The Indian Air Force's MiG-21, the country's first supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraft, whose induction in the early 1960s catapulted the force into the jet age, will roar in the Indian skies for one last time on Friday (September 26, 2025), leaving an enduring legacy and countless stories in its illustrious trail.

But more than anyone else, the pilots who have flown these Soviet-era machines over the decades will bid this workhorse of the Indian Air Force (IAF) a nostalgic farewell.

Veteran pilot and former IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal A. Y. Tipnis (retd) says the MiG-21 "taught us how to be innovative and produce results".

In a recorded video podcast shared by the IAF on X a day ahead of the high-profile decommissioning ceremony in Chandigarh, he recalled some of the challen

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