Dara Phiroze Chinoy was born in 1944 in a small town of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. While he was studying in Loyola College,Andhra Pradesh, he joined the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps. It was during this time that he decided to become a fighter pilot. Despite resistance from his family, he joined the 83rd Pilots Course in 1961 and finally earned his wings two years later. He was awarded the Vishist Seva Medal in 1966 for his great contribution to the India–Pakistan War of 1965. He held many important posts during his tenure with the Indian Air Force—Chief Flying Instructor; Squadron Commander; Joint Director of Staff Duties, later Joint Director of Operations; Chief Operations Officer; Station Commander, etc. He retired from the Indian Air Force in 1991 to join the Tata Group as a civil pilot. After retiring from there, he joined Anil Ambani’s company in 2006, and after a short but successful stint he finally retired in 2011. Dara Chinoy is a first-time author.Writing about his life was always on the cards. Eventually, after being interviewed by Vishnu Som on NDTV, he decided to put it to action, and Escape from Pakistan became a reality. He now lives a quiet and peaceful retired life with his wife Margaret and extended family on the outskirts of Bengaluru. He has two sons. In his free time, he loves watching Two and a Half Men and playing chess.
As a young fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force, Dara Phiroze Chinoy found himself in the midst of the raging India–Pakistan War of 1965. The war may have ended in a stalemate but Chinoy emerged victorious when he escaped unhurt from the enemy territory, after his fighter-bomber aircraft was shot down by the Pakistan Army. He is the only Indian officer to ever do so in India’s recorded military history. His daring and death-defying escape from the clutches of the Pakistani forces is the stuff of legend. For this courageous act, he was presented the Vishisht Seva Medal by none other than Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh. Escape from Pakistan is a chronicle of an officer and a gentleman and the various challenges he faced and overcame in the Air Force and later in the corporate sector when he was flying for the Tatas and the Ambanis. From training of Iraqi pilots in Saddam Hussein’s hometown in Tikrit, to his wife’s battle with schizophrenia, to dealing with his elder son’s drug addiction, Chinoy has seen it all. As Chinoy reflects upon his rather action-packed life, and an illustrious career of around 49 years, many facets of his personality are revealed—a devoted son, a loving husband, a doting father and an eternal crisis manager. As life threw one curveball after another his way, his never-say-die attitude, humility and sense of duty helped him to dodge all and expertly craft his destiny, and set an example for all of us to emulate.
