Sun sets on India’s iconic and controversial Soviet fighter jet

The first time that he strangled the Mig -21 to full salad, high 20 km above the ground twice the speed of sound, the young pilot fought completely without weight, as if the sky itself had allowed him to leave.

“In Mach 2, you can feel lightly in the stomach. The turns in MIG -21 are so wide – the banking can move you sharply on a large number of kilometers before completing an entire arc.” He joined the Air Force in 1960, moved to the Soviet plane in 1966, and flew it for the next 26 years.

He told me: “I liked the mig-21 flying the way the bird loves the sky.

Six decades of admiration – and then, a more famous war plane in India finally takes its last flight on Friday. At its peak, the Mig-21 was the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF), and two-thirds of its fighter fleet. Fierce loyalty has inspired the pilots, yet it also acquired the title of “Flying Coffin” after a series of deadly accidents in the twilight years.

according to Official personalitiesBetween 1966 and 1980, India bought 872 Mig aircraft of various models.

Between 1971-1972 and April 2012, 482 Mig accidents were registered, with 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service employees and one staff were called, “due to both human error and technical defects.” There has been no official data update since then.

“The Mig-21 has a volatile legacy. The IAF fighter was the primary pillar of IAF for more than three decades and served in various roles in all conflicts in India since the 1965 Pakistan War,” says Rahul Bhatia, an Eurasia group analyst, an exceptional company to consult geographic risks. “However, starting from the early first decade of the twentieth century, the fighter has become known for his high collision. Pilots looked back at Mig-21 with pride, but the plane remained in service for a longer period of time,” he added.

It was designed by the Soviets and first place in 1963, the Mig-21 was of the MiG-21 needle, quickly height and could climb at a fierce speed. At its peak, the plane flew with more than 50 air forces – from the Soviet Union, China, India to Egypt, Iraq and Vietnam – which makes it one of the fastest aircraft of sound in history.

In India, where Hindustan Aviation Company (HAL), which is run by the country, began building the license in the mid-1960s, the Mig-21 became the cornerstone of the IAF swarms, which was allocated in its diversity through multiple combat roles.

The pilots inside the MIG -21 driving cockpit said, there was little rest – just one seat and the sky pressed everywhere.

The air conditioning – which was built for Russian winter – was barely sufficient in the burning Indian summer. At low levels, the cockpit often turned into a stifling and the pilots may lose one or more body weight during one sort, Venod Khatia remember.

He told me: “Most of the mountains that I enlightened were about 30 minutes, so the discomfort was possible. In the end, it was all part of the game and is still fun.”

Originally, the objector was adapted to a height of speed and short-term climbing to reach the enemy on short distances, and the Mig-21 was adapted by IAF for combat and land attacks.

By the 1971 war with Pakistan, it became a massive multi -role fighter, although in 1965 he was still new and mainly protest. Mig-21 also formed India’s defense relations with Russia and helped start its flight industry.

“We have adapted planes with Indian circumstances in a wonderful way,” Air Marshal Brar says.

This ability to adapt to determine its role in the 1971 war. The Mig-21 formation struck the ruler’s home in Dhaka, and the missile detonation through the surface ventilation devices.

“Each plane carried two bombs 500 kg, I went from three to four of these tasks. I took off from Amritsar, we were Insidepakistan within 35 minutes, and we hit our goals with a depth of 250 km and its race through Rajastan-the shortest way to go out,” says Air Marshal Braar.

Each fighter plane has its own justifications and MiG -21 was no exception – rapid descent and even high -speed stalls were part of its personality, according to Air Marshal Bhatia. He says, “Mind it and respect it and it was a beautiful air plane.”

For the pilots who have entertained it, the deformed MIG -21 reputation in the subsequent years is not due. One of them said: “The media was very nice to the plane,” one of them said.

Defense analyst Rahul Bidi says there is a lot of “nostalgia in a place around MiG-21 because he was responsible for many deaths.” Many repeated aircraft accidents are attributed to a aircraft pilot and extended maintenance courses.

“The biggest challenge of the Mig -21 was its engine and the speed of the high decline, which made the descent to short schools and contributed to many incidents – the blame is often blamed for a trial error. Attempts to retire, the fighters have been repeatedly disrupted due to efficiency and bureaucratic beads,” says Mr. Bidi.

The Air Force had to continue extending the MiG-21 service as it was not available alternatives. A light combat aircraft aimed at replacing it was conceived in 1981, flew for the first time in 2001, and so far, after decades, not only two swarms are operated.

With the last two Mig -21 swarms retirement, India now will have 29 fighters against 42 units. However, for the pilots who rolled it, MiG – 21 was not just a machine – it was a partner in the sky.

Air Marshal Braar felt that Bond was directly raising his last sortie from the northern city of Shandigar just two days before his retirement in July 2000.

“I was in the sky again, like bird flying for the last time. When I fell and left the cockpit, I felt completely satisfied.”

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