Foreword – First Supersonics in the Golden Jubilee Book of April 2013

It is with a sense of great honor that I write this foreword for the golden jubilee of “The First Supersonics”. This is a squadron that has made history in the Indian Air Force and I am proud to have commanded the squadron at a critical and evolutionary juncture, almost halfway through its life, when it was being converted to the MiG-29s with the NATO codename of “Fulcrum”.

The squadron’s unique identity and achievements would no doubt come through very lucidly in this history of the First Supersonics, which is being so aptly compiled by one of the foremost aviation enthusiasts and historians of the country, Pushpinder Singh, better known to his friends as “Pushy”. Despite his years, or perhaps because of his years of knowledge and experience in the aviation arena of India, Pushy truly lives up to his nickname and would do anything to get to his objective. He first got in touch with me within the first year of my command of the squadron for aerial photographs that I was personally collecting on every ferry and detachment. He is the one who pushed me to write two bits on my time on the MiG- 29s. The first was titled “The MiG-29 is a Super Hunter” and the other, which I wrote with great care and trepidation due to the kind of information that I could give out unwittingly, “Rivals from the Same Team”. Both of these articles have been published in the Vayu and most may have read these. I would, perhaps, make passing references to these articles in describing the First Supersonics and my experiences in the Squadron.

Needless to say, but worth repetition as a way of emphasis, 28 Squadron was formed on 01 st march 1963 on the MiG-21, bringing in the supersonic era in the Indian Air Force, from where it derives its better known name. Quite obviously, the first lot of people, to fly or maintain the MiG-21s, were specially chosen, or so I presume since I was still in school at that time, and their professionalism echoed through the history of the squadron even over 24 years later when I took over command. Fortunately, I had a reasonable amount of time in which to study the history and the rich traditions that the squadron had set over the years, as laid down by its pioneers and refined by a successive generation of COs and people who manned the squadron. It was thus with a great sense of responsibility and pride that I went about the task of inducting the squadron at Air Force Station Poona from June till October 1987 while waiting for our new aircraft and equipment. It was in this time that we coined the phrase “Fulcrums: The Balance Rests on Us” to motivate us to new heights.

We were, perhaps, not as fortunate as the pioneers in our Squadron since this time, the IAF had decided to convert the two squadrons, 47 and 28, onto the MiG-29 en-masse without any special selection of personnel. One may recall that both the squadrons, at that time, were operating the oldest version of the MiG-21 still in service with us, the MiG-21 FL or the Type-77. The IAF had also inducted the Jaguar, the MiG-23s and the Mirage 2000s in the late 70s/early 80s where the selection of people was on their proven performance and record taking the best that the IAF had for these new fleets. The 29s, thus, started with a handicap of having to do with whoever was there in the squadrons at the time with minimal changes depending, perhaps, on tenure considerations. Nevertheless, this gave us a tremendous challenge, and thus an opportunity, to induct a fourth generation aircraft, which tested human endurance and capacity to its limits, and lay down the exploitation and Standard Operating Procedures for this aircraft efficiently and, as important, safely.

If I recall correctly, we were 12 pilots, around 8 engineers with about 50 men who were sent to face the Russian winter and convert on the 29 in October 1986. I could write another story on the deputation process and our stay at Frunze/Lugovaya but that may be diverting from this history. As I also recall, out of the 12 pilots, only then Squadron Leader Arup Raha was actually from 28 Squadron in Tezpur. I was taken in from Staff College Wellington, where I had spent 2 years by then, as the CO designate of The First Supersonics. Flight Lieutenant KT Sebastian was a TP input while the other nine pilots, led by Wing Commander V Pashupathi were all from 47 Squadron. We returned after about 10-12 hours on the MiG-29 in March 1987. 47 Squadron started receiving its aircraft in Ozar from late May 1987 while 28 got its aircraft in October 1987. From about mid-June, I started receiving the personnel and assets of the Squadron from Tezpur. All the pilots and technical personnel went straight into MCF so I had an empty dusty hangar and the admin personnel to help me set up the Squadron. Notable amongst these was JWO Khan ACH/GD who became invaluable in organizing everything in the Squadron complex. I was also reluctantly given the services of Squadron leader RR “Bhirdie” Bharadwaj AE(M) to help me organize the maintenance set up in the Squadron with the equipment that was arriving in bits and pieces and he did a wonderful job. He was replaced by Squadron Leader SS Bisht, as the STO, when the aircraft actually started arriving. In all these efforts at setting up, I cannot ever forget the support and guidance of the AOC, Air Commodore JP Singh, the COO, Gp Capt Jeff DeSouza, the C Adm O, Group Captain Radhakrishnan and perhaps, most importantly at the working level, re-employed Wing Commander Macky Palamkote who was the Dy C Adm O. I will write more on these unforgettable personalities another day and time.

