Our Heroes - Pakistan Air Force

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Every one has faults, me more than anyone else I know. He served his country to the best of his abilities, and did a spectacular job. Today everything else is irrelevant.

That's how it is. You are a hero in their eyes only until they want you at that level. His boldness and righteous methods has him stuck, while he checks daily to see if he can go back to his country. Very good man at heart. And as far as Canada is concerned, it is because of his immediate family being there.

 

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Air Commodore Rashid Bhatti

A photograph of the elite 9th Squadron that did a fly-past on March 23, 1965.

(second from R) seen with future Chiefs of Air Staff, including Air Chief Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan (sxith from L), Air Chief Marshal (retd) Jamal Ahmad (seventh from L), and Air Chief Marshal (retd) Hakimullah (eighth from L).

An elite group by the 9th Squadron on March 23, 1965.

The 9th squadron. first from R, sitting seen with Air Cdre (retd) MM Alam (third from L, standing) and future Air Chief Marshal (retd) Farooq Feroz Khan (second from L, standing)

 

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60 years ago, the Pakistan Air Force mounted a series of audacious dusk strikes against forward Indian air bases and installations in Punjab (September 6, 1965). Strategically indecisive, the strikes nonetheless enabled the numerically inferior PAF to seize the initiative and get in the first punch.

Pakistan claimed 13 IAF aircraft on the ground (including a few MiG-21s), and another seven in the air, for a loss of two Sabers and their pilots.
Source: Air Power

 

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Air Marshal M Asghar Khan with his father and brothers.

At the age of 36 in 1957, Khan became the youngest Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force and the youngest Air Vice Marshal in the world. At 37, he became the youngest Air Marshal.

He modernised the Air Force by founding the Fighter Leader's School, Mauripur and PAF Staff College, inducting advanced aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre, B-57 Canberra, and the F-104 Starfighter. He also established several air stations, wings, squadrons, while implementing key operational reforms along with other initiatives.

 

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Wg Cdr Masood Sikandar (standing 3rd from left) along with a group of fighter pilots at Sargodha during the 1965 war.

 

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Today is 12th shahadat anniversary of Wing Commander Jamal Akbar Afridi 101 GD(P) and Flight Lt Saad Salman 125 GD(P) lost their lives in Mirage aircraft crash on Jan 16, 2014 in an attempt to fly aircraft out of civilian population near Sargodha.

On the day of Friday January 16th, 2014 Pilot Wing Commander Muhammad Jamal Shaheed Flight Commander No.27 Sqn 'Zarrars' was on a routine Sortie with Flt Lt Saad Salman Shaheed, when due to the sudden technical fault their plane caught fire.

In order to save the village of Phalia near to the bank of river Chenab they successfully directed their plane towards fields and due to fire the aircraft blew up in the air and both pilots embraced Martyrdom.

The pieces of wreckage were in 10Km radius.

Both pilots were awarded with Sitara-e-Basalat.

Nation's Pride

We'll never forget them

 

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Today in History'
On this day, 17 January, we celebrate the birth anniversary of Air Marshal Muhammad Asghar Khan, HPk, HQA
— the Founding Father of Pakistan Air Force, a resolute commander and visionary leader who forged PAF into a force Second to None.

 

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Today is 18th shahadat anniversary of Pilot Officer Raja Jahanzeb Shaheed

On a cold morning of 22nd January, 2008. The flight commander at the Risalpur airbase gave his final instructions to Pilot Officer Jahanzeb Raja, a 20 year old officer. On the other hand, students at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute(GIKI) were getting ready for their morning classes.

Pilot Officer Jahanzeb took off from Risalpur and was on his routine flying mission on a T-37. Suddenly, at about 6000 ft of altitude over Topi, engines of the T-37 failed and the plane started its steep descend. P/O Jahanzeb reported this dilemma to the airbase control tower who gave him a green signal to eject, but Jahanzeb had other ideas.

He knew that if he'd eject, the plane would land straight into the populous area of Topi or on the other hand, on the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering where the future engineers were being trained. He made his choice, the aircraft spun out of control and he was rooted to the ground.

In the fragment of a second the plane went behind the trees. There was a stiff pause of fright followed by a huge explosion !
Pilot Officer Jahanzaib embraced Shahadat whilst saved the lives of hundreds of people and future engineers !

May Allah accept his Shahadat, and grant the highest place in Jannah

 

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