Group Captain Perminder Antil, Flying (Pilot), who is the Commanding Officer of a Su-30 MKI Squadron since January 2020, has been conferred with the Shaurya Chakra for his exemplary standards of professionalism and contribution to aerospace safety.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, on September 21, 2020, during a sortie from the front cockpit of a Su-30 aircraft, he experienced unprecedented and vicious oscillations in the longitudinal and lateral planes with gravitational forces rapidly varying from +9G to -1.5G, coupled with the aircraft uncontrollably banking to the left and other control failure indications.
Overcoming ‘black-out’ conditions encountered due to the extremely high ‘G’ conditions, he manually dampened the aircraft oscillations and also checked the safety of his weapon system operator. While controlling the aircraft, he turned away from the populated areas to ensure no loss of civilian life or property in case of a probable ejection.
As he initiated a priority recovery, the aircraft once again encountered vicious oscillations, with the control of the aircraft requiring a large amount of pressure on the control column by the pilot. The officer applied his superior systems knowledge and opted for some unconventional recovery actions, read the statement.
“As a result of his judgment and skillful handling, the oscillations reduced and the aircraft was recovered safely. During these life-threatening circumstances, the pilot maintained his composure, displayed exemplary courage, and maintained his presence of mind. His superior piloting skills ensured the safety of a national asset worth hundreds of crores of Rupees and precluded possible damage to life and property on the ground in case of an ejection,” it said. (ANI)
