36-year-old wing commander was captured by the Pakistani Army on 27 February after his MiG-21 Bison was shot down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets during aerial combat, a day after the Balakot strike. He was released by Pakistan on the night of 1 March.
Seconds before his jet was hit, Abhinandan downed a Pakistani F-16 fighter. The fighter pilot drew admiration not just for this feat, but also the calmness and composure he showed in captivity, as seen in a number of videos released by Pakistan.
Also read: New IAF chief to be named soon, big task for Dhanoa’s successor will be reform rollout
Commonalities between these two:
1. Both of them flew against Pakistan
2. Both of them have to eject.
Great! Where are his mustaches?
Must de-moralizing for himself and for his colleagues to accept and live with an award based on fake claim.
Poor standards of IAF getting worst!