Former IAF chief Moolgavkar is dead

Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Hrushikesh Moolgavkar, passed away here at the age of 95, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The retired air chief marshal, who was taken on March 29 to the Command Hospital Southern Command Pune, died late Thursday. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

Moolgavkar was commissioned in the Royal Indian Air Force on November 30, 1940. He served in the IAF for 38 years.

He took over as Chief of the Air Staff on February 1, 1976, and took upon himself the task of bringing the IAF's accident rate under control. He was always known as a stickler for flight safety.

As the air chief, he implemented several reforms and rules that saw improvement in flight safety across the IAF. He retired from service in 1978 and settled down at Pune.

His funeral parade is planned for Saturday at Shakti Dham, Golibar Maidan, Pune.

Moolgavkar fought against the Japanese Army in 1941. For his dedication in the Kashmir Operation in 1948 and exceptional gallantry and leadership during the famous Battle of Zoji La, he was awarded the Mahavir Chakra in 1948.

He was the captain of the first flight of four Ouragan fighters flown to India from France. At that time, he became the first Indian to fly faster than sound, flying a Mystere-II fighter Bomber in 1951.

Moolgavkar went to France and Britain for the acquisition of second Generation Fighter Jet for the IAF and was one of the first to fly the MiG aircraft in 1954.

He was also one of the first to fly the Gnat fighter when the IAF evaluated it at Chilboten in Britain in 1954.