C499 On display at IAF Museum Palam wearing the emblem of No. 8 Sqn "Eight Pursoots." Inducted into the IAF in April 1963, the MiG-21F-13 or Type 74 equipped No. 28 Sqn "First Supersonics" under Wg Cdr Dilbagh Singh. This was followed by the PF and finally the FL or Type 77, which was licence manufactured by HAL. The FL was used to good effect in the 1971 Indo-Pak War on both fronts. In the West, FLs from No. 47 Sqn "Black Archers" and No. 29 Sqn "Scorpions" shot down four PAF F-104s without loss, clearly besting the Starfighter. The last IAF FLs were decommissioned in Dec. 2013. (mehr von C499)
With plenty of time to spare between flights, it was nice to roam around a fairly empty IGIA Terminal 3 at night. The Surya Namaskar statue sculpted by Nikhil Bhandari with 12 asanas of the Yogic exercise is a calming sight in the normally frenetic airport.
VT-PPJ Workhorses of Air India’s domestic fleet at the gates of IGIA T-3 on a winter afternoon. VT-PPD at the rear carries the sketch of Mahatma Gandhi on its tail as does one aircraft each across all models in the fleet from Oct. 2019 in tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary. (mehr von VT-PPJ)
VT-ATD Red Knight ready for departure on a monsoon evening at IGIA T-3 as I5-857 bound for Bengaluru. This aircraft was newly delivered to AirAsia India on 20 Oct 2020 as AirAsia India’s first Neo. (mehr von VT-ATD)
C2216 Looking good at any angle, IAF Museum Palam’s MiG-21bis now sports a shark’s mouth and lightning flash after restoration. The Type 75 was designed for low-level, high-G manoeuvring dogfights with its uprated Tumansky R-25-300 engine, requiring a larger nose inlet diameter for increased airflow. It had the fastest rate of climb among the MiG-21 variants. Initially six aircraft built at GAZ-21 in Gorkii were delivered to India followed by CKD kits, and then manufactured under licence by HAL Nasik. (mehr von C2216)
VT-IUJ Parked at Gate D62 at IGIA T-3 in the afternoon, preparing for departure as 6E6186 to Mumbai. This aircraft was delivered as new to Indigo in Dec. 2019. (mehr von VT-IUJ)
B888 Enjoying summer morning sunshine at IAF Museum Palam after exhibits inside the main hangar have been relocated. The length of the aircraft can be better appreciated outdoors. Six IAF squadrons flew the Su-7 in the ground-attack role from 1968 to 1986. (mehr von B888)
YA-KMH Pushback at IGIA T-3 on a winter afternoon as RQ916 bound for Kabul. It’s getting rarer to see the A340 as airlines wind down those fleets. This aircraft has almost completed 20 years to the day, having started its service with Iberia before moving to Philippine Airlines and then Kam Air in July 2018. (mehr von YA-KMH)
VT-TNL Sunshine falls on the striking aubergine tail of this Neo, adding a dash of color to a typically drab winter afternoon at IGIA T-3 as the aircraft pushes back for departure as UK721 to Guwahati. (mehr von VT-TNL)
9H-LIS SpiceJets first A321 under tow at IGIA T-3 on a winter afternoon. This aircraft was reconfigured as Cargo (Covid-19) in Aug. 2020. Leased from Hi Fly Malta on 19 Oct 2020, it has been operating between Amritsar, Kutaisi and Tbilisi for several months. (mehr von 9H-LIS)
VT-ANQ AKE-type ULDs loaded and squared away as AI-121 bound for Frankfurt prepares for departure at Gate A11 at IGIA T-3. In a unique and much appreciated gesture, Air India applied special livery to this Dreamliner to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism. (mehr von VT-ANQ)
VT-SIF Second aircraft to be delivered to Air Sahara, this aircraft is a derelict at IGIA. Built in 1980 at Renton, it changed hands a number of times, Air Sahara being the 17th operator after having taken it over from Damania Airways. The name Good Sahara is visible under the cockpit. (mehr von VT-SIF)
AP-BLD Taxiing out into the sunset at IGIA T-3. This Toulouse-built airframe was tragically lost with almost all on board at Karachi on May 22, 2020 when PK8303 from Lahore was attempting to go-around in clear weather, adding to PIAs long list of fatal accidents and Pakistans abysmal air safety record. (mehr von AP-BLD)