Losing a comrade-in-arms

The Sukhoi-30 and Mirage-2000 accident is as sad as it can get. That two frontline aircraft crashed is bad; that one pilot lost his life is a tragedy. Even as flying establishments go the extra mile to ensure that no accidents take place, it would be naïve to think that these would not happen. The aim is to ensure that there are few, or nil, for as great a duration as possible. The challenge is greater in training flying where the attempt is to replicate a realistic war-like environment because ‘the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war’.

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War is unforgiving for the unprepared and all societies have to pay a price, unfortunately, with the loss of lives. But when an air warrior is lost, the close-knit squadron is jolted in more ways than one. And the task of conveying the terrible news to the kin befalls the Commanding Officer (CO) and his wife. Every CO wishes that there is no accident during his stewardship, especially a fatal one. The ‘old man’ (affectionate term for the CO) is a tough taskmaster, exacting in his demands for excellence and uncompromising when it comes to discipline on the ground and in the air; for the uninitiated, a pilot, indisciplined on the ground, is a ripe candidate for a problem in the air. And after working hours, the ‘old man’ and his wife offer their home as a hearth for the squadron ‘boys and girls’ to unwind — at odd hours of the night too when they ‘bounce’ them unannounced. It is this familial cocoon that is upended when something fatal happens.

A similar thing would have happened in Gwalior, with squadron officers and ladies converging on the house of the deceased officer to offer the kin whatever solace they could provide; teams would have been formed to look after the deceased’s family. The last rites are a sombre affair marked by grief and stoicism; and as the pyre is lit and the Last Post sounded, it is time to continue with life and get back to flying — the prime business of the Air Force. The CO leads from the front and is the first to get airborne to indicate that the squadron is back in action, even as it grieves for the departed warrior. The Court of Inquiry, meanwhile, investigates what went wrong, draws lessons and makes recommendations to prevent further mishaps.

The Gwalior Mirage squadron would get back to the routine of keeping its skills honed, but in the Squadron Diary, Wg Cdr Hanumanth Rao Sarathi’s name will be endorsed as a warrior who gave his life so that India’s borders remain inviolate. Rest in peace, Wg Cdr; your squadron mates are pressing on to live up to the IAF’s motto — ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’— as you did too!