It was a matter of pride to witness Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who piloted a MiG-21 Bison during the air strike at a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February, flying together in a two-seater version of the Russian-origin legacy jet on Monday.
A photo op of the two which will remain in memory of one and all in the times to come. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa who led the squadron of frontline ground attack fighters during the Kargil conflict in 1999, took took off with Wing Commander Varthaman in the MiG-21 trainer from Pathankot and flew for 30 minutes. The common factor between the two is that both had ejected and survived MiG-21 incidents, both went to war on MiG-21s, and the Air Chief Marshal served in a MiG-21 squadron with the Wing Commander’s father, who retired as an Air Marshal.
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa was excited when he said, “This is my last sortie on a fighter jet. Both of us have two things in common – first, both of us ejected and second, both of us have fought Pakistanis. I fought in Kargil, he fought after Balakot. And third, I’ve flown with his father. It’s an honour for me to do my last sortie in the IAF, in a fighter aircraft, with his son”.
All eyes were on the duo when after a pre-flight check, the Air Chief Marshal climbed into the front seat and Wing Commander Varthaman took the rear seat of the trainer jet, whose controls in the front are replicated in the back.
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa and MIG 21
Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa flew in the MiG-21 several times in the last few months. On 29th anniversary of the Kargil conflict, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa led a four-aircraft ‘Missing Man’ formation in honour of the servicemen killed.
Highlights of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was honoured with Vir Chakra on the Independence Day, looked fit and fine. After getting back to flying Vir Chakra Wing Commander Varthaman was beaming with confidence.
Wing Commander Varthaman had shot down an advanced American-origin F-16 of the Pakistani Air Force in the dogfight in February while flying MIG 21. The air battle took place a day after India’s Mirage 2000 jets crossed the Line of Control and bombed a camp of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot in retaliation against a suicide attack that killed 40 soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. His jet was downed by enemy fire, after which he was captured by Pakistani force but released days later following the pressure from India.
