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C 2098 is a MiG-21bis doing
gate Gaurdian duty at the Main gate for Lohegaon AFB. Photo
reproduced with kind permission of Simon Watson , other pics can be viewed
at http://www.samolet.co.uk/ |
Lohegaon Air Force
Station at Pune was one of the oldest establishments of the Indian Air
Force. Going all the way back to the fifties, the airfield was base to Vampires,
Canberras, the gigantic Super Constellations, and later on the MIG-21s. Today Lohegaon
operates the MiG-29 Squadrons and the Maritime operationsof the Jaguar IMs of No.6
Squadron .
Today Lohegaon sports a
good number of warbirds. Starting with a MiG-21bis and a Canberra as gate gaurdians,
the airfield is said to contain some Vampire airframes, the wreckage of a MiG-29, and two
derelict Super Constellations. The Super Constellations were initially used for Maritime
Recoinannasance by No.6 Squdron in the 60s and 70s before they were handed over to the
Indian Navy. For short time the Connies operated out of Dabolim in Goa. Once they
were phased out the Constellations were dumped at Lohegaon. Since then, One Constellation
was shipped to the Naval Aviation Museum in Goa. Another was being prepared for the Indian
Air Force Museum. The remaining Connies were marked for scrapping in the late 90s. The
fate of these aircraft is not known.
Lockheed Super Constellation BG579
during its heyday. This aircraft is one of the derelict Constellations reported stored at
Lohegaon Airbase near Pune.
Lohegaon also houses No.9
Base Repair Depot, which concentrates on the maintenance of Electronic gadgetry
of the Air Force.
Aircraft
Type |
Serial
No |
Remarks |
HAL Gnat I |
E 247 |
National Defence Academy, Salaria Square. |
MiG-21 FL |
? |
National Defence Academy. Parade Ground |
Sea Hawk |
? |
National Defence Academy. Parade Ground |
Dassault Mystere IVa |
IA1022 |
National Defence Academy. Cadets Mess. |
Dassault Ouragan |
? |
National Defence Academy, Cadets Mess.
(Missing?) |
MiG-21 bis |
C 2098 |
Lohegaon AFB , Main Gate. |
Lockheed Constellation |
BG 583 |
Lohegaon AFB to be despatched to IAFM |
Lockheed Constellation |
BG 579 |
Lohegaon AFB , Stored Derelict. |
BAe Canberra |
IQ 994 |
Lohegaon AFB |
BAe Canberra |
? |
Derelict on the grounds of Sri Shivaji
Preparatory Military School. |
HAL HF-24 Marut |
D 1201 |
Kamala Nehru Park, Pune |
In Pune proper, there is a Marut preserved
in the park by the name Kamala Nehru Park. Aditya Vaze of IIT, Bombay has reported
the existance of a derelict Canberra in a Private Military school in Pune.
[Contd Page Two]
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