Blue Skies Podcast

05/12/2023

On the anniversary of the 1971 War with Pakistan for Liberation of Bangladesh, here's a playlist of the 15 episodes of the Blueskies that reference that conflict...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrUQ6bCNp78gpMGaNGrfITwwRnWCBeSJx

26/07/2023

On the Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, re-posting interviews that reference action during that conflict. Here's Col. Mohit Verma: https://youtu.be/nR6xE5slb-c

26/07/2023

On the Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, re-posting interviews that reference action during that conflict. Here's Air Mshl Nambiar:

In Part 2 of our interview with Air Mshl Raghu Nambiar, we discuss his legendary exploits with the Mirage 2000, the Litening Targeting Pod and Laser Guided B...

26/07/2023

On the Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, re-posting interviews that reference action during that conflict. Here's Gp. Capt. Nachiketa: https://youtu.be/4zGKXExMBq0

04/12/2022

New episode alert! In the last and final part of our interview with Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, we discuss his experiences inducting the Jaguar into IAF service. We also discuss his role in the repatriation of Flt. Lt. Nachiketa, during the Kargil War.

27/11/2022

New episode alert! ACM Tyagi talks about learning how to drop "bombs in a bucket" from the RAF. He was among the first batch of 12 pilots to be trained on that deep pe*******on strike aircraft. www.blueskiespodcast.com or youtube.com/c/blueskiespodcast

20/11/2022

New episode! In Part 2 with Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, we discuss the inter-war years, when he become a Pilot Attack Instructor, Instructor in the PAI school, participated in the 71 War for the Liberation of Bangladesh, and became a Fighter Combat Leader. www.blueskiespodcast.com

13/11/2022

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, PVSM, AVSM, VM, joins us for a series of interviews on his career and experiences. In Part 1, we speak about his initial journey into the Air Force, and experiences flying Hunters in a frontline squadron during the 65 War with Pakistan.

06/11/2022

New episode is live!

This week's guest, AVM Samir Borade, VSM, speaks about the technical branch in the Indian Air Force. We learn about first, second, third and fourth line servicing, the MiG-29 Upgrade program, technical branch and flight safety, and the challenges of indigenization.

06/11/2022

This week's guest, AVM Samir Borade, VSM, speaks about the technical branch in the Indian Air Force. We learn about first, second, third and fourth line servicing, the MiG-29 Upgrade program, technical branch and flight safety, and the challenges of indigenization.

30/10/2022

This episode is a narration of an article written by Air Mshl Harish Masand, on what might have transpired in AB Devayya's final sortie. www.blueskiespodcast.com or https://youtu.be/KqJ0TS-ouPM

23/10/2022

In this episode, aviation historian PVS Jagan Mohan joins me and we make an attempt to unravel the mystery behind the death of Sqn. Ldr. AB Devayya, MVC (Posthumous) on 7th Sept, 1965. The episodes includes interviews with officers who served with him, including on that fateful day. Listen at www.blueskiespodcast.com or on youtube.com/c/blueskiespodcast

20/10/2022

Aviation Historian and guest host Anchit Gupta talks about an unsung hero of the Indian, Australian and US Air Forces, Charles Howe.
https://youtu.be/wk3SnWFkd84

Read the original tweet here: https://twitter.com/AnchitGupta9/status/1487998676173668359

18/10/2022

5 minutes of Air Force History with aviation historian Anchit Gupta! Learn about one of the Air Force's first training establishments in the Indian sub-continent, which was also the subject of his tweet here: https://twitter.com/AnchitGupta9/status/1489529906539024384

https://youtu.be/X3oNW_jTiZU

View a longer video on early AF training in the sub-continent here: https://youtu.be/XFklvkh3dbM

16/10/2022

New episode alert! This week we speak to Wg. Cdr. SS Krishnamurthy, who is the young flying officer peering over Maj. Gen. JFR Jacob's shoulder in that iconic photograph of the surrender of Pakistan's Army in Dacca in December 1971. He talks of that experience, flying helicopters in Car Nicobar and the Antarctic, and more. Listen at www.blueskiespodcast.com

09/10/2022

In this episode, we speak to Air Mshl Anil Khosla, who recently retired as Vice Chief of Air Staff. Besides his experiences as a young officer, we focus on the role he played in the Doklam stand-off (when he was C-in-C Eastern Air Command) and the strike at Balakot (when he was Vice Chief). We also discuss the pros and cons of indigenous vs imported weapons platforms, the future of air war, and the Air Force's talent strategy, among other things.