Through this humble background, what I am trying to bring out is that regardless of personalities involved or their selection for the job at hand, if the environment is built and supported correctly, one can produce exceptional results. Our Airmen’s mess was up and running within a couple of weeks of arrival of our men and soon competing with the well-established Wing Mess for casual meals by temporary duty personnel which brought in the cash for further improvements in the food and ambience and thus greater profits and even better amenities. I still recall the AOC commenting on this in a positive and encouraging manner, like he did on most matters as the Squadron slowly established itself. For example, I used to fly a few sorties a month with 47 Squadron to keep my currency and then to practice and refine the low-level aerobatic display sequence but found they took almost 3 hours initially to do the pre-flight and offer the aircraft for flying by about 1000h.

With Bhirdie and outside help from Flight Lieutenant “Sheroo” Shera, we devised a pre-flight procedure that took just 15 minutes with 3 technical personnel per aircraft, a pre-cursor of the FLC system later introduced by the IAF, much to the chagrin of the C Eng O, but with full support from the AOC. This gave us the opportunity to inaugurate the squadron’s flying on the very first day on 16 th October 1987, by the SASO, Air Marshal Minhi Bawa who was visiting the station then, with 8 single-seaters and one trainer by 0800h. Minhi Bawa had the kind of confidence in the Squadron to fly the first inaugural sortie of the Squadron with us, after the ritual coconut breaking, and even agree to a loop immediately after take-off, which was being done in a trainer and in Poona for the first time. I was already practicing these in Hindon in September/October 1987 where I had been sent for the AF Day display on 08^th October 1987 on two borrowed aircraft from 47 Squadron.

In early October, while I was in Hindon, the Squadron got four more qualified pilots, including Arup Raha, who were so far with 47 Squadron, and with us five, we started training the rest who had finished MCF by then. Within about six weeks, by December 1987, when we inaugurated the MiG-29s in the IAF, we had over 12 pilots declared Day Ops and the initial five of us finishing the night syllabus to become Fully Ops, thanks to the effort we could generate with our flight line servicing which also contributed to a very high serviceability since we didn’t burn the systems on the ground by over-testing and checking. By February 1988, the Squadron was in Jamnagar taking part in an AD exercise over the gulf and the Arabian Sea, which gave us all sea qualification. From Jamnagar, we went straight to Jodhpur/Jaisalmer to continue with another AD exercise and development of tactics. By end-March, we were in a so-called “1 Vs 1” with the Mirages, an experience I described in “Rivals from the Same Team”. In end-April, we celebrated our silver jubilee where the First Supersonic family really came out as one big family with the CinC, Air Mshl Polly Mehra and the Commodore Commandant, Air Mshl Mally Wollen and their teams in suits pushing drop tanks in the swimming pool of Blue Diamond hotel at almost 2 in the morning, much to the wonder and amusement of all the hotel guests. In May 1988, the Squadron was in Srinagar, exercising with the AD System in that area while we flew over Nubra valley and became valley qualified on type. The First Supersonics was the chosen squadron for all kinds of new exercises and tactics development by then with the Squadron producing amazing results thanks to the environment and support we received from everyone. The only ones who probably complained in front of us, but played while we were away, were the wives and children who barely saw us. But, we were one family and together in everything. Unfortunately also, I had to take the hard decision of grounding two pilots based on their performance in the air.

All this was achieved by the First Supersonics without a single accident and very few incidents due to the dedicated effort of all its “ordinary members” down to the safaiwala. As a matter of fact, from the first day we started flying, we had introduced an anti-FOD landing run technique and SOP which left us FOD-free even without the nose wheel guards which came as a mod much later. Over the years, I understand the Squadron kept maintaining this safety record without compromising on its operational efficiency for many years. I still maintain that the MiG-29 is, perhaps, the most capable, reliable and safe aircraft I have flown which was a pleasure to fly as I described while calling it a Super Hunter. An aircraft with systems, which will always bring you back safely despite failures if you just make the effort to know the aircraft.

By January 1988, we had also suggested improvements and upgrades to the MiG-29C to the Mikoyan Team led by their Chief Designer RA Belyakov. Unfortunately, these took their time to come in the IAF while actually we could have had them incorporated far more economically and efficiently, improving the operational effectiveness of the MiG-29s, much earlier along with the MiG-21 Bis Upgrade program. I still recall the words Mr Belyakov used to acknowledge our inputs of 1988 towards making the 29 more potent when I went to Mikoyan for the MiG-21 Bis upgrade fro the first time in December 1993.

I could go on and on with the basic make up of the First Supersonics and its ability to produce more with less due to its fine heritage and pedigree but I think I should leave that to Pushy before I start stealing his thunder. Suffice it to say here that I inherited a fine Squadron with great traditions and history, thanks to my predecessors, and as I keep hearing, the squadron has gone from strength to strength over the years.

On this great occasion of its Golden Jubilee, I urge the Squadron to revisit its enviable history and draw strength from it to become an even better fighting force, while preserving its people and assets through a refined safety program, so that it can continue to remain the premier Squadron of the Indian Air Force always delivering more than asked for. I would also like to wish all the previous and current members with families of the Squadron health, happiness and success in all its endeavors. May God be your co-pilot, always, as he was for me.