tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57619262024-03-07T13:28:15.892+05:30Osmaniac's BlogJust some ramblings on interesting indian defence and some personal stuff.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-87851935199517081512022-07-13T03:11:00.003+05:302022-07-13T03:11:19.792+05:30A "shaky" engine out "practice forced landing" Every once in a while in this journey there is an event that I feel stands out. In this case, a simulated engine out while in the pattern at KEVY, Summit Airfield in Delaware.
This was different because all my 3 previous simulated engine out practices were all at ILG with its 150-foot wide and 7000 feet long runways, in controlled airspace with the tower watching out for you once he Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-85362319996860212352021-12-05T19:58:00.003+05:302022-01-01T05:11:10.883+05:30Flying Snippets 2021As with any aviation journey, the first stepping stone was a 'discovery flight' at a local flight school - in my case on 7th December 2020, just about a year ago. It took some time before the first official Class could take place and since then, it took me a year to wrap up all the milestones and required flying to 'complete' the PPL requirements. 3rd December 2021 to be exact. This video Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-26028835899743217462021-08-15T07:32:00.003+05:302021-08-15T07:32:31.232+05:30First Local Sector Solo : 12 August 2021 I did the first local solo outside of airport patterns on 12th August 2021. This was my fifth solo till date - and it was probably the first time I was really comfortable - i.e. didn't lose any sleep the previous night. Having done a solo just the day before set me up well for the day.I intended to do some touch and gos' before setting off for a local sortie over in general direction Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-5214321764601958942021-08-08T06:33:00.005+05:302021-08-15T07:32:55.778+05:30First Solo , 4th of July , 2021. 7:48 pmFirst Solo , 4th of July , 2021. 7:48 pm
I completed my first solo flight, on the 4th of July at ILG, Wimington, Delaware. It wasnt a day i was expecting to Solo . My previous pattern work with my CFI four days before sucked bad. I walked in that day with no intention of Solo-ing. I need more practice, I told myself. Its getting dark (class scheduled at 1830) . President Joe Biden was inUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-3451827342799863952017-09-18T22:26:00.001+05:302017-09-18T22:26:19.418+05:30Losing the Marshal of the Air Force - 16th Sept 2017
The nation grieves the loss of Marshal Arjan Singh (IND/1577), who died in Delhi on 16 Sept 2017. His loss will be keenly felt. The editor of the IAF site and author of "The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965" recollects his brief but memorable encounter with the Marshal of the AF three years ago..
Losing the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh yesterday was a sad, but inevitable day. The shock Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-20311577996551857522015-01-18T21:21:00.000+05:302015-01-18T21:23:06.152+05:30Where is Warbirds of India?<!-- Facebook Badge START -->Warbirds of India | Promote Your Page Too<!-- Facebook Badge END -->
If you have landed up at this page and wondering what the heck is this, its probably because you typed in "WarbirdsofIndia.com" and ended up here. For those looking for that site - please use the short URL Warbirds.IN and it will take you to that site.
The original Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-28264353338869471032014-09-16T16:46:00.001+05:302014-09-16T16:46:17.656+05:30An aircraft "type" history of my own - The Westland Wapiti
Books categorized as Aircraft Type Histories are nothing new. These are books devoted to a single aircraft type, and in cases to even a single mark or variant, that chronicles the technological overview, history, fates and status of these aircraft in great detail. Look for Spitfire on Amazon and you will find in excess of a thousand titles, spread over a multitude of categories - Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-65397710113435307332013-10-15T08:31:00.002+05:302013-10-15T08:32:11.044+05:30Testing Google Charts
google.setOnLoadCallback(drawChart);
function drawChart() {
var container = document.getElementById('example3.1');
var chart = new google.visualization.Timeline(container);
var dataTable = new google.visualization.DataTable();
dataTable.addColumn({ type: 'string', id: 'Position' });
dataTable.addColumn({ type: 'string', id: 'Name' });
dataTable.addColumn({ type: 'date', id: 'Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-43801488630838054802013-09-03T10:08:00.000+05:302013-09-03T10:08:52.576+05:30The fate of Squadron Leader Vinod Sehgal (R.I.P.1962) now resolved
Squadron Leader Vinod Sehgal is the only Indian Air Force casualty of the 1962 war. He is
believed killed and there has always been some mystery about his actual fate.
