[comfortablynumb]

Even though it's not related to the Indian Navy, I thought this would be the most apt thread to post this video:

http://www.innamag.com/landing-gear-...et-on-a-stool/

Cheers,
Vikram

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Dear BHPians, Here is an interesting anecdote on Seahawks and INS Vikrant to give you a smile. Some time in May 1965 the war clouds with our western neighbor were building up and Vikrant steamed out into the Arabian Sea to provide some gunboat diplomacy of the ' beware we are on alert' sort to Islamabad. Such sudden deployments cause disruption in the lives of the crew but that is what the Navy is about. One such disrupted young man was a bindaas (to use a Bombay term. Mods please forgive) Seahawk pilot who was scheduled to proceed on leave to get married the day the ship sailed and suddenly found himself far from the railway station that would take him to Bangalore. So followed (in my imagination) a possible conversation with the ship's Captain.

Young Pilot : Sir...bride sir...marriage sir....need to go sir...
Captain: speak up young man...what do you mean you need to get married. Don't you know we are at action stations. Set another date.
Young Pilot: Sir, sorry sir...muratham sir my father in law to be will faint if I don't get there
Captain: All White Tigers are married to their Seahawks. When you have a Seahawk why do you need a bride.
Young Pilot: Yes sir, I mean no Sir, I mean yes sir


Any ways regardless of the conversation that may have actually taken place the Captain ordered the Lieutenant to take off at dawn on the big day in his Sea Hawk and set course for Bangalore and get back on deck by 0600 hours the next morning. Off went our young bridegroom. The Navy may be strict but it likes to take care of it smen and the Fleet Commander Rea rAdmiral BA Samson blessed this adventure (he is the father of the famous danseuse Leela Samson) But how was he to carry his clothes and toothpaste. A bright technician suggested they empty out the cannon ammunition bay and that made just enough space for his clothes to be stuffed into. Onto the steam catapult and off to the old HAL airport at Bangalore. The bride of this arranged marriage lived close to the airport and between the nervous ma-in-law to be and pensive pa-in-law and clueless bridegrooms parents they didnt know what to do. Here was the auspicious day and the hero no where in sight. Because the ship was on a full alert patrol there was no radio communication at all and let alone the relatives even HAL airport control tower did not know that our man was zeroing in till he asked for permission to land!. Then suddenly the piercing roar of the Rolls Royce turbo jet filled their ears and thumped their hearts. Our man deftly landed, parked his flying machine and was whisked away for the muhurattam with literally minutes to spare. Next morning 0400 hours he took off again and in little over 90 minutes got back to the carriers deck in the middle of the sea. This young pilot was SK Gupta who later commanded INAS 300 White Tigers in the 1971 war and was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. Later in life he rose to flag rank. On his return there were no flowers on the ship to celebrate his new status but his fellow pilots not to be put off garlanded him with a mala made of vegetables. For posterity this photo immortalizes the episode in print. (source & photo copyright: Down Wind Four Green by Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha)

Wonderful piece of anecdote there. I wasn't aware such incidents do happen.

You should be proud sir. Your script of the incident is doing its round on Whatsapp, photograph included!!
Yesterday when I received the same on my phone, I noticed the small Tbhp logo in the corner and immediately I knew from where it would've come. I knew in the first glance itself who the author would be. I ran straight to this thread and voilà!! There lies my answer.

Great thread by the way. Very informative. The MiG 29 take off video is an excellent find

Tail piece: I've started sharing the story of PNS Ghazi from my side. That too is a not too known story.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Wonderful piece of anecdote there. I wasn't aware such incidents do happen.

You should be proud sir. Your script of the incident is doing its round on Whatsapp, photograph included!!
Yesterday when I received the same on my phone, I noticed the small Tbhp logo in the corner and immediately I knew from where it would've come. I knew in the first glance itself who the author would be. I ran straight to this thread and voilà!! There lies my answer.

Tail piece: I've started sharing the story of PNS Ghazi from my side. That too is a not too known story.

