Thread by @AnchitGupta9

#RepublicDay flypast and mid-Air collision - As we celebrate RD 2022 flypasts and the decision of the Jaguar formation to remain above clouds, one is reminded of the MAC of Type-77 MiG-21, as they practiced on 23 Jan 1970 and recovery by tinyurl.com/3tj7kurv (1/8)

Sqn Ldr RS Bedi, later Air marshal, was the flight cdr of 45 Sqn, tasked with the delicate role of converting young pilots to the fishbed, based at Chandigarh. MiG-21 was tasked to do flypasts from Chd and Adampur and he was leading the Chd flight. (2/8)

A young Flg offr was with him, as they were approaching Rajpath at 500 feet above ground level, speed of 1,000 kmph when Flg offr's aircraft on Bedi's left wobbled a bit and lost control. The young Offr ejected safely and the aircraft crashed at Buddha Jayanti park. (3/8)

But before the aircraft crashed, it had hit Bedi's aircraft and damaged the port stabilator making him turn over upside down. Bedi controlled the aircraft, rose to 1 km altitude and started to turn back towards base. He found his aircraft was limping to one side. (4/8)

He moved from Rajpath -> Panipat -> Ambala and finding the a/c stable continued to Chandigarh and landed with some difficulty. On landing he was given a firing by his bosses - "why did you have to fly all the way back, what if something had caused you to punch out" (5/8)

Bedi answered - "There were 100 a/c in the air in delhi, with varying speeds and fuel, had I with a limping aircraft chosen to land at Palam or Hindon, I would have caused chaos and blocked RW. I thought of Ambala and having found a/c manageable continued to Chandigarh" (6/8)

Bedi was awarded a VM (Gallantry) and his citation reads - "while leading a formation of four aircraft during a rehearsal of the RD Flypast. When on the final run in, at approximately 500 ft above ground level, the port stabilator of his aircraft was hit and damaged..." (7/8)

by another ac, causing it to roll over onto its back. He showed remarkable presence of mind and professional skill in regaining control of his aircraft and thereby averting a serious mishap."

Flypasts remain risky, the Jaguar leader at RD 2022 needs to be applauded (8/8)

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A story worth adding in the same spirit of Wg Cdr David Figueiredo - tinyurl.com/3pzej2sj . In 1979, while being part of a 7 a/c RD flypast rehearsal, flying the Hunter, something happened and he was awarded a Shaurya Chakra. His citation says it all (1/4)

On 24th Jan, 1979, Sqn Ldr figueiredo was participating in a 7 a/c Fly-past rehearsal. On completion, he rejoined circuit. As he commenced a descending turn to the left, a hydraulic malfunction occurred in the control circuit to the ailerons. The rate of roll to the left (2/4)

suddenly increased and he found that the control stick had jammed and could not be centralized. As the ac rolled on to its back the nose dropped into a spiraling descent. In such an uncontrollable situation, so close to the ground, the immediate, and correct,reaction of (3/4)

of most pilots would be to abandon the ac while adequate height was available. He continued to apply various corrective measures in order to save the ac. Finally, he could pull the ac out of its dive barely 600 ft. above ground level and brought it safely back to the base.(4/4)

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