Tag Archives: Ambala

Gnat Scramble: A Lucky Escape Once – A Disaster Decades Later

By Air Commodore Tapas Sen (Retd)

I had joined the Panthers in November 1963 as a Flight Commander and had needed just twenty eight days to be declared operational on Gnats. Therefore, my story today must have been set on a cold Sunday morning early in December 1963. I do not have my logbook handy at this moment so I cannot quote the exact date. Tradition demanded that I get rostered for a holiday stint at the ORP (Operational Readiness Platform) as soon I get declared operational on type. I claimed no exception for myself; I found myself on the ORP on that Sunday. By chance, the other pilot on duty was the other new flight commander, Reggie Upot. We were no strangers to each other. He was my instructor when I was a pupil in the Flying Instructors’ school, and he was my CO when he was commanding the FIS and I was his Chief Ground Instructor. He was now my senior colleague.
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A Tale that ended well!

Air Mshl Raghu Rajan (Retd)

We were flying Gnats operating from Ambala.That morning we got airborne for a 2vs1 sortie, with G’Man in the lead, self as No2 and DDS as the attacker. Those days we had the privilege of having two Gnat and two Mystere Squadrons op from Ambala.On completion of the sortie, we pealed off for the landing, and I and DDS were in the Queue . That day G’Man had one tyre burst followed by the other and hence blocked the R/W30 some 2/3 way up and slap bang on the center of the R/W. I went around and we both Gnats orbitted for endurance as directed by the ATC. We also had two Mysteres-Hemu Khatu and VPSingh also orbitting Ambala. As the fuel state dropped to a low figure, we elected to divert to Chandigarh-the hitch, we did not have Chg R/T freq on board. We tried our Emer R/T but no joy, so we followed Hemu and VP to Chandigarh .Since my fuel state was 100lbs lower ,DDS let me be in the lead, and between ourselves we cleared each other on D/W and on Finals.Hemu landed safely on the right lane but VP had a tyre burst on the left lane, and hence came to a stop about 2000ft to go!! I had meanwhile rounded off for the landing and my fuel state did not allow any leeway (it was reading 50lbs or thereabouts) I stuck like a leech to the right lane, warned DDS to do the same and we taxied to 47 Sqn dispersal and switched off. We were surrounded by a host of officers and airmen who were heard shouting”Oye, Yeh Gnat walon ki Gaddi Hawa se chalti hai!!”The lessons learnt are too many but I leave it to you all who may have faced a similar situation!!

My First Air Battle — 03 September, 1965

By Gp Capt Manna Murdeshwar (Retd)

At the end of August 65, the Pakistani Army made a concerted effort with troops and tanks to snap the vital road link to Jammu from Pathankot, hoping thereby to cut off Kashmir from India itself. Disconcerted by this manoeuvre and unable to face the onslaught, the Indian Army asked the Indian Air Force to interclude.

Not quite able to estimate the Pakistani intentions, Headquarters Western Air Command, (HQ WAC), in their collective wisdom, deployed a Squadron of aged Vampires based at Pathankot and tasked them to neutralize the menacingly advancing enemy troops and armour. Baying for blood, the Pakistani Sabres counter attacked these malevolent Vampires. The morale of the Indian Air Force came crashing down when four Vampires were shot down on the very day that they were called upon to play their role.

HQ WAC now shuddered into an alert mode as if someone had cracked the whip. Gnats, stationed for ORP duties at Ambala and Halwara (23 Sqn dett had moved from Ambala, with, Siki,. Pathania, Kitcha and Gill) were now asked to bare their fangs. The Ambala ‘ four’ that were named later, were Johnny Greene, AJS Sandhu, Trevor Keelor and me. Thus there were a total of six of us from 23 Squadron, and two from 2 Squadron comprising the two detachments who were ordered to move into Pathankot for a “Hum kuch kar dikhayenge” move.

It was at last light when our detachment of 4 Gnats cruised in from Ambala to shore their bets. The base was agog with everyone running around like headless chickens, filled with their own importance, but not knowing what exactly they had to do! The Officers’ Mess was over- crowded and the only things that seemed to suffice were eggs!!

Filled with a sense of mission and primed by months of “Day Fighter Leader’s Combat” training under Johnny Greene, all of us went into a huddle with some of the Base Commanders, to plan the task of drawing out the Sabres and shooting down at least one of them..
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Ready for action – GNAT Mk 1 – E1038

By Wg Cdr (Retd) Prakash S Sanadi

Gnat aircraft E-1038 was on AOG for over six months. Its parts had been cannibalised to recover other aircraft, with the result it had to be kept propped up on three picketing blocks in a blast pen in Ambala, minus the undercarriage, engine, canopy, ejection seat etc. The blast pen had not been used in ages and had a lot of bushes and junk material lying in it. E-1038 was looking like a junked aircraft forlornly kept in a corner with dust covering its airframe and a piece of canvas just as dirty and torn, haphazardly spread over the cockpit.

15th Dec ’71. With the Indo Pak Dec ‘71 war at its peak Ms Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was tasked by Air Hq., with immediate supply of items on AOG for all aircraft of HAL manufacture in the Western Sector. Chairman HAL ordered all concerned Divisions to immediately arrange to supply all the AOGs items and airlift the required items in the HAL Avro. A message to this effect was flashed to Hq WAC who in turn informed C Eng O, Ambala that the Avro would arrive on 17th Dec 71 with all the AOG items for E-1038 and the aircraft has to be kept ready for rebuild which is to be completed within 24 hours and the aircraft be flown out to Amritsar for operational duties. Flt Lt Sanadi was tasked by Wg Cdr Johnny Greene, OC 2 Squadron AF, to monitor the progress and when the aircraft was ready, he was to air test the aircraft on a flight towards Amritsar and land there only.

