MIG 21 INDIAN FIGHTER PLANE OUTSTANDING POWER.

MIG 21 INDIAN FIGHTER PLANE OUTSTANDING POWER.

                            It is 5 O'clockon a cold February morning. Wing commander K. S. Suresh steps in to the staff that will make you an air base of India's western sector. The black car passes through barracks type house station and stops at an Air Force security gate. A uniformed guard recognizes Suresh and salutes him smartly. Back at Behind the gate stand MiG of lAF squadrons, each under a different commander. K. S. Suresh, called the right as Kukee, commands 321 squadron. At 5.20 am Kukee is in a flight planning room.

                             There are maps and identification charts on the walls radi frenrshatic athe right place Today's order for Kukee is: an air strike at Batala, Punjab, at 7.00 am. He will lead to two plane formation against "enemy" 17th Armored Brigade of a hostile country. like every l Generally, two hours are devot This mission is assigned by command Headquarters. Wartime conditions are practiced as well as possible. On this day Kukee is too busy to worry about the risks. He calls the Meteorological Officer to get the weather report: thick clouds at 550 meters, visibility 5 kilometers, at haze at 400 meters, west wind at 15 kph, and slight air disturbance. Now marker pens, rulers, protractors and compasses are waiting for him on a long wooden table.

                               Kukee takes out a map from the shelf and chalks out the path ilo sees that to the fora year or tw and speed of the plane. In one hour the mission is planned. Then he goes to another room and discusses the target with an army officer. Squadron leader "Bundle Tyagi is present there He is Kukee's wing man on thistrip During these exercises, rank means nothing The Wing by Paul W Only twenty minutes are left before engine starting time Kukee grabs helmet., Oxygen mask and ear recogniry lead set, and walks to the servicing station There are examines forms certifying that every part in the you go identit plane has been checked, then there are walks around the plane to check for leaks, loose panels and pins, wing strong d There are none I have climbs into his seat, connects his Oxygen supply and radioNext he pulls out arassigned ga safety pin from the seat, and then becomes "Live." Ifhe pulls the cord, the seat with a parachute will lof an air-fo rocket 200 Out of the aircraft in less than a second, Finally, the last compulsory check and you can rack to build in take off.It is called TAFFLOHP trim, air pressure, air brakes, ailerons, flaps, fuel instruments, oxygen, hydraulics and pneumatics Now I started to taxi.

                On the runway, wing man Tyagi joins him in another MiG 21, which is a
single seaters fighter plane Take off permission received, the two pilots accelerate the runway. Their wing tips are just some centimetres apart. They lift off at 360 kph and then climb up and get 95o kph. It is6.45am, 15 minutes before their time on Target At 6.55 am they reach their first check point to village named Mirthal down on the earth. Kukee begins to time his target. As they rise up to 450 meters Tyagi's plane rocks violently due to air bumps. A bit bumpy here, "says Tyagi on radio." Breakfast may come up before the bomb goes down, "Kukee Jokes Two Hunters appear far to the rightas enemy" plans. Theyturn away and vanish. There are clouds all around. The earth has disappeared too.

                                   The MiG are fast approaching the target. Now both the plans dive below the clouds, their plans are flying lower. Kukee sees the target, iG 21 an enemy "tank and he releases the bomb." This is a perfect opportunity to rehearse attack procedures and bomb aiming at the time of firing automatic camera captures the action. target, to racktyho bridge There was a strong wind therefore they released the bombs earlier, but with accurate utes him smicalculation. "Wehavegot it right," they say. Visibility has become worse. "Let's go home," 'says Kukee Back to the base, they report to the army man I have admired them, "Commanders, your plans were nto a carautomatic staff S.Suresh, ald in the right place at the right time. Youhave given effective support to the Army.

                                "Artson thesal ad a wope Like every Indian fighter pilot Kukee Suresh does several hundred hours of flying in a year Generally, two daytime flights and one night sortie This means that more than half of his working hours are devoted to flying, mission planning and reporting For the rest of time, 41 year old Kukeeis tised as actaah ologiciloo meters competes ks out the her roa an instructor, an air combat leader and a teacher of accurate weapon delivery techniques alko sees that all the pilots in his squadron maintain this proficiency Every few years, a plot respected for a year or two at a desk job The Wing commander of 321 squadron K, S. Suresh is proud of IAF; so is IAF (by Paul Watched in Readers Digest 75 years selection of articles)