especially as photograph of his helicopter had surfaced that showed it intact
and being examined by the Chinese. The photo is reproduced in Air Marshal Bharat
Kumars book on the 62 war. (and in the below post)
It was Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-65069320532791167572013-08-25T07:04:00.001+05:302013-08-26T06:44:57.476+05:30The best Westland Wapiti Indian scale model ever! PERIOD!..... BUT....
A couple of years ago, my friend Phil Camp posted photographs of a scratch built 1/48 scale Westland Wapiti IIa in 1930s Indian Air Force Colors. The model was built (by an unknown modeller) and displayed at the IPMS UK's Scale Model World event in 2011. Its no wonder that this model won the Best Aircraft Award for that year.
The aircraft is an excellent example of attention to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-30267839374719929862013-08-15T07:26:00.001+05:302013-08-15T07:26:33.416+05:30An evaluation of the Indian National Army by the C.I.A
The above are an evaluation of Subash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army (INA) by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the percussor to the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) . I am not an expert but there isnt much new in this - other than standard fare as given out by British Intelligence.
This document is in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-74312376700190361642013-08-07T08:00:00.000+05:302013-08-07T08:00:51.437+05:30Makhan Lal Chakraborty - REDUX
Years ago I had written about the medals of M L Chakraborty that I had procured.
I knew little about him.
Enrolled: 14 Jan 1942
Made a JCO on : 24 Dec. 1944 in JCOs EME, Workshop Branch, Cadre of Craftsmen.
Now thanks to the Gazette of India website I can add a bit more.
Gazette of India May 18, 1963
No. 1128, dated 3rd May 1963.-The PresidentUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-9072449893788443382013-08-06T06:40:00.001+05:302013-08-06T06:40:36.614+05:30Bangladesh Gallantry Medals - Numbers Awarded
Researching the India Pakistan Air War over Bangladesh in 1971 comes up with all kinds of information - part of it has to deal with the gallantry awards set up by Bangladesh. The Bangla forces set up a four tier award system.. the fourth being something equivalent to a M-in-D..
Numbers awarded for the 1971 War Bir Sreshto - 7 (4 Army, 1 AF, 1 Navy, 1 Ex-EPR)Bir Uttom - 68 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-23606500868708267902013-02-16T22:59:00.001+05:302013-02-17T02:23:05.414+05:30The Kawasaki Bajaj KB100 RTZ Manual
Found the service manual for a KB100 RTZ while doign some cleaning up. I see that there are no manuals available online so I will scan the whole thing as a PDF one day. Till then this should suffice.
