Rajnish Sharma says I learnt more than flying from them: Air Marshal (R) Harish Masand

10 May 2023

With 28 Squadron, The First Supersonics, celebrating their Diamond Jubilee in March 2023, I thought this was an appropriate time to pay tribute to a living legend who not only converted the Squadron on MiG-29s but also set a new bar on aerobatics and air combat. I have known Air Marshal Harish Masand since 18 March 1989, then a Wing Commander. In fact, it was an enrapturing experience as I watched him flying with graceful dexterity his MiG-29 over Tilpat Firing Range during Air Power Demonstration (APD). It was a solo aerobatic display. The way he flew enthralled me and all the spectators. I could see the excitement among the onlookers as they watched him flying over the range. The whole sequence of his aerobatic display is still vivid in my mind. 9 G turn and Hammer Stall were particularly breathtaking. The next day’s Hindustan Times newspaper carried an article about APD and described Wing Commander Masand’s aerobatic display that stole the show from Thunderbolts aerobatic Team (the erstwhile aerobatic team of IAF). A similar write-up is in the VAYU issue in 1989. These bear testimony to Air Marshal Masand’s flying skills. Even a layman like me could understand that his aerobatic display was extraordinary. From that day onwards I started taking even a keener interest in military aviation and Air Marshal Masand. I had a strong desire to meet Wing Commander Masand and the desire to meet him grew stronger with each passing day. Since I didn’t know where he was posted at that time, I sent a New Year Greeting card addressed to Air Chief Marshal NC Suri in December 1992 and requested him to redirect an enclosed envelope addressed to Wing Commander Masand to wherever he was posted then. Thankfully, the Air Chief redirected that envelope to Wing Commander Masand. I express my gratitude to Air Chief Suri Sir if he is reading this article. Sometime in the middle of January 1993 I received a letter from Group Captain Masand (he was promoted to Group Captain soon after the APD). He was in the USA then, deputed by IAF for a course in Air War College, Montgomery, Albama. Group Captain Masand had topped in that course, thereby adding another feather in his cap.

Soon after his return from the USA sometime in 1993 he was appointed as Director of MiG upgrade. The redoubtable MiG-21s (I would rather prefer to call MiG-21 a formidable aircraft despite media recklessly stigmatising this aircraft over the past many decades because of number of freak accidents involving 21s) were upgraded to BIS standards under his aegis. MiG-21s proved their worth in 1971 Indo- Pak war, and it was the upgraded variant of the same MiG-21 (BIS) flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthman, who shot down a far superior F-16 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in an aerial dogfight on 27 February 2019. Lots of emphasis was given on minimising the cost of upgradation of MiG-21s without compromising on its effectiveness. All credit goes to Air Marshal Masand for achieving all the parameters laid down in upgradation programme of MiG-21s. Even though more than 2 decades had passed since this venerable aircraft was upgraded, yet it was potent enough to shoot down F-16 in February 2019. I am getting goosebumps as I am writing these lines.

must have kept him very busy, he took some time out to meet me on 16 August 1995 at my residence in Delhi. I got to know about his family, how he joined IAF, his experiences in the IAF etc. His father was called into MES in the East during the Second World War, his elder brother was a Transport Aircraft Pilot in the IAF and his younger brother was a Lieutenant in the Army. Three brothers fought 1971 war valiantly. This is truly rare, and yet a rarer honour was indeed bestowed upon Masands by the Almighty. He received Vir Chakra for shooting down PAF Sabre jet in the early days of 1971 war while, sadly, he lost his younger brother in the same war. His senior Officer, former Air Chief Marshal SK Kaul, who broke this sad news, advised him to take few days off. But, driven by his morals and ethics, he refused to go on leave and continued to discharge his military duties till the war ended. He was part of the Hunter Aircraft formation that had carried out an attack on Dacca Governor House on 14 December 1971 and made the Governor submit his resignation. This attack had a direct bearing on the outcome of 1971 war. He was the youngest pilot to have shot down an enemy’s aircraft in a dogfight. The Officer had e very impressive career in the IAF that he joined in 1967. In 1974 he went for All Purpose Flying Instructor Course and stood first in all the disciplines. In 1975 he was posted to MiG-21 as an instructor and thereafter for the Photo Interpreter Course. Here too he stood first. In 1977 he stood first in Junior Commaders Course. In 1978 he was promoted to Squadron Leader. In 1979 he appeared for Defence Service Staff Selection Examination and stood first. In 1981 he was posted to Directorate of Air Staff Inspection as the youngest Inspector. In 1986 he was sent to erstwhile USSR as Commanding Officer of a Squadron to train the first batch of pilots on the latest MiG- 29s. In 1989 he was promoted as Group Captain and awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for distinguished service.

