PAF & Rafale Story Will Not Go Away !

[Nomad40]

Yeah, this incident happened in Baghdad back in 2003 or 2005, I think.

That's me standing next to a ex-DHL aircraft a300. Old livery back then. White with red DHL text. It was shot at from an RPG with a French Journalist covering the shootdown.

View attachment 660366​

It hit the wing, where the Pilot lost all hydraulics and was a tough landing, but they made it. But also ended up in a mine field once they evacuated through the Escape Slides.

Don't worry - they survived. All 3 of them.

When I did the flight to Libya, there was a concern that the rebels who were armed may attempt something from the top of a building or open space. Which is why we had aerial support in the form of those 2 Rafales shadowing us until we landed.

what were you doing in Libya?

 

[PakFactor]

what were you doing in Libya?

I had the same question.

 

[SQ8]

Loool and you know this how.

Pakistan trains qatar but has no access to their aircraft. How do they train them? Using paper aeroplanes?? Come on yaar they guy is a professional and you are exactly who?

While no bearing on this topic - I knew another “professional” who came on inspection for a SDR program which I was working on that our F-7’s are more than a match for Su-30s.

As for pilot’s not having access, your own pilots require a keycard access to certain F-16 related facilities which are not granted to any foreigner or unrelated personnel who visit a certain base.
These are sophisticated weapon systems with proprietary technology that has limited end user permissions, not someone’s uncle’s new Mercedes to joyride in.

 

[StormBreaker]

Yeah, this incident happened in Baghdad back in 2003 or 2005, I think.

That's me standing next to a ex-DHL aircraft a300. Old livery back then. White with red DHL text. It was shot at from an RPG with a French Journalist covering the shootdown.

View attachment 660366​

It hit the wing, where the Pilot lost all hydraulics and was a tough landing, but they made it. But also ended up in a mine field once they evacuated through the Escape Slides.

Don't worry - they survived. All 3 of them.

When I did the flight to Libya, there was a concern that the rebels who were armed may attempt something from the top of a building or open space. Which is why we had aerial support in the form of those 2 Rafales shadowing us until we landed.

Those two golden buttons on your coat, Shining...
I miss that trend of having golden buttons on the coats, My father used to wear some of those on business trips to HK/USA.

 

[Trailer23]

what were you doing in Libya?

I had the same question.

As I mentioned, we were asked to fly in pick up some Thai civilians and fly them out of Libya during the War. Took them to Cairo.

 

[SQ8]

That is correct. There a few postings in the training command regarding flight training and some hired on direct civilian contract, but the numbers are a lot more in UAE in comparison to Qatar. No Pakistani pilots fly the Rafale nor have trained on Rafales. I quote 2 ex-PAF instructors who are currently in Qatar. Now as to say it that may change in the future, who knows as that is something to be dealt with the Qatari government. It is not a simple game of you don't have pilots so let's send you some of ours. The purpose of the Rafales are to be flown by Qatari pilots with Qatari instructors eventually, for now limited French personnel are there.

No PAF pilot touches the Qatar Rafale(or Typhoon or F-15QA for that matter) - that is the message. Unfortunately, to repeat what I said earlier; the impression is that this is some corporate motor pool that anyone gets to take for a spin.

 

[Trailer23]

I just want to add, as someone who has flown to every USAF, NATO, German, British Base(s) in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2014 - I have never seen a Rafale operate there.

I've seen pretty much everything from Reapers to even an F-18 Hornet with its hook down for landing in Kandahar (Emergency event with sparks), but never a Rafale - so not entirely sure if its even proven in Afghanistan as India Media claim.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

Just out of interest, while foreign Air Chiefs visiting Pakistan are usually received at the Air HQ and some maybe later taken to PAC to look at the products there....why was PAF Air chief's reception laid at the Qatari Rafale base.

View attachment 660352

TROLLOL
to watch it but not touch it due to policy
or to touch and fly it but not take selfies due to policy

 

[Trango Towers]

While no bearing on this topic - I knew another “professional” who came on inspection for a SDR program which I was working on that our F-7’s are more than a match for Su-30s.

As for pilot’s not having access, your own pilots require a keycard access to certain F-16 related facilities which are not granted to any foreigner or unrelated personnel who visit a certain base.
These are sophisticated weapon systems with proprietary technology that has limited end user permissions, not someone’s uncle’s new Mercedes to joyride in.

So security is tight...that's new.
Some uncles dont let their wives touch the mercedes and they dont need a key pass

 

[khansaheeb]

very bad , indians should have known it earliar .

They did but bribes overtook common sense.

 

[Ark_Angel]

Former PAF pilot and now an international security analyst Squadron Leader (R) Fahad Masood Analysing the Rafale and the IAF.

Fahad an experienced Delta Operator and also was instructor at Risalpur. Great tennis player. Didn't know he has ventured into social media interviews. We need more people like him out there to counter Every Other Indian retired Tom Dick and Harry on twitter with his Rank PA No written boldly as if Twitter is their Bridge Room in the mess. Banias and their complexes!

 

[airmarshal]

Why cant we speak in our language? At times I just feel its a colonial hangover. Sure we should be able to speak english but when the audience is local, please speak Urdu.

 

[Raider 21]

I just want to add, as someone who has flown to every USAF, NATO, German, British Base(s) in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2014 - I have never seen a Rafale operate there.

I've seen pretty much everything from Reapers to even an F-18 Hornet with its hook down for landing in Kandahar (Emergency event with sparks), but never a Rafale - so not entirely sure if its even proven in Afghanistan as India Media claim.

I was at Isa AB from 2013 to 2014. Saw an interesting group come in, Superhornets were the most impressive

Rafale Ms did fly combat missions from Charles De Gaulle over Afghanistan.

 

[Thorough Pro]

That they would have done anyway once we bring them down with better Chinese tech, superior Pakistani pilots and help of ALLAH.

Now that the wind has spoken , what can the IAF do except to junk the plane!!!

 

[Raider 21]

Fahad an experienced Delta Operator and also was instructor at Risalpur. Great tennis player. Didn't know he has ventured into social media interviews. We need more people like him out there to counter Every Other Indian retired Tom Dick and Harry on twitter with his Rank PA No written boldly as if Twitter is their Bridge Room in the mess. Banias and their complexes!

A very sharp individual and USAF trained. It can be seen from his USAF wings as a student on T-38s back in the day (which cheeky of him, he'd wear them later in his career instead of his PAF wings on the flightsuit). I think his time as an instructor was a lot more than his time in Mirages, by modern standards it was just one operational tour. Either way his emergence into different fields after retirement is exactly the kind of encouragement that will give new generation of pilots retiring from the service to apply their professional skills into other fields.