CHANDIGARH: Indian Air Force pilots, including astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who flew the MiG-21 for countless hours were filled with nostalgia as the aircraft took to the skies for the last time on Friday.
Group Captain Shukla, who flew the MiG-21 fighter jet from 2007 to 2017, said it was a 'big part of his life'.
"I feel nostalgic. It feels a bit sad to see the aircraft flying its last sortie but I'm very happy that a lot of people who have flown the aircraft turned up for this event. This machine had been the backbone for the IAF for a long time but it is time to move on. It was a befitting farewell. I was posted in a lot of squadrons and enjoyed flying this aircraft a lot," he said.
Shukla added that he had learned both basic and advanced flying on this platform. "So I have a very deep attachment to this aircraft. The MiG-21 cockpit has been my greatest teacher."
Group Captain (retired) Tarun Kumar Singha says that he had last flown the MiG-21 in the 23 Squadron, which flew on Friday. "I have not forgotten the experience of flying this aircraft till today. I wake up in my dreams that I'm still doing a sortie in this machine, which speaks for how entrenched the MiG-21 is in my heart and mind. I do not think any aircraft has served in any air force for 62 years which is a remarkable feat by itself."
Singha is a consultant for the upcoming Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar on the 1999 Kargil War where MiG-21s of the Golden Arrow squadron, which was commanded by BS Dhanoa who later became the air chief, had played a significant role. "It is the right time to pay tribute to the role of MiG-21s during the Kargil War in Operation Safed Sagar which has been conceptualized and hopefully we will all see it soon. The events depicted are seen through the eyes of 17 Squadron which used to fly MiG-21s and is now flying Rafales," he said.
91-year-old Air Commodore (retired) Tapas Kumar Sen said, "I commanded the MiG-21 squadron in 1968. It was like a beautiful toy. When I joined the MiG-21 fleet, it was without a gun but could fire two missiles." Air Commodore (retired) Randhir Partap said it was such a beautiful machine that it was like driving a sports car. The same view was echoed by another veteran Ashok Dhar.
Air Commodore (retired) SS Tyagi said it was apt that the Mig-21 is being given a farewell at the same place where it was inducted into the IAF. He said he had never imagined that it would be retired. "I wish it would have stayed for another 50 years. It could have happened if HAL had decided to manufacture them. In our context, MiG-21 is a good aircraft, very effective aircraft against Pakistan with a depth of only 300 kilometres."
Wing Commander (retired) UK Chaudhary said he was feeling quite sentimental. "I had been working on all types of MiG-21 right through my career in the Indian Air Force. It's a wonderful machine. Although the media has given it a different name, I do not agree with it as it has been a very disciplined machine."