The legendary Hameed Anwar

He was the only PAF fighter pilot who had the distinction of serving four different air forces of the world. He had the singular honour to be part of the famous RAF ‘Blue Diamond’ aerobatic team. He is also kept in very high esteem in Jordan owing to his remarkable services to its air force. He raised the Royal Jordanian Air force to a level where his trained fighter pilots shot down an Israeli fighter aircraft during the Arab Israel Wars in 1964. He was also a member of the PAF’s famous Falcon aerobatic team which mesmerised the world in 1958 by creating a world record of a 16 Sabre aircraft formation loop. I am talking about none other than the legendary PAF fighter pilot, formation flying aerobatics maestro, Wg Cdr Hameed Anwar. It is, however, very sad that we know very little about this forgotten son of the soil. It is ironic that this legendary fighter pilot passed away in Jordan, which loved and respected him the most. He was in transit at Jordan, while travelling from Pakistan to the US, when he died of a heart attack on April 19, 2015. I consider myself to be very lucky as I had the honour of meeting the legend in person many times during the compilation of my book ‘Sentinels in the Sky’. The book contains a chapter on his heroic deeds. Tall, handsome and dashing, Hameed Anwar was born in Lahore on June 20, 1934. After Lawrence College Murree, he joined the PAF as a flight cadet in 1953. Having mastered flying on the somewhat tricky ‘Havard’ trainer aircraft at Risalpur, he graduated with flying colours on February 2, 1954. As a young fighter pilot, he was lucky to be trained by the PAF’s finest fighter leaders of that time – the likes of the great FS Hussain and legendary Zafar Masud. Hameed Anwar spent his initial years as a fighter pilot serving the No 14 Squadron at Mauripur now Masroor. He together with his squadron mate and best friend, the ace MM Alam, flew air combat practice missions extensively. The two were friends and intense rivals, as all fighter pilots tend to be at a young age. Later in their careers, they both emerged as exceptional fighter pilots and were recognised in the PAF for their absolute professional commitment, devotion and outstanding piloting skills. One was destined to become a top PAF ace during 1965 War and the other would fly the national colour proudly to distant lands – first in Royal Air Force flying with ‘Blue Diamonds’ aerobatic team and then for many years with various Arab Air Forces. Hameed Anwar (affectionately known in PAF and RAF as Harry Anwar) was a proud member of the famous PAF aerobatics team ‘The Falcons’. In 1958, the team while performing aerobatics on 16 Sabre aircraft pulled up a formation loop, thus making a world record in the history of aviation. From 1960 to 1962, Hameed Anwar was in RAF, as a Pakistani pilot on exchange posting. During this time, he made the country proud by being selected as a member of famous ‘Blue Diamond’ aerobatic team. Being part of the aerobatics team, he flew all across Europe and Nato countries with the Pakistani flag painted on the tail of his Hunter aircraft. Later in 2005, Hameed Anwar was honoured during a reunion ceremony of ex-Blue Diamonds pilots held at Farnborough UK, where his name entered the Hall of Fame as one of the legendary pilots of the world. After retirement from the PAF in 1964, Hameed Anwar joined the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) as an instructor pilot. During his stay there, he earned respect from Jordanian pilots owing to his outstanding professionalism and commitment. One of his promising students of RJAF went on to become the Commander of Royal Jordanian Air Force. His Majesty King Hussein I of Jordan, being a pilot himself, was one of his great admirers. At King Hussein’s desire, Hameed Anwar formed the famous ‘Hashmite Diamonds’ aerobatics team which was not only the Jordan’s first aerobatic team but also of the entire Arab world. The 9 ship Hunter aircraft formation aerobatic team toured across the entire Arab world and was regarded as one of the finest aerobatics teams of the world. In 1965, when the Indo-Pak war broke out, Hameed Anwar was serving in Jordan. His love for the country and his patriotism did not allow him to stay there for a minute longer and he volunteered to return to Pakistan and participate in the war alongside his old comrades. Such was the dedication and resolve of this great man for his motherland. He actively participated in the war and flew numerous air combat missions. After the war, he went back to Jordan and continued to serve there for a long time. After retiring from flying duties Hameed settled in Chicago, where he lived for many years along with his wife Lilian and four sons Haroon, Peter, Moses and Hussain (named after the King Hussain 1 of Jordan). During these years, he used to visit the PAF and was always a source of inspiration for both young and senior fighter pilots, especially the Sherdil aerobatic team. In 2005, on the request of the Sherdil team members, he wrote a book on formation flying and aerobatics. The booklet has become a treasure for PAF’s Sherdil team members and is considered a masterpiece. The great fighter pilot is gone, leaving behind amazing exploits in air displays and aerobatics. Hameed Anwar represented the first generation of fighter pilots whose rich legacy has been emulated in spirit and action by the succeeding generation of fighter pilots around the world.