Pranav Kumar

@AnchitGupta9 Isn’t that a very high loss rate? Approximately 2.5 squadrons lost?

On this day in 2009, the Indian Air Force closed the MiG-23 chapter. The MiG-23BN flew its final sortie on 6 March 2009 from Halwara with No. 221 Squadron, the Valiants, the last IAF unit still operating the type. Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major presided over the phasing-out ceremony, and Wing Commander YJ Joshi and Squadron Leader TR Sahu flew the aircraft on its last flight. The fighter variant, the MiG-23MF, had already left service in 2007. The MiG-23 entered IAF service in two types, each answering a different operational requirement. The MiG-23BN came in as a dedicated strike aircraft after the Jaguar decision, part of the wider effort to modernise the IAF’s tactical strike arm and move beyond older platforms such as the Su-7 and Marut. The MiG-23MF followed as a quicker air-defence response to the changing regional balance, especially after Pakistan’s F-16 acquisition, bringing look-down/shoot-down radar and early beyond-visual-range capability into IAF service before the Mirage 2000 arrived. By the time the final BN landed, the MiG-23 had compiled a substantial operational record. In service from January 1981, the BN went on to feature in operations ranging from Meghdoot to Safed Sagar. During Kargil, MiG-23BNs struck targets around Tiger Hill and Muntho Dhalo, and by retirement the type had logged more than 1,54,000 flying hours in Indian colours. Roughly 162 MiG-23 BN, MF and trainer aircraft are understood to have served with the IAF. To the best of my knowledge, Air Cmde Hari Naidu logged the highest hours on the BN at 2,052. The Bharat Rakshak database lists 54 MiG-23 airframes lost in accidents, including the trainer variant, which continued in service for years alongside the MiG-27. MiG-23 Squadrons in IAF 10 Sqn (BN): 1981-1993 220 Sqn (BN): 1981-2005 221 Sqn (BN): 1981-2009 31 Sqn (BN): 1983-2003 223 Sqn (MF): 1982-1989 224 Sqn (MF): 1983-2007 @zone5aviation has enough material and knowledge to write a book on the subject, perhaps one day :-) #IAFHistory @IAF_MCC

@samirkale @nanditalaksh @gauravpatra @ns_rajan @psagarindia @atulogical @abhilashapadhy @AmeerKIsmail @anurag @deepakjolly23 @DeepshikhaD @aseemsood @deydreaming @nitinmantri @poojapathak02 Read Pranav Kumar's view on the future of PR at lightaspark.online/pranav-kumar/ To know more about his professional life, purchase amzn.in/d/0j4Dhrq #shinethebook

Speakers - @ShaileshGoyal , @simulationspr | @manoj_dhanda @uthocloud | @atulogical @RuderFinnIndia | @pranav_kumar @Allisonww_UK | @Abhilasha203 @tech_mahindra Moderated by – @MaadhaviC @anuragbatrayo | @nawalahuja | @karanbhatias Bhatia #IPRCCC #e4mIPRCCC

@ShivAroor @livefist @RoyalNavy I fail to understand why this is a story!

Day 5 of @RoyalNavy F-35 still on ground at Thiruvananthapuram airport. My show last night: youtu.be/BQMsZdKvCME?si…

Our heartiest congratulations to @pranav_kumar from @Allisonww_ for being featured in the 6th edition of e4m PR and Corp Comm Top 100 Influential Game Changers list 2024 ! @anuragbatrayo | @nawalahuja | @karanbhatias #e4mMaestroAwards #e4mevents #PRCorpComm

@livefist @severerocket The elephant walk

Sensational picture here by @severerocket of Su-57 crew with their cameras out filming the arrival of the American fighter pack at #AeroIndia2025. ♥️🔥

@ReviewVayu Looks faux stealth

Super!!!