16th Dec ’71. Never had a squadron achieved what transpired in the next 24 hours. The STO of No 2 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Shaukat Ali ordered all the available manpower to start cleaning the blast pen and the aircraft, camouflage the blast pen completely so no light could be visible from the outside. The activity was feverish, the blast pen was cleaned of all the bushes, the aircraft was washed with soap water and wiped clean, the cockpit was vacuum cleaned. The blast pen was camouflaged and fitted with flood lights focused on the aircraft, all equipment required to work on the aircraft was positioned in the blast pen procured from the R & SS and each team was tasked to complete their responsibilities in the shortest possible time. Meals, tea, coffee etc were arranged to be delivered by the Mess in the blast pen. Sleeping arrangements (in fits & starts) were arranged in nearby rooms with attached toilets for all personnel working on the aircraft.

17th Dec ’71. The HAL Avro aircraft landed at Ambala at about 1pm. All the equipment required to rebuild E-1038 packed in neat boxes was off loaded and moved directly to the blast pen, where it was opened and segregated. The engine & ejection seat complete were positioned on their trolleys side by side in the blast pen. At about 4pm the work to rebuild E-1038 commenced. It was getting dark and the weather was biting cold with a stiff cold breeze blowing to make matters worse. At about 10pm Flt Sgt Ramamurthy an engine tradesman came to Flt Lt Sanadi and requested issue of two bottles of Rum. Sanadi was dumbfounded with the request, but Sqn Ldr Shaukat Ali was there to reassure Sanadi and said give it to him. So two bottles of Rum were issued!! Sanadi then went to monitor the progress. Cpl Yadav leaning his back to the main wheel as a support was seen desperately trying to lock the buttons of the rubberised wing fuel tank inside the wing. This task was done just by feel through a opening on the under surface of the wing. His hand and back paining he continued with his task. Sanadi offered to help and was able to push just one button into its locking slot before his back & arm gave way. Yadav laughed and took over the task himself. The blast pen by now was a beehive of activity, AOC Ambala with the C Eng O came to see the effort being put in. Sqn Ldr Shaukat Ali was asked when the aircraft would be ready for the test flight and he said the plan was to have the aircraft ready for the ground run at 9am the following morning, the time at that moment was 2230 hrs. Sanadi was told to return home and get some sleep and be ready for the air test the following morning. Simultaneously the air raid siren went off but the technicians continued to work on the aircraft, unmindful of the risk they were taking. They appeared like ants clambering all over the aircraft in their effort to complete the task in hand.

18th Dec ’71 0900 hrs. E-1038 a gleaming Gnat in all its splendor was towed out of the blast pen and positioned for the ground run just out side the blast pen. A bowser was positioned to top up the aircraft after the engine run. The engine tradesman was inside the cockpit all set to start the engine. At the given signal the engine was started up with the sound of a beautiful whine of the engine RPM winding up. Everyone assembled gave a loud cheer and a thumbs up signal. The ground run was successful and no snags were encountered. Slight adjustments were made and the engine was switched off. E-1038 was readied for the air test & ferry. ATC got the clearance from ADC for the air test & ferry of the aircraft to Amritsar. Sanadi got into the cockpit, quickly strapped himself in, closed & locked the canopy and gave the signal for start up. Checking all the parameters, he asked for taxying out and line up permission from the ATC. Again there was a roar & clapping from the crowd of tired officers, technicians and NCE’s as the aircraft was taxied out. Everyone saluted and E1038 rolled out and lined up for take off. ATC controller called 35 GOOD LUCK, YOU ARE CLAEARED FOR TAKE 0FF. With a full throated roar of the engine, E-1038 was airborne and zoomed off into a brilliant blue sky, climbing away. With radar cover provided, Sanadi checked out the aircraft enroute to Amritsar, informed Ambala operations normal landing at destination. At approximately 1120hrs E-1038 landed at Amritsar airfield and was inducted into operational flying. A job well done by all the personnel & M/s HAL. E-1038 remained fully serviceable through out the war.

A hair-raising incident with Gnats

By Wg Cdr Prakash S Sanadi

3rd DECEMBER 1971

The IAF had called off Operation Cactus Lily in the Western Sector with the defeat and surrender of East Pakistan. No. 45 Sqn (MiGs) were ordered to pack up from Amritsar and move back to Chandigarh as the war in the East was over. A detachment of No 2 Squadron (Gnats), on ORP and Operational duties, also operating from Amritsar, was asked to wind up and return to Ambala.

Area of Interest - Ambala

Sandy (Flt Lt PS Sanadi) was in Ambala waiting to ferry a Gnat aircraft under engine change to Amritsar. He was instructed to report immediately to Amritsar by Wg Cdr JW Greene Commanding Officer of No 2 Squadron to help in the winding up of 2 Sqn detachment. Sandy was planning to leave Ambala by train the same evening when he got a call from Mrs Greene to say she would be accompanying him as the war scenario in the western sector was over and her visit to Amritsar was agreed to by her husband. Geeta, Sandy’s wife also decided to join in the joy ride to Amritsar. So the train journey was cancelled and Sandy decided to drive down to Amritsar in his Fiat car.

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