After the successful completion of MiG upgradation programme he was posted to Shillong in October 1996 as an Air Commodore. In late January 1997 I got to know that he had taken over as an Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of Poona Air Force Base after a tragic crash of MiG-29 that killed the former AOC of Poona AFB, Air Commodore CD Chandrasekar. The young and rookie MiG-29 pilots who had witnessed the crash (AOC Chandrasekar’s MiG crashed while landing) had lost faith in MiG-29. Group Captain Masand, whom Air HQ had sent to investigate the crash was asked to fill in the vacant post of AOC left by AOC Chandrasekar’s untimely demise. The first responsibility he himself took soon after taking over as AOC of Poona AFB was to fly MiG -29 and also perform complex aerobatics in front of young pilots in order to boost their atrophied morale. This shows the stuff he is made of: a valiant fighter pilot who also possess excellent man management skills. In December 1998 I went to Poona to meet him. I can never forget the hospitality extended to me by the AOC and his family during my stay in Poona. Su-30s were inducted during his tenure as an AOC of Poona Air Force Base. Please see the attached photo of AOC Masand Sir clicked by me during my visit to Poona. He is holding 1:42 scale mode of Rafale assembled and painted by me. In December 2001 he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and was posted to Maintenance Command in Nagpur as Senior Air & Administration Staff Officer so I didn’t see him for a few years till he came back to Delhi to fight his promotion case.

Despite his impeccable, difficult to match Service record, as we saw above, it is rather discouraging for any dedicated Military person like Masand Sir to move court for promotion to the higher rank. And unfortunately it happened with Masand Sir. Despite being number 1 in the merit, he was denied promotion to the rank of Air Marshal. The questionable discretionary power usurped by the Promotion Board drew flak from within the Military Service and civilians. Some “Letters to the Editor” published in the leading newspapers and magazines attached here testify to the fact that public opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of Air Marshal Masand who bore the brunt of faulty promotion policy. The landmark judgement by the Supreme Court to reinstate him in IAF with promotion and salary arrears forbids any future Promotion Board to usurp discretionary powers beyond prescribed limit. It is noteworthy that even the Russians recognised his talents and abilities and invited him to fly their brand new MiG-35 in Aero India 2009 in Bangalore. I understand that many of the upgrades in the MiG-35 were based on the inputs given by then Wing Commander Masand to the Chief Designer of Mikoyan, Mr RA Belyakov, during his visit to Poona in 1988-89. Unfortunately, however, IAF’s senior leadership chose to overlook his impeccable service record.

I also remember an article written by Major General Ashok K Mehta soon after Air Marshal Masand was appointed as an Advisor of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in 2004. Maj Gen Mehta wrote about Air Marshal Masand’s flying skills and also hailed his appointment in Tejas Aircraft development programme. He emphatically wrote that Air Marshal Masand had the proficiency to accelerate the much delayed Tejas aircraft programme. Air Marshal Masand’s continuing series of articles in the Vayu Aerospace Review called “I learnt more than flying from them” gives insight into the leadership qualities of many IAF’s legendry personalities. Through these articles, Air Marshal Masand has immortalised those personalities and at the same time expressed his gratitude to them for shaping his career. This series gave me the idea of writing something on him, based what I know of and about him. It is not so easy, I think, to maintain the top position perpetually for decades in a highly competitive environment and mutating technologically with each passing day is tough, to say the least. It requires continuous efforts, drive, commitment, lots of self- motivation, lots of fire in the belly to keep oneself abreast of fast changing technology. Air Marshal Masand has kept himself up-to-minute for over 4 decades exhibiting his simmering passion and his patriotic fervour. Why he stands out taller than many of his ilk in his service to the nation emanates from his deep rooted feeling of patriotism and dedication for which, unfortunately, there has been little recognition. Let this be one such tribute to him while he is still there to bask in its warmth.

Article by Mr Rajnish Sharma (seen in photo above sitting in a MiG-29 cockpit)

Air Marshal (R) Harish Masand: “I have known Rajnish since 1992-93 when he first made contact with me. He works for a multi-national Shipping Company in Finance but is a keen military aviation and history buff who also does aero-modelling in his spare time. Military history is another area of interest to him”.