Monday was a big day. I took a sortie in a MiG-35 fighter from Zhukovskiy air base outside Moscow a day before the MAKS 2007 air show began. Short of time, so this is just a note. I’ve received all your comments and suggestions for questions to ask the Russians while I’m here. Will do for sure. The photo shown here wasn’t taken by us here, but this aircraft (the 154) was the one I took my 33-minute sortie in with pilot Stanislav V. Gorbunov.
One thing I’ll tell you right away — it was one thing watching the show-stealing set put up by the MiG-35 at Yelahanka in February. It’s completely another being in the cockpit when all those things are happening. My flight will shortly be a special report on Headlines Today, and will post the schedule here as soon as I’m back in the country. As a parting note for today, one of the things to do before you die — the tail slide manoeuver in one of these babies.
Mr. Aroor, your excellent sojourns are the reason I sometimes wonder about why did not I take the unbeaten path to journalism, instead of engineering.
Thank you.
if its unbeaten then its better you didn’t take it
Jayanthi S.
Mr. Aroor, may I know if the pilot subjected the aircraft to TVC maneuvers ? I would also like to know if you were allowed to control the fighter at some altitude.
If permissible, I would also like to know how do the negotiations for such sorties carried out; for example are any payments made by Headlines Today, or is it on an invitation basis. Overall, in return for the flight is there some obligation on the part of you or HT ?
Thank you.
Dear Aroor-ji,
Eagerly waiting for more updates….
You fool……its mandatory for the media organistaion to carry an extensive coverage and a story in return for the free flight, as it would give free publicity to the aircraft, which is why these aircraft manufacturers target the media boys….and even more so now that the RFP for the IAF’s 126 aircraft is due anytime, therefore to woo the Indian government each of these contenders for the contract are trying out stunts to publicise thier aircraft thru the media and fools like Aroor, who are sold out like little school boys on these birds….this is the least the aircraft can expect….a story…comprehensive.
fools like aroor, my ass, anonymous you just sound jealous. it hardly reflects on his credibility, NOR does it sound like he’s “sold out” at all.
Hey I’d sell my soul for a trip on that MIG.. Shiv? 🙂
Boys, Shiv will never tell you how to get a sortie like that one …these are his trade secrets and he dowsn’t want any competition..does he? Fools, how can you even expect him to tell you anything like that…he doesn’t tell such things tto his colleagues in delhi, lest they’ld try and upstage him…but lemme tell you its very simple….the guys should be convinced that thier money spent on you would be worth, which in a journo’s case is very easy, so if if you’re a defence journo, then its damn easy
abhiman/anon@10:57AM: actually nothing happens from our side for such a trip. both times that i’ve taken a flight (the super hornet in february and the fulcrum-F now), it’s been an invitation from the side of the company. so there are no negotiations or financial implications in that sense. also, there is no discussion whatsoever on what the subject matter of the coverage will be. for example, my fighter show will not be about the MiG-35 per se, but the joy of being in a fighter at all. i also interviewed alexey fyodorov. lots of interesting things there, not all of them positive, so on trips like these, you take the call on what you want to cover, and how want to cover it.
good Shiv, that you’re the one invited on both the occasions by them, and that you havent had to do anything and also that they leave it completely on you on what you wanna cover and how you wanna do it.
Never have you to negotiate for anything….and that you’re well known that every fighter company knows you and will call. What a great fighter pilot you are man.I think the IAF should employ people like you and get rid of its pilot shortage problem.
Prashanth said…
Hey I’d sell my soul for a trip on that MIG.. Shiv? 🙂
Ha.
Like you had one,you bastard