AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 153 of 167 the throttle forward with the left hand, and simultaneously jettisoning the canopy with the right hand … this itself occupied maximum space in the cockpit! After conversion, I was posted to the 222 Squadron stationed in Ambala Air Force Base. Over the next two years I trained rigorously in aerobatics and war maneuvers on this giant aircraft. Flying training went on day and night. Formation flying and tactical flying kept us in the skies longer than on the ground. My favourite was low-level tree-top flying – and I looked forward to it on the Su-7, which was excellent for low-level flying. Soon combat training began. The first hump in my Su-7 love affair came here. I was the Wingman for Maneck Madan and Number Three was Flight Lieutenant Mitroo. Maneck and I were controlled by one radar and Mitroo by another. When we climbed to 15,000 feet, we received information that we were being attacked by another aircraft (Mitroo was the simulated enemy). Being the Wingman it was my duty to clear the tail of my leader Maneck. I spotted Mitroo’s aircraft at the 4 o’clock position some 3-4 kilometers away and promptly reported to Maneck. My concentration was on Mitroo when Maneck suddenly spotted the aircraft, engaged reheat and ordered me to stay with him and pulled up. I reacted a split second late, after seeing him pull up and head towards Mitroo. But in that split second I was out of phase with my leader and needed to get back into position quickly. So, I opened full power and pulled the ‘stick’ back fully. There was just a wee bit of harsh movement and the aircraft spun viciously. My neck came down, my chin hit the chest, and I lost control. Involuntarily I left the flying controls free, and miraculously the aircraft stabilized. Immediately I reduced power and used the air brakes for a gentle dive. I called Maneck and told him what happened. He had by then managed to get a shot at Mitroo, so he said the first exercise was over and I could go back and land. While doing the landing checks, one gauge attracted my attention and I felt that there was something unusual about it. It was the accelerometer (G-meter, which records the maximum gravity pulled in a maneuver) which showed that I had pulled 13-G. Till then we were so accustomed to pull not more than 6-G or 7-G in aerobatics or during combat. Looked like I had pulled this one really hard! I made a note of it and reported this to my Flight Commander after landing. My Commanding Officer and the Engineering officer were also informed. They said that the aircraft was under warranty, and the Russians have to be informed. The aircraft was grounded. The Russians arrived and inspected the aircraft. They wanted to meet the pilot. I was escorted by a colleague, A J Sandu (nicknamed Ajax, for his tall, bulky build), to meet the Russians, who looked at us seriously and asked Ajax to sit down thinking he was the pilot. He pointed to me. The Russians appeared shocked, and the