The roar that once defined Indian skies will fall silent on Friday. After more than six decades of service, the MiG-21 — the Indian Air Force ’s first supersonic fighter — will be retired in a ceremonial send-off at the Chandigarh air base on Friday.

Serving and former pilots joined businessline in paying tribute to the aircraft that earned both accolades for its combat prowess and notoriety for its safety record — often taunted as the “Flying Coffin.” While its peacetime accident rate in the IAF stands at 26.3 crashes per 1,00,000 flight hours, aviation historian IAF Deputy Air Chief Rajiva Ranjan (Retired) pointed out this is actually lower than the F-104 Starfighter in the USAF, which had a crash rate of 30.63 over 28 years.

For many who flew it, the farewell is deeply personal.

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