"Clients should drive the narrative, but agencies play a significant role as well. Sometimes, clients provide us with information without sufficient context, which necessitates agencies to step in and fill those gaps." -@pranav_kumar, Managing Director, @Allisonww_UK #e4m #e4mPRDialogue #e4mTheGreatDebateSeries #e4mevents

A dynamic discussion unfolds on "PR Agencies vs. Brands Communication Teams: Who Manages the Narrative and Perception?" @nchatterjee , @SamBaj , and #PradeepWadhwa represent the Brand Communications Team, while @pranav_kumar , @dilipyadav1000 , and @deepakjolly23 advocate for PR Agencies at the e4m PR Debate, chaired by #MamtaDhingra. Watch Live: youtube.com/watch?v=992ekX… @shreecementltd | @makemytrip | @EdgeKritical | @Allisonww_UK | @FirstPartners_ | @ConsociaA | @lateralsutraa #e4m #e4mPRDialogue #e4mTheGreatDebateSeries #e4mevents

@aeroconcepts1 @airvistara @AAI_Official @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @aviationbrk Hahaha!

@Vinamralongani @lufthansa A marvel!

Watching this @lufthansa #B747-8 flying over Greenland is poetry in motion. The #B747 a.k.a. the Queen of the skies will continue to enthral #AvGeek's and #aviation enthusiasts globally for at least a decade if not more. x.com/MennoSwart/sta…

@Vinamralongani @MoNDefense That’s super duper cool! I actually thought the first AI 350 would get a fighter escort on arrival #avgeek the 744 did years ago!

Now that's what you call a grand welcome! @MoNDefense F-16s escorted this #EvaAir #B777-300ER with gold-medalist boxer Lin Yu-ting onboard as she arrived back in #Taiwan. Like everything else, the #Olympics2024 have an #aviation angle too ✈️ #AvGeek

@Vinamralongani @airindia @BLRAirport The new Vistara? 😉

Here are cabin photos of @airindia's VT-RIO. It entered service today and is enroute #Bengaluru - @BLRAirport. 6 #A320neo (VT-RTW, RTM, RTZ, RTL, RTN and RIO) have now been fitted with 8 Business, 24 Prem Eco and 132 Eco seats. 35 more will be done by June 2025. #AvGeek #PaxEx

@Vinamralongani @EncalmIndia @DelhiAirport @Starbucks I don’t even bother going to the lounge anymore!

Free lounge visits offered by card companies continue to ruin the airport experience. The queue outside the @EncalmIndia lounge at T3 - @DelhiAirport is proof. Skipped the lounge, went to @Starbucks instead. Pre-order booze and availed the 10% discount 😎. #AvGeek #PaxEx

@Vinamralongani @Delta @airindia Yea but I feel for the folks who suddenly didn’t have a flight available to them.

@pranav_kumar @Delta @airindia Not ideal but then who are we to decide if it was wise or not. Its the regulators job to look into.

The #IndianCricketTeam and the #T20WorldCup2024 trophy flew one of 5 ex - @Delta #B777-200LR acquired by @airindia -VT-AEE. Delta's state of the art cabins (Delta uses these till date) and @airindia's hospitality are quite the combination. #AvGeek #PaxEx

Introducing our Sixth speaker panel for the 14th edition of e4m PR and Corp Comm IPRCCA and IPRCCC 2023! Session topic : How AI is transforming the PR landscape @anuragbatrayo | @nawalahuja | @karanbhatias #e4mIPRCCC #e4mevents #media #PRandCorpComm #e4mprsummit

@Vinamralongani @airindia Kinda late! Doesn’t take away from what happened.

The extended delay on a recent @airindia #B777-200LR flight to #SanFrancisco was far from ideal. Which is why, it's good to see a senior member of the management acknowledge the lapse in service. The travel voucher / credit for USD 350 is a very nice touch too. #AvGeek #PaxEx

@Vinamralongani Yea strong and unexpected taliwind component

Not able to get my head around this one. The pilots managed to regain a stable climb eventually and continued the flight normally. Windshear perhaps ? Maybe pilots or fellow #AvGeek's on my timeline would know ? twitter.com/JacdecNew/stat…

Thanks @karanbhatias and @anuragbatrayo @e4mtweets