Usman

The PAF has evaluated several Swedish Saab aircraft over the years, but only the Saab Safari (Mushshak) and, later, the Saab Erieye entered service. The Saab 105, a high-wing, twin-jet trainer aircraft, was evaluated in the early 1970s, but the deal did not materialize. In the photo, Air Cdre Imtiaz Bhatti can be seen in the middle.

Some days back, I was playing a round of golf with an Irish friend. While waiting for the group ahead to clear the course, the conversation veered towards life and death and, if given a choice, how one would like to go. My choice was rather mundane: in my bed, in my sleep, quietly. But Patrick, my Irish friend, would like to die on the golf course, either from a heart attack or a lightning strike ⛈️ I told him that if lightning was his preferred way to go, I hoped I wouldn’t be his playing partner that day. With Irish luck on his side, I’d be the one struck by lightning!

Around ten years ago, I got the opportunity to fly one of the JF-17 full mission fidelity simulators at Kamra.

This is probably the oldest photograph taken at the Mianwali landing strip. It shows six airmen wearing tropical uniforms in front of a 99 Sqn DH-9 biplane in 1920. The landing strip was later developed into Mianwali Air Base and renamed M M Alam Air Base in March 2014. Photo courtesy of the University of Lincoln.

Two variants and penetration up to 1.2m in 5000 psi concrete.

This is one of my favorite paintings, since anything with a snowy background is difficult to work with. It shows Gilgit Scouts on their way from Gilgit to Deosai to capture Skardu (Baltistan). They cut off the retreat of the Indian brigade from Gilgit, ambushing it near Rondu and thus liberating Skardu. The painting hangs at the Army Institute of Military History in Rawalpindi.

Many moons ago I played a round of golf with two banker friends at Islamabad Golf Club, both regular players and members, unlike me, who was just visiting. During the round they mentioned a round a few weeks or so prior where they got paired with an Army general. On one of the very first holes, the general tees up his ball, driver out, and whoosh. While the bankers are certain the ball is out of bounds (OB) and waiting for the general to tee up again, the general, unperturbed, starts walking. After going for 200-odd meters, sure enough the general's ball is found in the middle of the fairway. Now this keeps happening on almost every hole. Any ball hit into the hazard or OB magically keeps appearing on the fairway, sometimes nicely tucked up on blades of grass for the general's next shot. "A General's ball always finds the fairway" is now an often-repeated phrase at the club.

Team Gripen!

Sqn Ldrs M.M. Alam and Jamal A. Khan engrossed in an air combat discussion. My favourite photo of the two legends, published in Eagles of Destiny: History of the Royal Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Air Force, 1947-1971.

A Pakistan Air Force J-10C (s/n 103) sporting an Indian Air Force MiG-29 kill marking. Two MiG-29s were shot down on the night of 6/7 May 2025, with the wreckage of one coming down in the Ramban area of Jammu and Kashmir.

This PAF F-16A (725) sports a Soviet kill marking: that of Col. Alexander Vladimirovich Ruskoi of the Russian Air Force, whose Su-25 was brought down by Sqn Ldr Athar Hussain Bukhari on the evening of August 4, 1988. Ruskoi was captured and, after his subsequent release, went on to become Vice President of his country. Bukhari retired as an Air Marshal. Posing in front of the aircraft is Flt Lt Younas, the then flight surgeon of No. 14 Squadron.

This Pakistan Air Force J-10C (s/n 22-104) carries an Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 kill marking. The Mirage-2000 was still climbing to its station when it ate a PL-15E. The wreckage landed on a school in the Wuyan area of Pampore, in Pulwama district, Jammu & Kashmir.