Veteran Indian Air Force pilots relive 1971 photo; image goes viral

New Delhi: Months ahead of the India-Pakistan war broke out in 1971, it was just another day at work for the five young pilots at IAF’s 22 squadron in Kalaikunda as they moved around camouflaged nets and concrete blast pens in their black overalls and bikes, preserving themselves for the action.

Realising the similarities in their appearances and the Jawa bikes, they decided to capture the moment in the camera. The five Gnat pilots happily posed for a photograph with one hand on the petrol tank and a cigarette casually dangling from the lips of one of them. None of them had a clue that the picture clicked nearly 50 years ago will go viral in the social media in 2019.

IANS spoke to Wing Commander Sunith Soares, Air Vice Marshal A.K. Shyam, group captains P.M. Velankar and Ashok Bhagwat (all retired) — who were traced by Jawa Motorcycles and were made to recreate the photograph with only one difference, the missing fifth man in the 1971 picture — group captain V. Pashupati who is no more. A fifth bike was placed with only a helmet in a missing man formation, an Air Force way of honouring a fallen pilot. (IANS)

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