The Hindu : Fernandes `tests' MiG airworthiness

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 02, 2003

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Fernandes `tests' MiG airworthiness

By Sandeep Dikshit

The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, waves from the cockpit after a successful flight on the MiG 21 fighter aircraft, at the Air Force Station in Ambala on Friday . — Photo: V.V. Krishnan.

AMBALA AUG. 1. In an attempt to end what he described as the "misinformed" debate over the airworthiness of MiG-21s, the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, flew for nearly half-an-hour this morning in a 20-year-old two-seater trainer version in overcast conditions.

While the pilot reportedly wanted to head back to base after attaining a height of 5,000 metres and a maximum speed of 750 kmph, Mr. Fernandes, sitting behind him in the cockpit, told him to execute some simple manoeuvres. After a "barrel roll", "stiff turn" and "wing over", admittedly not the stuff to severely test the plane but enough to make a point, Mr. Fernandes returned triumphantly to waiting cameras and fussing technicians.

During the flight, blank shots were fired frequently to scare away birds while a Chetak helicopter kept a vigilant eye on the proceedings. The seating order in the plane was reversed for the Minister and the Western Command chief was at hand to promptly replace the helmeted mask that appeared to give some trouble.

It had been drizzling since Thursday here, at one of the oldest air force bases in the country, and initially it appeared that Mr. Fernandes might have to return disappointed because fighter aircraft normally do not take off in rain. This air base also has a rather dubious history — the first recorded MiG-21 crash took place here 40 years ago and the last crash was recorded in April this year.

The MiGs have been dubbed "flying coffins" for registering over 100 crashes from 1993 till date. Mr. Fernandes took to the skies in one of them to prove to the general public and the air force fraternity that the plane is still the mainstay of the Indian fighter fleet. There had also been insinuations in the media and from a few Parliamentarians that he had flown in the brand new Sukhoi-30 last month, but shied away from "testing" the much older MiG-21s.

In New Delhi, the CPI (M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, said, "one flight by the Defence Minister does not mean the aircraft is safe".

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