Only pilots with experience to fly MiG-21s: IAF

[sudhir007]

Only pilots with experience to fly MiG-21s: IAF | idrw.org

In view of a large number of crashes involving the MiG-21s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) today said it has decided that after December 2012 only experienced pilots will fly the fighter jet aircraft.

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) N A K Browne today said those undergoing training in the ongoing course for trainee pilots would be the last batch of young pilots flying the MiG-21s.

“Their (trainee pilots) course finishes in December next year and thereafter only experienced pilots would be flying the MiG-21s,” he told reporters here.

The IAF Chief was replying to a query on the steps taken by the force to reduce the number of accidents in wake of two recent crashes in which two IAF pilots were killed.

Browne added that the decision was taken due to the lack of availability of the aircraft and it would have happened a little earlier in case of an early delivery of Hawk Advance Jet Trainers (AJT).

“We have to do this because there is no other aircraft available. If the Hawk had come two years before as planned, the MiG-21s would have been kept for experienced pilots only,” he said.

Observing that the training of young pilots is an area of concern for the force, ACM Browne said he hoped that the new basic trainers would be inducted into the IAF by 2013.

“Training is a big concern for us. At the moment we don’t have a basic trainer aircraft and the case is with the government. We hope to get it cleared so that at least we can sign the contract by October, and we get the new trainers by 2013 when we start the new (flying training) course,” he said.

The IAF had inducted over 900 MiG-21s in its fleet over a period of 40 years, half of which were lost in different crashes. The MiG-21s are scheduled to be phased out by 2017.

 

[rockstarIN]

A good pragmetic decision though late. Where is hawk jets?

 

[Abingdonboy]

A good pragmetic decision though late. Where is hawk jets?

The Hawks are only AJT and subsonic at that the Mig-21 is being used as a conversion trainer to the types the pilots will fly in service.


+ but Dec 2012??!! IAF should have got rid of these planes A LONG time ago.

 

[illuminatidinesh]

Is it worth after killing so many " Few Good men"????

 

[DacterSaab]

only experieced pilots to fly MiG-21 will be endangering them.

Any pilot can tell u that the first thing that's taught to them is that "in aviation 1st accident is last accident, u don't get a second chance"

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

All Delta Wing aircraft are difficult to handle at lower speeds.

F 104 is one such example which was also called the flying coffin.

 

[Dalai Lama]

So now they want to put the more pilots in the flying coffins?

 

[DrSomnath999]

they have no choice but to put experienced pilots as giving roorkies for flying MIG 21 is really a loss to insurance companies

 

[Doctor09]

i think IAF want to get rid off experienced pilots that is why they made such a great decision.....i like it nice job IAF

 

[LiberalAtheist]

keeping the non upgraded MiG-21's is a travesty these aircraft should have been retired in the 90's putting our best pilots on them is just wrong my proposal is to phase out all of the non upgraded MiG-21's and keep the Bisons as a supersonic trainer we have something that other AF's wish they had a large human resource of young men who want to be in the AF if we just train them right they'll be unstoppable however i'd rather have force strength be depleted then lose young pilots because of stupid mistakes made in the past