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220 Squadron, IAF - Unsung warriors of 1965

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Category: History
Last Updated: Tuesday, 01 September 2015 22:21
Written by Sandhya Janorkar
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The events of September 1st, 1965 are seared into the minds of every Air Force veteran who fought in that conflict.  In no small measure to the sacrifice made by three pilots of No.45 and 220 Squadron, flying obsolete Vampire FB52s in the face of the overwhelming odds against the Pakistani offensive in Chamb. In this article Mrs. Sandhya Janorkhar writes about her one of the 'few' who didnt return that day. 

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Golden Arrows over Kargil

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Category: Kargil War 1999
Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 July 2015 12:31
Written by 17 Squadron War Diary
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No.17 Squadron took part in the Kargil Operations distinguishing itself in the Fighter Recce role. Under the command of then Wg Cdr B S Dhanoa, the unit was engaged in operations throughout the conflict and one of its members paid the ultimate sacrifice to the nation.

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Bale Out from a Deepak

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Category: Flight Safety
Last Updated: Thursday, 24 December 2020 18:21
Written by Gp Capt M Sabharwal
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The HAL HPT-32 Deepak had a chequered career in the Indian Air Force - Introduced in the late 80s, it served for about two decades in the IAF, being used for the ab-initio flying training of IAF Cadets. Over the course of its career, more than 21 were lost in accidents.  Only two known incidents involved pilots successfully baling out - thus earning themselves membership in the Caterpillar Club.  The first such baleout was done by Flight Cadet M Sabharwal - later Gp Capt, 22122 F(P) . This is his account, first published in Flight Safety Magazine.

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I was a Japanese Prisoner of War

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Category: Veterans Project - Interviews, Profiles and Memoirs
Last Updated: Saturday, 04 July 2015 02:14
Written by Fg Offr K Velayadhun Nair
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Towards the end of November 1944, No.2 Squadron IAF moved from Kohat to Mambur airstrip on the Burma Front to take part in the operations against the Japanese. Within a day of the operations starting, On 2nd December 1944, Flying Officer K V Nair failed to return from a sortie. His Hurricane aircraft, LA316 was seen force-landing near a Chaung 15 miles NE of Akyab. Nair was seen clmbing out of the aircraft but his  fate remained a mystery till about five months later when he was one of the Prisoners of War liberated from the Rangoon Jail.  Nair would give the following account of the period he spent as as a POW under the Japanese.

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The Ajeet Trainer - Short lived and scantily used

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Category: Retired Aircraft Histories
Last Updated: Monday, 12 June 2017 13:23
Written by Wg Cdr A K Gupta (Retd)
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Ajeet Trainer E2427

The HAL built Ajeet Trainer is one of the odd-ball aircraft in the IAF's history. Only two examples were inducted and they were introduced at the fag end of the career of a legendary fighter. Wg Cdr A K (Lui) Gupta goes over their short career in the IAF - which lasted less than four years! 

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IAF goes International : Exercises with foreign air forces

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Category: Contemporary Articles
Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 May 2015 03:10
Written by Air Marshal Subhash Bhojwani
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Soldiering is not a profession which gives one the opportunity to learn on the job. The lessons thrown up by realistic exercises play an important role in a soldier's training for war. This article is a look at the IAF's participation in various International exercises between 1999 and 2007, and the lessons it learnt from its international exposure. 

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Dakota in a Combat Zone

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Category: The India-Pakistan War 1965
Last Updated: Wednesday, 06 May 2015 13:12
Written by Arunesh Prasad
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The official history of the No.43 Squadron carries the following tantalising tidbit . "On 6 September 1965, the squadron had its first direct encounter with the enemy. Three aircraft took off from Amritsar in the evening with for Hunter escorts when they were attacked by a formation of four Sabres and a B-57 bomber. The Hunters latched on the Sabres. The B-57 got a chance and fired at the last DAKOTA, which was still on the ground about to take off. The DAKOTA was not hit and got airborne safely." . This incident did not get told anywhere else till now - as Sqn Ldr Arunesh "Bachu" Prasad puts on record what happened that evening.

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