New Delhi: If things go to plan, Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman could fly with Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa in a MiG-21 Bison in Pathankot in early September, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources said there are plans to make Abhinandan — who has been selected for the Vir Chakra for his role in thwarting the Pakistani offensive a day after the Balakot strikes in February — fly during the induction ceremony of the Apache attack helicopters on 3 September. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the chief guest at the event.
The plan is yet to be finalised completely, sources said.
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.
Cleared to fly
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 beatings 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.
“He has been flying for the last two weeks and is an inspiration for all of us. He has always been eager to fly,” a source said.
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.
“Abhinandan behaved like a true Indian soldier in enemy custody,” a source said.
In an attempt to break him, Pakistani intelligence agency ISI also made him speak to his wife, former IAF helicopter pilot Tanvi Marwah, but the couple played it by the book.
Also read: What Wing Commander Abhinandan told his wife when he called while in Pakistan’s custody