Bikaner
Nal Airfield is in Bikaner
district, from which IAF aircraft operated. A surprise warbird is in Karn Mahal in
Junagarh Fort in Bikaner town has a museum which has on display a De Havilland DH 9
biplane. Karn Mahal had another two DH 9s stored away.
Recently Hans van Herk visited
Bikaner and found the DH9 in the Junagarh Fort to be on display though no serial number
was seen. Though the guide has mentioned to Hans that another DH9 was in storage, It is
has been confirmed that two DH-9s has been sold to Aero Vintage Ltd in UK to Mr. Guy Black
and transported to UK.
Unarguably,
the oldest warbird in India, this DH-9 preserved in the Bikaner Karn Mahal Palace is one
of the least known aircraft, and in private hands.
Pic Courtesy : Jet Wings Magazine |
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Aparently the two aircraft were part of the
three DH-9s gifted to the Royal Family of Bikaner in the early 1930s. According to the
spokesman of the Royal family, the other two aircraft have deteriorated in condition and
no facilities exist in India to carry out the specialist conversation work . So the Royal
family had decided to offer the aircraft to Aero Vintage.
| Aircraft Type |
Serial No |
Remarks |
| De Havilland DH 9 |
U/I |
Karn Mahal Museum, Junagarh fort,
Bikaner |
Jodhpur
Jodhpur saw a plethora of training
institutions in its time. The RAF had its No.1 Elementary Flying Training School
(No.2 EFTS) during WW2 which imparted training in the Fairchild Cornell
aircraft. Later on, No.2 Air Force Academy was set up by the IAF
after Independence which used the Percival Prentice, and Harvard aircraft to provide the
flying training. No.2 AFA was later redesignated as Air Force Flying College
(AFFC) to impart advanced training on the Harvard.
 |
HAL
HF-24 Marut D 1198 at the Jodhpur Air Force Station. This Marut is
maintained in a much better condition . Pic Courtesy : Simon Watson |
A Sukhoi-7 BMK in desert camo scheme on display at the "Heritage"
- The Museum of South Western Air Command. |
 |
Flying training ceased after the 1965 Indo
Pakistan war and but an Air Force Station is maintained there under the aegis of South
Western Air Command. SWAC before moving to Gandhinagar had its Headquarters in
Jodhpur. At the erstwhile HQ was a SWAC HQ Museum which housed some artifacts including
the wreckage of a F-104 Starfighter from the 1971 War. It is not clear whether the Museum
is still in Jodhpur or has moved to Gandhinagar. In Sept 2001, A new Heritage
Museum was opened in the erstwhile Command house. This museum houses three aircraft
and also is believed to hold the F-104 Wreck.
| Aircraft Type |
Serial No |
Remarks |
| HAL HF-24 Marut |
D 1198 |
Jodhpur Air Force Station |
| HAL HF-24 Marut |
-NA- |
Heritage Museum, Command House |
| Sukhoi - 7 |
-NA- |
Heritage Museum, Command House |
| HAL HT-2 |
-NA- |
Heritage Museum, Command House |
Uttarlai
Uttarlai airfield was first set up just
before the 71 War. It was one of the forward airfields that provided facilities to the
HF-24 Maruts, Gnats, Hunters and MiGs during the war. The airfield continued in service
even after the war and is today a major airbase. The HF-24 Maruts flew for the first time
in combat from this airbase. Today an example of the HF-24 can be seen as the gate
guardian at the Airbase.
A Hawker Hunter is also displayed at the
Uttarlai War Memorial. This commemorates the role the airbase played in the 1971 War and
is dedicated to Flt Lt P V Apte of 221 Squadron who lost his life flying from this
airbase.
 |
The Uttarlai War Memorial
dedicated to Flt Lt P V Apte. The Hawker Hunter can be seen in the background. Pic
Courtesy : Indian Air Force. |
| Aircraft Type |
Serial No |
Remarks |
| HAL HF-24 Marut |
-NA- |
Gate Gaurdian Uttarlai. |
| Hawker Hunter |
-NA- |
Displayed at Warmemorial |
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