Ganderbal Doves 🕊

Written by Wg Cdr (retd.) Perci Virji ex PAF: The news of an Indian Air Force Tejas crashing during an aerobatic display at the Dubai Air Show is heartbreaking beyond words. Aerobatics are flown on the razor’s edge of the flight envelope—where skill, courage, and precision exist in unforgiving margins. These are not stunts; they are acts of professional mastery, performed by men and women who accept personal risk in the service of national pride and technological confidence. To the Indian Air Force and to the grieving family of the fallen airman: I offer my deepest and sincerest condolences. A pilot is not merely lost — a guardian of the sky is silenced. What pains me further is the disgraceful reaction of a few on our side of the border who choose mockery over empathy. This is not patriotism; this is moral illiteracy. One may question policies, decisions, even doctrines — but never the courage of a fellow aviator doing his duty. He flew not for applause, but for his flag, just as we fly for ours. That deserves honour, not ridicule. I too have lost brothers in uniform under similar unforgiving circumstances — Sherdil Leader Flt Lt Alamdar and Sqn Ldr Hasnat — men who lived and died at the far edge of performance. There are no nationalities in the moment an aircraft goes quiet. There is only loss, and a family left in shattered silence. A true professional respects another professional. A true warrior salutes another warrior—even across enemy lines. Anything less stains our own uniform. May the departed pilot find eternal blue skies beyond turbulence. May his family find strength where words fail. And may we, on both sides, find the maturity to honour courage — not mock its cost. Photo Wg Cdr Perci (PAF)