RENOWNED IAFfighter pilot Air Marshal Denzil Keelor (retd), who was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani Sabre jet during the 1965 war, passed away on Wednesday in Gurugram, people close to his family said. He was 90. Air Marshal Keelor shot down a technically-superior Pakistani fighter while flying a Gnat aircraft on Sept 19, 1965. Born in Lucknow in December 1933, he and Trevor Keelor came to be known as fighter pilot brothers, and gained legendary status. Trevor Keelor was the first IAF pilot to score an air kill in Independent India. He also shot down a Sabre aircraft in the 1965 war. Denzil Keelor took part also in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that led to creation of Bangladesh. “He shot down a Sabre aircraft of the Pakistani forces during the 1965 war. He and his brother are heroes of the IAF,” a senior officer said.

 

Commissioned in the Indian Air Force in May 1954, Denzil Keelor also earned a Kirti Chakra for his daredevilry in 1978 (as a Group Captain) during two aircraft emergency situations, according to his profile published on the official website of the gallantry awards. Kirti Chakra is India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award His Kirti Chakra citation reads, “Group Captain DenzilKeelorVrC(4805)F(P) was posted in August 1975 to a prestigious unit which evolves tactics and imparts combattraining.Thenature offlyingintheunitisintense and difficult, imposing a high degree of physical and mental stress on the flyers.” In March 1978, while Group Captain Keelor was flying a Type 77 aircraft at high altitude, the canopy flew off and exposed him to explosive decompression andseverewindblast,itsays.

 

Theincidentlefthimwith injury to his eyes, an ear drum, and left arm, which made it difficult for him to control the aircraft. “Thoughhewas fully justifiedinabandoningtheaircraft at that stage, he used his skill and experience to the limit to recover the aircraft. Under very adverse conditions, without being able to look out sufficiently due to wind blast, and with unimpairedvisionfromonly one eye, Group Captain Keelor brought the aircraft back to base and executed a safe emergency landing,” it says. By his flying skill, determination,presenceofmind and courage, at considerable personal risk, he was able to saveavaluable aircraft. Again, in May 1978, during a live air-to-air sortie, a 23 mm high explosive shell burst as it left the gun muzzle. Shrapnel damaged theaircraftandcausedtotal electrical failure and a serious throttle restriction, the citation read .