US Air Force pilot Taylor Hiester flays Dubai Air Show for continuing after fatal Tejas crash; cancels final display in respect
PTC Web Desk: A senior United States Air Force (USAF) pilot has expressed deep disappointment over the organisers of the Dubai Air Show 2025 continuing with scheduled performances even after the fatal crash of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet last week.
In an emotional post shared on Instagram, Major Taylor ‘Fema’ Hiester, Commander of the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, announced that his team, along with a few others, cancelled their final appearance “out of respect” for the fallen Indian pilot, his family and the IAF fraternity.
Hiester said he was shocked to see the event proceed normally shortly after the accident. “I walked through the show site maybe an hour or two later expecting it to be empty, down, or off. It wasn't,” he wrote in his post.
The remarks follow the tragic death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who lost his life on Friday after his indigenously built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), crashed during an aerobatic manoeuvre at Al Maktoum International Airport.
Graphic footage from the event showed the jet nosediving before bursting into flames. Syal was reportedly unable to eject in time.
Hiester also highlighted the unsettling normalcy at the venue following the crash, noting the announcer's upbeat commentary and the crowd’s continued enthusiasm.
“The show must go on, is what they always say. And they're right. But just remember someone will say that after you've gone too,” he wrote.
On Sunday, Wing Commander Syal’s remains arrived at Sulur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu, where he was honoured by the armed forces. His body was later transported to his native village, Patiyalkar in Himachal Pradesh, in a floral tribute convoy.
At an emotional cremation ceremony in Kangra district, his wife, Wing Commander Afshan, stood tearfully with their six-year-old daughter and saluted her husband one last time. Syal was laid to rest with full military honours, including a ceremonial gun salute.
- With inputs from agencies
