Jet, Set, Story! A chat with Peter de Souza, the man behind Bandstand's storied Sea Harrier Jet

Recently, Knocksense turned its gaze to the litter that surrounded Bandra's iconic Sea Harrier Jet - a remarkable Navy aircraft and a testament to a golden era in Indian aviation history. Our article captured the attention of the respectable Naval community, resulting in a call for the cleanup of the memorial space. This also paved the way for us to interview one of the men behind the installation -- Mr. Peter de Souza!

In an exclusive interview with Knocksense, Peter, currently the Director of Brihanmumbai Inter-school Republic (BIRD) Group, revealed, “The Sea Harrier Jet was the last of its kind in service worldwide. Its final flight in 2016 marked the end of an era, and now, this very aircraft graces Bandra.”

Speaking about this decommissioned fighter plane, Peter shared: "This particular aircraft is a bit different; it hovers before landing. Nowadays, many of these machines are computerised, but back then, pilots had to master various manual controls, including hovering and jettisoning. The small nozzles at the bottom provided thrust to stabilise the aircraft, making it a true test of skill. You have to be more than a superhuman to fly this aircraft.”

He recalled his first encounter with the Sea Harrier Jet at Rashtrapati Bhavan back in 1985, where he watched in awe as the jet soared through the sky. “My jaw dropped seeing the aircraft being flown by Admiral Arun Prakash, one of the highest-ranking naval aviators. The Harrier went sideways, hovered, then took off vertically and disappeared. The sound was deafening.”

During its life, Sea Harrier operated from INS Viraat, affectionately known as “The Mother”, as the aircraft would launch from and return to her after completing their missions. According to Peter, flying this aircraft requires the skill set of both a helicopter pilot and a space astronaut. The last pilot to fly the Sea Harrier, Commander Shikku Raj, completed the final sortie on March 6, 2016, marking the end of an era.

Pilots who have flown this machine often refer to it as their “baby.” Despite its idiosyncrasies, they have a deep connection to it, and many have taken the time to visit and pay homage.

Luckily, we also had Mannat Shetty, a true Bandra born who lives next to the Sea Harrier, share his first-hand experience of the excitement with Knocksense. Mannat remarked, “It was a moment of immense pride for me when the Sea Harrier was installed in Bandra.”

“My family has called Bandra home since 1979. Witnessing the installation was an extraordinary experience! My dad and I set up a little picnic with chairs, and for two days, we basked in the excitement, soaking up every moment of this occasion,” said Mannat, his heart brimming with memories.

He further added, "Now due to the ongoing construction works around it and no thorough checks on the use of the space, it does get cluttered. Nevertheless, this installation is close to my heart; it reminds of me of the excitement it came with!"

Peter also mentioned that an initiative was chalked out where 70 schools in Bandra would each take ownership of the aircraft for a month. The students from the selected school would gather, water the plants surrounding the aircraft designed by Rinka D’Monte and capture moments in front of it. Unfortunately, the arrival of COVID-19 put a halt to the plans.

Peter concluded by saying, "Overall, I hope we can restore the glory entirely and educate the children about its long-standing history and the legacy of the Armed Forces."

However, today, coinciding with Indian Air Force Day, we encourage our readers to visit Bandstand and pay homage to this monumental marvel while keeping it litter free. Take a moment to appreciate not only the aircraft itself but also India’s illustrious history that it represents.

We would also like to thank Mr Peter de Souza and Mannat Shetty for their valuable insights about the iconic Sea Harrier Jet, which rests proudly in front of the Arabian Sea. A shoutout to the assigned BMC cleaning staff in the area, who have now promptly cleaned up the memorial space and plan to keep it that way!