02/10/2022

This week, we speak to Air Cmde BS Siwach about a daring rescue from Mt. Nunkun, flying helicopters in the North East, VIP flying and most importantly, his role as the Air Force commander of the UN forces in Sierra Leone during Op Khukri, the daring rescue of our trapped soldiers. www.blueskiespodcast.com

25/09/2022

How we got here: Guest host and aviation historian Anchit Gupta takes us through the organization of the Air Forces in India prior to Independence.

18/09/2022

In this interview we change gears to understand now a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) or Surface to Air Guided Weapon (SAGW) works. In an interview with a past guest of the program, Gp. Capt. Anil Kumar ("T***s") Ghosh, who commanded an SA-2 Dvina unit, we understand the intricacies of ground based detection of hostile targets and defence against them.

Learn more about the SA-2 Dvina here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-75_Dvina

11/09/2022

In Part 2 of the 2-part interview with Air Marshal BD Jayal, we discuss his leading the Jaguar Project Team (JPT) in the UK, how the IAF anticipates equipment requirements and plans for it, and what should be done about the threat environment in the Indian sub-continent. Listen at www.blueskiespodcast.com

03/09/2022

This week's interview is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with a legend of the IAF, Air Marshal BD Jayal. Over 38 years in service, he flew 77 types from a Tiger Moth to Mirage 2000 and everything in between. In Part 1 we discuss his early experiences flying Toofanis and Mysteres, converting to the MiG-21 in the Soviet Union as part of the first batch of Indians to train there, and becoming a test pilot.

28/08/2022

This week's interview features Wg. Cdr. Jai Singh Gahlawat, who saw action flying Hunters during the 1971 War for the Liberation Bangladesh, for which he was awarded a Vir Chakra. In great detail, he takes us with him as he mounts attacks deep in West Pakistan.

21/08/2022

Today we interview with Gp. Capt. Sunil Palkar (Retd.), who was a Navigator on AN-12 aircraft during the 1971 war with Bangladesh and was in the lead aircraft for the famous Tangail paradrop. In addition to that mission, we discuss navigation in the AN-12, flying Caribous in the North East, Electronic Intelligence gathering, flying VIPs in the Boeing 737, etc.

14/08/2022

This week's episode features PVS Jagan Mohan, co-author of "The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965", "Eagles over Bangladesh" and "The Westland Wapiti in the Indian Air Force" and others. He is also a pillar of the IAF section of the Bharat Rakshak website, and runs https://www.warbirdsofindia.com/ which documents locations of former military aircraft.

07/08/2022

In this episode, we speak to Wg. Cdr. Namrita Chandi, who was among the first few batches of lady officers commissioned into the flying branch. Over 15 years in uniform, she flew over 2,000 hours in Chetaks and Cheetahs from the heights of Siachen to the deserts of Rajasthan.

01/08/2022

On 29 July, 1987, India first inducted troops into Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Almost exactly 35 years later, we interview Gp. Capt Anil Kumar "T***s" Ghosh, who served two tenures as Base Commander as part of the IPKF.

24/07/2022

In this episode we return to a former guest, AVM Sunil Nanodkar, and do a deep dive into the first time the IAF participated in an exercise with friendly forces in the US, Cope Thunder, in Alaska. We understand what is meant by trail planning, the challenges of the long ferry, the missions they flew before and during the exercise, and the lessons learnt.

17/07/2022

In this episode, we interview Air Marshal HN Bhagwat, PVSM, AVSM, VM (Retd)., a pioneer of low-altitude Para Jumping in the Indian Air Force. We speak about his initial career as an ATC Officer, Para jumping, the Akash Ganga skydiving team, and commanding the Garud Regimental Training Center.