F-7 of Pakistan Air Force

I always wonder what if F7PG upgrades, including structural upgrades, are applied to the MiG-21 Bis coupled with RD33 engine. That would have made it a formidable fighter plane for PAF. More like MiG-21-97 with F7PG updates. again i just wonder ... Chinese do have an F-7 version very close to Mig-21Bis called J/F-7D
 
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Three Pakistan Air Force Chengdu F-7P fighters fly in loose formation over arid terrain under a clear blue sky.

Foreground: serial 88-509 (tail) / 509 (nose)
Middle: serial 88-514 (tail) / 514 (nose)
Rear: serial 88-515 (tail) / 515 (nose)

All three wear overall light-grey camouflage, carry underwing missiles (including PL-9-type air-to-air missiles with red-tipped seekers on the lead aircraft), and display the standard Pakistan Air Force roundel on the rear fuselage and vertical fin.

Photographed in 1989.
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Comments.......................​

Alamzeb Khan Swati

There is a Matra R-550 Magic ( blue-grey coloured) on the second aircraft, rest are definitely AIM-9P ( series). The lead aircraft has a red-coloured training AIM-9 round. No
 
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A Chinese-built Chengdu F-7P "Skybolt" fighter-interceptor of the Pakistan Air Force taking off from Masroor Air Base in the early 1990's.

© Peter Foster
 
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Chengdu F-7P fighters of No. 2 Squadron, Pakistan Air Force, at PAF Base Masroor, February 1991.

The image shows a line of light-grey Chengdu F-7P (Chinese-built MiG-21 derivative) interceptors parked on the concrete apron at Masroor Air Base near Karachi. These aircraft belonged to No. 2 Squadron (“Minhas”), which converted to the F-7P around 1990 and operated them from Masroor until the mid-2010s.

In early 1991 the F-7P formed a major part of PAF’s air-defence force, equipping several squadrons including No. 2 at Masroor for point-defence and interception duties. The photograph captures the squadron’s aircraft on the flight line during that period.

Photograph Taken By Peter Foster
 
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Pakistan Air Force Chengdu F-7P (serial 559) after landing at Masroor Airbase in February 1991, with its brake parachute (drag chute) deployed.

This Chinese-built derivative of the MiG-21 is shown on the runway shortly after completing a mission.

Photograph Taken By Peter Foster
 
These obsolete fighters could be used to destroy drones. Pakistan needs to retire these obsolete fighters by replacing them with J-10C and JF-17 block four.
 
@AeronautIR
Which Squadrons did you fly with during time on the F-7?

Also, you've covered quite a few topics on your Podcast. Could you share your thoughts on when you Graduated from K-8...

...when and how did you find out that you were going on the F-7?

Obviously..., JF-17 was still fairly new - so that was not gonna happen.

How many were you in your Course & how were you all divided between the F-7 & Mirages?

If i'm not mistaken, direct entry on the F-16 wasn't introduced at the time.
 
@AeronautIR
Which Squadrons did you fly with during time on the F-7?

Also, you've covered quite a few topics on your Podcast. Could you share your thoughts on when you Graduated from K-8...

...when and how did you find out that you were going on the F-7?

Obviously..., JF-17 was still fairly new - so that was not gonna happen.

How many were you in your Course & how were you all divided between the F-7 & Mirages?

If i'm not mistaken, direct entry on the F-16 wasn't introduced at the time.
You are absolutely right... 32 of us graduated in Nov 2007... Torso and height limits were a factor after some unsafe ejections, so 20 went to FT-5 and 12 on K-8P for FCU....
2 got suspended from FT-5 and went to helicopters...
after FCU, 6 tallest ones went to CASA CN-235 and subsequently C-130...
for fighter OCU, our course was the last one from which 6 pilots went to A-5/FT-6 and rest all to 18 & 19 Squadron of F-7...
but again there were torso issues and 5 went to 22 OCU for Mirage conversion after a month...
Some more got suspended in all 3 OCUs... so out of 32, we were 20 who reported in fighter squadrons...
I was in 19 OCU and went to PGs, initially 23 Sqn in Samungli and then 20 in Rafiqui.
 

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