Back to Begumpet

We were at Coimbatore under-going the ‘Methods of Instruction’ course at the Air Force Administrative College when our posting orders to the two flying training colleges came through.    Very naturally, those of us who received orders for Hyderabad were more elated than those who got picked for Jodhpur; is there ever a comparison between a desert and an oasis?    Of course, those three or four who got picked for Hakimpet were happiest of all.   Not only would they get to go to Hyderabad, they would also get to continue flying the Vampire.  In 1955 the Vampire was still a ‘front line jet fighter’!    I was picked for the Begumpet lot.

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Hectic Days in Halwara-14: The Epilogue

The morning after the war ended was strangely quiet. We had not restarted routine training flying and there were no operational tasks.    In any case it was a Saturday.   

Scaling a Tape Recorder

The Directorate of Air Staff Inspections or DASI as it is popularly known is a powerful directorate.     Technically, its operations were overseen by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Flight Safety and Inspections) but the Director DASI had free access to the Vice Chief and the Chief.  

Hectic Days in Halwara-13: And the Winner Is…

The mood on the station on the morning of 15^th was indeed joyous.   The most important piece of news this morning was the resignation of the Governor of East Pakistan as a result of a very accurate air attack on the Government House in Dacca. The last symbol of legitimate governance of the Eastern Wing of Pakistan was gone.  

Leena Joins Me at Chandigarh

Another shifting of the house was due.  I was to shift from Subroto Park New Delhi where I was the Operations I at HQ Western Air Command to Chandigarh where I had gone to command the Black Archers.