Windjammer
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- Nov 9, 2009
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Yesterday India held it's 71st Republic Day Parade with all the fanfare.
As the commentator announced the flypast as the highlight of the parade, something which I also keenly look forward to. This year's parade was the first since the clash of last February between India and Pakistan, hence one expected the IAF to fly the types before the general public as a tribute to those who participated in the operations. For almost a year the Indians were gloating how their Mirage-2000s struck targets inside Pakistan and later during an aerial engagement how the MiG-21 shot down an F-16. But yesterday both these aircraft were missing during the flypast as was India's 30 years in making pride and joy, Tejas which if anything should have led the flypast. But it was a show with the only twin-engine combat jets participating in small portions.The flypast was conducted in two phases with 16 fighter jets, 10 transport aircraft, and 19 helicopters. It involved 5 Jaguars, 5 MiG-29s and SU-30s flying in packets of two, three and the usual solo doing the verticle charlie with only three rolls causing Indians to have goosebumps. The absence of any single-engine present means either comment by Christian Fair have struck home or IAF simply doesn't have the confidence to fly the single-engine over public venues....as they say, if they don't fly, they don't die.
As the commentator announced the flypast as the highlight of the parade, something which I also keenly look forward to. This year's parade was the first since the clash of last February between India and Pakistan, hence one expected the IAF to fly the types before the general public as a tribute to those who participated in the operations. For almost a year the Indians were gloating how their Mirage-2000s struck targets inside Pakistan and later during an aerial engagement how the MiG-21 shot down an F-16. But yesterday both these aircraft were missing during the flypast as was India's 30 years in making pride and joy, Tejas which if anything should have led the flypast. But it was a show with the only twin-engine combat jets participating in small portions.The flypast was conducted in two phases with 16 fighter jets, 10 transport aircraft, and 19 helicopters. It involved 5 Jaguars, 5 MiG-29s and SU-30s flying in packets of two, three and the usual solo doing the verticle charlie with only three rolls causing Indians to have goosebumps. The absence of any single-engine present means either comment by Christian Fair have struck home or IAF simply doesn't have the confidence to fly the single-engine over public venues....as they say, if they don't fly, they don't die.
Keep scraping.
