Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman
| Photo Credit: PTI
Over seven years ago, Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman hogged national headlines after his MiG-21 fighter jet was shot down over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during an aerial combat with a Pakistan Air Force aircraft, leading to his capture. His return to India two days later came amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.Mr. Varthaman, who downed an enemy jet during the aerial combat with Pakistan and was held captive for three days in that country, was awarded the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime gallantry award, for displaying conspicuous courage, an exceptional sense of duty and gallantry in the face of the enemy. Now, the decorated fighter pilot is set for a new chapter in the skies as a commercial pilot. Mr. Varthaman has joined regional airline FLY91, as per a PTI report.From combat missions in a MiG-21 to the cockpit of a commercial airliner, Mr. Varthaman’s transition marks a new innings.When Abhinandan Varthaman was held captive by Pakistan armyThe entire saga started after Pakistan Air Force planes dropped four bombs across Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), a day after New Delhi had conducted counter-terror operations in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26, 2019. Countering those, the Indian fighter jets engaged in a dog fight with the Pakistan fighter jets.On February 27 that year, the then Wing Commander, Abhinandan Varthaman, and members of his Operational Ready Platform MiG-21 Bison squadron were chosen for the role.
