Time for the MiG-21 to fade into history, albeit with fond memories, ace pilots say with pride

Streaking across the Prayagraj skies in a MiG-21 clocking almost 900 kmph, Wing Commander JS Sandhu felt a rush of pride and nostalgia in the no-frills cockpit as he pulled the fighter up, and the three MiGs and two Rafale jets neatly broke formation during the spectacular ceremonial flypast to mark the Indian Air Force's 91st anniversary two months ago.

- Rahul Singh

The splitting of the five-aircraft "Badal" formation was a defining moment laden with symbolism India's oldest fighter plane had just passed the baton to its newest.

It was the MiG-21's swan song before being taken out of service.

It won't be around for next year's IAF Day flypast on October 8.

The MiG-21's 60-year history in IAF has been punctuated by crashes that have put the Sovietorigin aircraft's safety record under running scrutiny and led to an understandable chorus of concern and calls for its early replacement.

With upgrades, IAF has managed to keep them flying for so long.

More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have killed around 200 pilots, earning the fighter jets unfortunate epithets such as "Flying Coffin" and "Widow Maker". To be sure, more MiG-21s have crashed than any other fighter because they formed the bulk of the aircraft in IAF for the longest time.

The maiden batch of six MiG21Fs entered service in MarchApril 1963 and IAF progressively inducted 874 MiG-21s. It has operated a raft of variants-Type 74 or MiG 21F, Type 76 or MiG 21PF, Type 77 or MiG 21FL, Type 96 or MiG 21M, Type 75 or MiG 21 Bis and the latest MiG-21 Bison.