I must clarify this is not my bike manual, I bought this from the used books market . I used to have a later 'de-badged' Bajaj RTZ and its manual was very skimpy in its coverage. The Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-23645056411783773822012-01-16T00:12:00.000+05:302012-01-16T00:12:45.200+05:30Whats the story behind this gravestoneComing soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-553415726232422582012-01-15T23:48:00.001+05:302012-01-15T23:50:38.013+05:30Death of a Forum: Commonwealth Forces of WW2Commonwealth Forces of WW2 was started by a friend a few years ago with much fan fare. The forum proved to be promising - trying to focus on personnel from countries in the commonwealth other than UK. The admin (Amrit) built it up into a large resource with thousands of posts over the couple of years since it started. Ably supported by hundreds of posts by Andy Wright, Adrian Roberts, Lyffe, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-39232634367651666512011-06-21T21:44:00.008+05:302011-06-21T22:01:40.555+05:30A decal for a WW2 era RIAF Spitfire VIII...or how your research benefits the (modeling) world at large ...(and in turn we benefit from it)A friend of mine sent me a link to modeling website which released a new decal sheet for a Spitfire Mk.VIII. This sheet contains specific decals for an RIAF aircraft from No.2 Squadron , "MT841" and features a pin-up model. An accompanying 'guide' sheet shows how the Spitfire looks (See below right)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-88971756539086921752011-06-13T07:10:00.005+05:302011-06-13T08:00:39.859+05:30If you go looking for IAF History, you will find it......Pennsylvania edition....Watch in HDVisitor's to the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Museum's yearly "World War Two Weekend" event would never guess that one of the Star attractions - an airworthy Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVIII (S No SM969) is an ex-Indian Air Force aircraft. The aircraft was flown in by its owner Jim Beasley, and gave an splendid display of aerobatics. This Spitfire is local to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-6975546037948984622011-06-13T00:43:00.000+05:302011-06-13T00:43:30.068+05:30Air India Website FAIL Air India's Website brings this up today - Sigh....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-24828565647571584112011-04-04T02:13:00.005+05:302011-04-04T19:40:51.175+05:30The Moment.... India won the World Cup 2011The Moment.. India won the Cricket World Cup 2011 from J Pillarisetti on Vimeo.Once in a while I have to make a non-defence related post - What best than to post one related to the spectacular match yesterday in which India won the World Cup playing against Sri Lanka? Colleagues from Work gathered at another colleaugue's house where he had a projector system showing the match live.. We had been Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-47572080572118309322011-02-25T10:30:00.006+05:302011-02-25T10:46:37.762+05:30The Westland Lysander in India Amazon Kindle e-books opens up some great possibilities of 'publishing' ebooks to niche audiences. One can get to write and publish stuff that normally would not get done so by traditional publishing houses - yet at the same time may hold the interest of the audience out there. Kindle gives an opportunity to put these ebooks out for those who are interested. Now that they are not platform Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-79910293628142379012010-11-02T05:38:00.000+05:302013-08-25T07:47:23.162+05:30RAF India WW2 - Which buiding is that?
An RAF group photo from India - pretty large group. Atleast ten Indian airmen in there, and one WAC(I) in the front row.
No idea as to which unit, year or building it is. Seems to be on of the Delhi based palace type building..
Can anyone identify the building in the background?
Update August 2013: Readers in the Comments Section have identified this building as "Hyderabad House" Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-74401257129240044632010-10-26T09:39:00.004+05:302011-01-03T06:39:05.141+05:30Hand Crafted RIAF Toy figures - Shamus WadeNormally I would go after any curio sold on ebay that has some connection to the Indian Air Force. Imagine my surprise when an item was listed - titled "Nostalgia / Ookjah Privy by Shamus Wade - Indian Air Force" was listed by an ebay seller hobo2150.Description given as follows:INDIAN AIR FORCE PERSONNEL - from the companion range "Oojah cum Pivy"5 Figures beautifully hand painted2 x Pilots3 x Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-17633179247350509392010-09-26T00:41:00.003+05:302010-09-26T03:04:44.237+05:30Review: For King and Another Country: An Amazing Life Story of an Indian WW2 RAF Fighter PilotFighter Pilot Biographies are innumerable.. there are thousands of books out there dealing with the lives of World War Two era fliers. But try to locate anything specific to World War 2 pilots from India, and you will be hard pressed to locate one. In that context the availability of the biography of Squadron Leader Mahinder Singh Pujji DFC was welcome news. Sqn Ldr Pujji, till recently was one Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5761926.post-8485042003514457412010-08-29T10:05:00.003+05:302013-08-15T07:49:42.659+05:30The Oldest Officer in the Indian Air Force - Gulmast Khan
We all know that the oldest officer at any point of time in the Indian Air Force is probably the Chief of Air Staff - who retires as soon as he reaches the age of 60. Additionally there could be a Master Warrant Officer who reaches his late 50s before he retires. There have been cases where personnel from the ranks were commissioned into the Officer stream - and some of them pretty late in Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0