NEW DELHI (Sputnik): The recent death of two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots while test flying a Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) jet has now become high pitched talk on the Indian social media scene.
The discussion began with Garima Abrol taking to Instagram to express her angst at the loss of her IAF test-pilot husband, 33-year-old squadron leader Samir Abrol, who was killed in a fatal plane crash along with another pilot when they were conducting an acceptance sortie of the newly upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter jet retrofitted by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The other one killed was 31-year-old squadron leader Siddharth Negi. None of jokers of politics n govt officials can understand what is a test pilot. And how to become a test pilot. It’s a shame on us.
In the poem, Garima posted “We give our warriors outdated machines to fight. They still deliver it with all their prowess and might”. Scathing in her attack, she said “Never had he breathed so heavy as for the last time, while the bureaucracy enjoyed its corrupt cheese and wine”. Her post bears a photo of her dead husband, with a caption “Let us pledge to expose the cause #lostpilots”.
The pilot’s brother, Sushant Abrol, clarified that although the poem was shared on his brother’s wife’s Instagram page, it was penned by him in grief while flying back with his brother’s coffin.
Explaining the role of a test pilot in the Indian Air Force, a former IAF test pilot told NDTV, “Before an aircraft goes to the IAF, its standards are good enough for me to bet my life on it.
Remember, every pilot in the IAF is also betting his life on my judgment. As far as HAL producing sub-standard aircraft, remember that we fly these aircraft to its limits before anyone from
[the]IAF touches it”.
