Prompt ~
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The upper-house was informed that over the past 40 years, India had lost more than half of its MiG combat fleet of 872 aircrafts. The minister disclosed that “482 MiG aircraft accidents took place till April 19, 2012”. The crashes led to the loss of 171 pilots, 39 civilians and eight persons from other services.
The flying coffins, which heralded the supersonic-era in Indian-Air-Force and had changed the course of 1971 Indo-Pak-War with its accurate targeting ability, flew into the annals of history in Dec-2013, after five decades of operations.
Retired Air Commodore Gati, who had flown more than 6000 sorties in MIGs watched an old air show and contemplated that 20 air-forces around the world (Ukraine, Czech Republic, Algeria, Finland, Bulgaria, China, Pakistan, etc) continue to stick with the MiG-21s. Human errors, poor maintenance, low quality spares and bird hits have been blamed for the Indian experience.
Sirin is a mythological Russian creature that has a head and chest of a beautiful woman and the body of a bird. According to myth, the Sirins lived in Indian lands.
Commodore Gati wondered – why Sirins had such a dislike for MIGs in Indian air space?
Words < 200
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Thanks Al for the lovely prompt.
Yarnspinnerr 
Excellent twist. It was the Sirins that were killing them. Probably the sonic boom and being flown into them when they were flying around themselves. Thanks for always taking part in this challenge, I appreciate it.
Thank you Al.
May be they were annoyed with so many MIGs flying in their airspace and the sonic boom as you say. 🙂
Very good. Very informative and well-told. Sirins seem a bit annoyed with the planes.but it is their territory. Lucy
Thank you for the read. 🙂
Yarnspinnerr, I’ve learned new information in an interesting way. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
Thank you for always reading my posts, Susan. 🙂
Ha ha ha.. What a climax.. Loved it YS.
Cheers n tc.
Usha
If only the concerned people knew……… 😉
Cheers.
Indeed eh?
Cheers n tc.
Usha
That is a puzzle. What to do about the Sirins?
Forget MIGs.
Thanks for the read. 🙂
Great response to the prompt.
I now have a different way of looking at MIGs. And the human “cost” of these “flying coffins in terms of air force and civilian death tolls I think, as someone commented, the Sirins air space was being invaded. And they may have a particular “hate” for the MIGs!
Quite possible – there has to be a reason for their dislike or hate.
Thanks for the read.
You are more than welcome. I enjoy the yarns you spin.
I am so glad. 🙂
Mystery solved. Sirin is to be blamed. Now everyone can sleep in peace. Excellent take on the prompt.
It could be used as an excuse by many and end many arguments.
Thanks for the read. 🙂
So true.
🙂
I enjoy the historical information you provide. Men it seems argue for excuses when the explanations might be closer than one thinks.
Yes, most of the times.
Thanks for the read.