Making Waves in the Sky

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Nice article.

As for the question: ``We need to think whether it is worthwhile for the impovershed countries to have such wasteful display of war toys.``

Personally speaking, yes, if it can be counted as part of the normal training. No, if it cannot. Also, if a majority of Pakistanis want the parades to occur, then Yes. Otherwise No. I think many Pakistanis consider the parades to be more than a wasteful display. Though I cannot say it with certainity.....

Nazar Khan:

Reminded me of the air parades we used to watch as kids, thinking of it all as just a load of fun, never imagining the training that went into it and not once thinking that such pyrotechnics could be used to lethal effect. Therefore, your sensitivity is appereciated. I would have liked it better had you added a few more of the thoughts that crossed your mind...

I have travelled twice in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft - did not know just smiling at the Capt can work wonders:) - and after the take-off there was such a feeling of `nothingness` that enveloped me. And the pilot and engineer were most nonchalant. Does becoming so good at one`s job take away the wonderment one feels?

Nazar, that a good description. I have read all your articles on your website. When does the leaking MIG 21 come?
Keep it up, though you already are.
Cheerios

Nazar, that good description. I have read all your articles on your website. When does the leaking MIG 21 come?
Keep it up, though you already are.
Cheerios

re: Nazar Khan

A beautifully worded article. It was really interesting to ``see`` the parade from a pilot`s perpective.

As to your footnote-comment, I think such parades are a waste of money. For the sake of argument, can you tell me what is the cost of each sortie in the parade? You mentioned that the Mirages and F-16s flew a distence of 400 miles and your MiGs flew 200 miles. A round trip would 800 miles for the F-16s and the Mirages and 400 miles for your group. At 500 miles an hour, that is nearly two hours of flying time, am I right?

How much does it cost to keep an F-16 or a Mirage or a MiG flying for two hours in terms of say, fuel costs? Some one told me that it costs $ 4000 for one hour`s fly time by an F-16.

Ciao

Interesting to read how things looked like from ``up there`` (having seen these flypasts on March 23 from ``down here`` at the Rawalpindi race course grounds). However, I liked the footnote best: ``Footnote: We need to think whether it is worthwhile for the impovershed countries to have such wasteful display of war toys.``

Yes indeed! I always find it fascinating that in the US (with the armed forces of a superpower compared to which our fleet of planes and tanks is nothing), Independence Day in Washington DC is marked by a parade that has.....lots and lots of school bands, folk dancing (US style, with cowboy and indian types) in the street, some ethnic flavor tossed in, a few soldiers dressed in revolutionary era uniforms. But there is not a warplane in sight, no ugly missiles being hauled down the streets. The main spectators are ordinary people, and the President and VIPs are nowhere to be seen. This speaks volumes about the kind of country the US is, and the kinds of values they maintain.

The rest of the world (not just Pakistan, but other third world countries and even France and China) could learn a lot and be ashamed of the stupid display of military power they put up. The clowns dressed in military uniforms (starting from Ayub Khan down) and the various VIPs who use the occassion to appear god-like, saluting at their passing minions are the center of attraction, and the ordinary people are merely in the background. Some independence day!!

Independence day parades in Pakistan (and other third world countries) are a mockery of independence. They should be renamed ``Slavery of the People to the Elite Scum and Rabid Militarists of the Third World Day``

tahmad #7: The USA, with a military budget, crossing over $400 billion (more than the next 30 countries combined) has a virtual Army of people, for just displaying its equipment. It spends far more on displays than any country in the world.

There are whole units that do nothing excpet displays, the whole year around. Each displays is supported by a massive amount of equipment for the local bases. The display units of the USA, by themselves, are probably the size of most Air Forces. Amongst these units are:

- Thunderbirds display team (a whole squadron of display F-16s of USAF)
- Blue Angles display team (a whole squadron of display F-18s of the Navy)
- Wings of Blue (USAF display parachute unit)
- Golden Knights (US Army display team)

to name a few.

You cannot compare a $400 billion military-industrial complex of the USA, with a $2.8 billion dollar mliitary-industrial complex of Pakistan, or even with a $15 billion dollar military-complex of India.

nazar saheb, which migs were you flying J-6 or J-7`s?

tahmad # 7

What about your mai baap; their defense budget is way more than the combined defense budget of the whole world - should they be ashamed of themselves too or is it just the rest of the world except the mai baap who should be ashamed.

Ferozk # 6

I will not be able to give you accurate figures.

Tehmed32 # 7

I agree with you. We need to get out of this superfluous waste of money. This 23 March, there was no parade.

Boondongs # 9

The aircraft were Mig-19s (F-6s) - Nato Code name Farmer - Chinese built.

Farzana # 3

The travel related Airline flying, is quite fascinating - if you are an extrovert type. You get all the variety in life that one can hope for.

Whereas the Air Force type flying is more youthful & is more satisfying to the boy`s urges & instincts.

I try to keep the text simple and not too technical. But in every flying related article, I do release some interesting information on one or two aspects. I think it is better this way. And easy to digest.

#12
which other types have you flown in the PAF?

Romair #8 You didnt get sarcastic like brother urstruly, but you didnt read what I wrote either. I ALREADY NOTED that the US has a superpower`s armed forces and Pakistan has a puny one, relatively speaking. My point is that they dont flaunt it on Independence Day the way we do in Pakistan, and Independence Day in the US focuses on ordinary people and schoolchildren, not on bemedalled Field Marshalls and other Bigshots.

So, please try to be fair.

Personally, I have seen for decades of this knee-jerk anti-US sentiments: and time has proved them to be hollow. In the 1960`s no ``intellectual`` in the world (and certainly in Pakistan) would be caught dead saying that the US had the right idea and the commies were exactly what the US said they were. Time proved the US right, and now the children of the commies are running to make up for lost time and do exactly what the US had been saying they should do if they wanted to build a better life for their people. Now the story is being repeated: there is this knee jerk anti-americanism that blinds people to simple, easily verifiable facts. As you and urstruly just demonstrated.

urstruly #10 No need to get sarcastic, my friend. I know truth hurts, and I must administer that upon you once in a while.

And the truth this time is that you didnt read what I wrote, and will have to go back and read it again. When you have finally understood what I wrote, you will write that it is not defense expenditures I am ranting about, but about these military parades. And the truth is that in the US they dont celebrate Independence Day by showing off their missiles and tanks and planes as many other countries do.

So, once again, I have to apply the truth namely, that you dont know what you are talking about. But, in all fairness, you should understand that the fault is yours (because you didnt take the trouble of first understanding what I wrote) and not mine. So, dont get sarcastic with me.

poor tahmed !......... everyone is always misreading, misquoting or misunderstanding him ............ reminds me of the precious book he is always trying to push ........

......... as for urstruly, i think he should stop paying his federal tax as a protest against military spending ......... better yet, he could run away to saudi arabia or afghanistan to live with his brethren in caves and spider holes - not that flint michigan is any better!

............ but as a child i did enjoy those military parades, specially those ten clowns on one motorcyle and the alsatian from the army kennels chasing some poor army jawan dressed as a thief ............ now all the clowns in uniform have become thieves and bought off the civilian dogs ............