Instructional Duties
Air Vice Marshal Arvind Dalaya
Captions
1. Dining in Night 1953 - Flying Instructors Course - Ambala
Taken at the Dining In Night in 1953 when the flying instructors finished
their training course in Ambala.
Crouching: F/O Nirmal Singh, self Standing, 1st Row: Maj. Dhawasher,
F/O Sinha Ray, Air Cmde (later CAS) Moolgavkar, F/O Ripu Sahni (with trophy), F/O Burman,
Flt Lt Neil Todd (Neil later died in a B-24 crash), Flt Lt Percy Harrington. Standing,
2nd Row: F/O MM Singh, F/O Bhadwar, F/O Gurdip Singh, F/O LaFontaine (later CAS), F/O
Chacha Sahni (Ripus uncle).
2. With Trainee Flying Officers
As a F/O instructing cadets on the Percival Prentice in 1954. It was a basic trainer
that replaced the Tigermoth. L to R F/C Balasubramaniam, self, F/C
Chaudry, F/C Bali, F/C Bhasin, and F/C Bhangoo. I am glad that all my pupils passed out
and got their wings, even those who were assigned to me as their last chance to become
pilots.
3. Harvards in Flight
A Harvard formation in 1954
4. With Wadhwan and Fernandez
P/O O N Wadhawan, self, and P/O Fernandes on the day of receiving their wings at
Jodhpur in 1955. They were my students and had dropped in the Officers Mess to say
goodbye. Wadhawan later commanded an Su-7 fighter squadron and did well in his career.
5. Picnic at Jodhpur
1954 This photo was taken in Jodhpur, which was a god-forsaken place for a single
pilot. Bachelor Instructors posted there invariably went out on a picnic on Sunday for a
change of pace. I am at the top, to the left is F/O Teddy DSouza, then
F/O Ripu Sahni, and the one showing his big bum to our photographer friend is F/O
Mote Chandra.
6. "Kay" Singh
Kay Singh at Palam officers mess. We had gone there for a
flypast. He was a coursemate and one of my best friends. He was a very nice person, a
thorough gentleman from Dehra Dun. He was killed in a Harvard crash at Begumpet when he
hit a lake after an instrument flying sortie.
7. Trip to Kasauli
F/Os MM Singh, BN Mishra, Baldy Mehta, and Bakhle enjoying some beer
on a motorcycle trip to or from Kasauli hill station.
8. Air Force Day Bombay 1957.
Standing from left Self, Flt Lt Lalwani, Flt Lt Teddy
DSouza, Flt Lt Dutt, Flt Lt Saighal (Missing in Action in the China operation. He
was a helicopter pilot. While flying on a casualty evacuation mission to a forward picket,
he failed to return. His body was never recovered. We presumed he had been captured by the
Chinese), Sq Ldr Zachariah, Flt Lt Baldy Mehta (Baldy died when his Gnat
flamed out on approach to Palam Airfield in the late 1950s). Seated from
left: Mrs. Zachariah, Sq. Ldr Kuriyan, Mrs. Saighal, Mrs. Kuriyan.
9. Air Force Day party 1961
Air Force Day party at Firpos in Calcutta in 1961. Standing from left: Self, Flt Lt
Behl, Flt Lt Jit Dhawan, and Flt Lt Ghosh. Jit later went on to command an HF24 fighter
squadron. Jits brother was Satish Dhawan, the head of Indias space program and
pioneer space scientist.
Copyright © AVM ARVIND DALAYA & AJIT M GADRE. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of © AVM ARVIND DALAYA & AJIT M GADRE is prohibited.
Date: 11/14/2007
Owner: Webmaster
Size: 9 items
|