IAF chief flies farewell sortie with Balakot hero Abhinandan Varthaman
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa took the pilot's front seat and flew the entire sortie, while Abhinandan Varthaman occupied the co-pilot's rear seat
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman pose for a photograph after a sortie on the MiG 21 jet, at Airforce Station, Pathankot, Monday, Sept 02, 2019.
Current affairs: Indian Air Force (IAF) chief and veteran MiG-21 pilot, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, who will retire this month, flew his farewell sortie on Monday in a MiG-21 Bison fighter, with Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as his co-pilot.
As the MiG-21 accelerated down the Pathankot airbase runway for its notoriously fast take-off, the sortie was laden with symbolism. Dhanoa and Varthaman are amongst the few IAF pilots who have flown combat missions against Pakistan — Dhanoa during the 1999 Kargil conflict and Varthaman on February 27, the day after the IAF strike on Balakot in Pakistan.
Both pilots have experienced ejection by parachute from their stricken MiG-21s. Finally, in a tradition-bound military, where sons often follow their fathers into service, Dhanoa has flown extensively with Varthaman’s father — himself an Air Marshal who retired recently.
“I’ve flown with his (Varthaman’s) father. It’s an honour for me to...read more
As the MiG-21 accelerated down the Pathankot airbase runway for its notoriously fast take-off, the sortie was laden with symbolism. Dhanoa and Varthaman are amongst the few IAF pilots who have flown combat missions against Pakistan — Dhanoa during the 1999 Kargil conflict and Varthaman on February 27, the day after the IAF strike on Balakot in Pakistan.
Both pilots have experienced ejection by parachute from their stricken MiG-21s. Finally, in a tradition-bound military, where sons often follow their fathers into service, Dhanoa has flown extensively with Varthaman’s father — himself an Air Marshal who retired recently.
“I’ve flown with his (Varthaman’s) father. It’s an honour for me to...read more
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