IAF Chief flies ‘Missing Man’ formation in tribute to Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary

Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Thursday flew a 'Missing Man' formation marking it as a tribute to late Squadron Leader Abhinav Chaudhary. IAF Chief flew a MiG-21 Bison aircraft along with the unit six days after Squadron Leader died. 

The IAF paid tribute to Squadron Leader Abhinav Choudhary, who died in a MiG-21 crash in Punjab on May 20. The Chief of Air Staff flew the sortie at the Suratgarg airbase in Rajasthan. The No. 23 Squadron, popularly known as Panthers is based in Suratgarg.  

Missing Man Formation 

Missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flypast of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot or a well-known military service member or veteran. The planes fly in a formation with space where one plane should be, symbolizing the person's absence. The time-honoured Missing Man formation involves three aircraft where one slot is left vacant in memory of the fallen pilot.

"Panthers paid tribute to Sqn Ldr Abhinav Chaudhary by flying a 'Missing Man' formation, as they recommenced their op flying. The senior-most serving 'Panther', CAS flew a Bison & joined the CO in the aerial tribute," the Indian Air Force tweeted.

IAF established the tribute on their Twitter handle.

 Abhinav Chaudhary's MiG-21 Crashed in Punjab 

On May 20, the twenty-eight-year-old late Squadron Leader Chaudhary was returning to the Suratgarg airbase when his aircraft reportedly developed a technical snag. The IAF has already called for an inquiry to ascertain the precise cause of the accident. The last rites of IAF fighter pilot, late Squadron Leader Choudhary were performed with full military honours at his ancestral village Pusar in Baghpat. Abhinav joined the Indian Air Force in 2014 and was stationed at Pathankot Air Base.

'Many IAF pilots had to fly obsolete aircraft, losing their lives,' Satendra Chaudhary said after learning of his death on Friday in Meerut. This was the year's third MiG-21 crash. Since 1971-72, more than 400 MiG-21s have crashed, killing over 200 pilots and 50 civilians on the ground.

MiG-21 Bison Aircraft

More than 400 MiG-21s have been incriminated with regards to accidents owing to technical glitches claiming the lives of more than 200 pilots during the last six decades. This notion has been in the talks time and again. In fact, MiG-21 here in India has earned the fighters ominous by-names such as "Flying Coffin" and "Widow Maker"

IAF operates four squadrons of MiG-21 aircraft- each squadron has 16 to 18 fighter jets. The last of these upgrades are set to phase out in the next three to four years. IAF received its first single-engine MiG-21 in 1963 and progressively inducted 874 variants of the Soviet-origin supersonic flighters to hone its combatting potential. 

More than 60% of the 874 MiG-21 variants with the IAF, were produced in India with a license.