I feel a deep satisfaction when young folks like you and your friends enjoy and absorb these real life anecdotes of our recent history. Maybe one day soon I will pen a few anecdotes of the old INS Vikrant and its action in December 1971 and other interesting incidents to be proud of. Best wishes, Narayan

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

I feel a deep satisfaction when young folks like you and your friends enjoy and absorb these real life anecdotes of our recent history. Maybe one day soon I will pen a few anecdotes of the old INS Vikrant and its action in December 1971 and other interesting incidents to be proud of. Best wishes, Narayan

I'm truly amazed by your knowledge about Naval aviation. I'm sure that many Naval aviators themselves wouldn't have so much of knowledge. Seriously

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

I'm sure that many Naval aviators themselves wouldn't have so much of knowledge. Seriously

Dear Dhanushmenon,

Thank you for your compliments on the naval aviation anecdotes. If you promise to share the anecdotes with your friends and colleagues I will pen down three or four articles, in an interesting to read manner, on this thread on the naval action in 1971 on the east and west coasts. The aim is for our young folks to know more about their living history. All will be factual. One will be on the challenges Vikrant faced on the East coast, the threat from USS Enterprise and what the Russkies did. The second will be the missile boat attack on Karachi port in Dec'71 and how we deployed the missile boats in a way never envisaged by the Soviets or the Yanks. And maybe a couple more hilarious incidents.

My best wishes to you.
Narayan

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Dear Dhanushmenon,

Thank you for your compliments on the naval aviation anecdotes. If you promise to share the anecdotes with your friends and colleagues I will pen down three or four articles, in an interesting to read manner,

My best wishes to you.
Narayan

Definitely sir. Please pen in more. Will be glad to know more and share further

[comfortablynumb]

Truly, end of an era:

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/en...r/20160511.htm

Cheers,
Vikram

[travancore]

The grand daddy of them all - the unpainted prototype VP401, ca 1947





"India Bound", alongside an English cousin






"At Ease"





"I need some glorious sun too"

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Dear Dhanushmenon,
Thank you for your compliments on the naval aviation anecdotes. If you promise to share the anecdotes with your friends and colleagues I will pen down three or four articles, in an interesting to read manner. The aim is for our young folks to know more about their living history. All will be factual.
My best wishes to you.
Narayan

Sure Sir. Please pen down; we all would be grateful to you. I would also share these with my children, wife, nephews and nieces.

Instead of filmy versions shown in the movies (where they distort or change some of the facts under the name of 'creative freedom' to safeguard 'commercial aspect'), I would like my children to read such real stories.

Thanks in advance.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Sure Sir. Please pen down; we all would be grateful to you. I would also share these with my children, wife, nephews and nieces.
...I would like my children to read such real stories.Thanks in advance.

Thank you for your request. End of September I will put down the story of the missile boat attack on Karachi in December 1971 -- not just the actual attack but the thought and planning and sheer out of box thinking that went behind it. And how the IN used its imagination to deploy the coastal, short range missile boats to launch a brutally successful attack 1000 kms away.

Below: INS Vijeta K-84 one of the participating missile boats

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for your request. End of September I will put down the story of the missile boat attack on Karachi in December 1971 -- ...

Can't wait to read the facts of war. As was rightly mentioned somewhere in this thread, irrespective of the political brass, I firmly believe that the intelligence and the morality within the Military brass is something that is keeping this country safe and together. Not to take away the credit from the Politicians where it is due but the military in our country has been, is and will always be the backbone of our integrity and safety.

I showed this to my uncle who does not want to be named and had served in the Submarine hunting ship of the IN back then and he asked me one question,
"Is this coming straight from the Horse's mouth?"

To me it doesn't matter where it comes from as long as the information is correct and factual in nature. At this rate, I am sure, TBHP will soon give the Bharatrakshak forum a tough fight in terms of military history and knowledge.

All that is missing is such an dedicated thread on Army history.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for your request. End of September I will put down the story of the missile boat attack on Karachi in December 1971 -- not just the actual attack but the thought and planning and sheer out of box thinking that went behind it.

Hope you'll put in the technical details of how engine/ drivetrain damage was avoided when towing at high speed.

Regards
Sutripta

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Hope you'll put in the technical details of how engine/ drivetrain damage was avoided when towing at high speed.

Regards
Sutripta

By keeping engines switched off and letting props free auto rotate

[akshay380]

Thanks for the brilliant writeup up. One of my uncles worked on the Arihant project for 14 years and didn't even let us get a clue about it. It was always about going to Vizag or Kochi when in reality he used to be in another friendly country. Only when Arihant was launched did he message me to tell about it!

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

By keeping engines switched off and letting props free auto rotate

Is the ability to disconnect (neutral for us car people) the powerplant from the propeller a standard feature?

Regards
Sutripta