Wing Commander Ramesh ‘Joe’ Bakshi, Commanding Officer of No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force, lost his life in a Mirage 2000 crash during an Air Force Day display at Palam, New Delhi, on 8 October 1989.
As India marks Air Force Day on 8 October 2026, The Veterans Post remembers Wing Commander Ramesh ‘Joe’ Bakshi on the 37th anniversary of his death.
The Indian Air Force pilot was commanding No. 7 Squadron, identified in the supplied memorial image as ‘Battleaxe’.
The Air Display at Palam
On 8 October 1989, Wing Commander Bakshi lost his life when his Mirage 2000 crashed during an air display held as part of the Air Force Day celebrations at Palam in New Delhi.
His death remains an occasion for remembrance alongside the annual celebration of the Indian Air Force and its air warriors.
Service Details
Name: Ramesh ‘Joe’ Bakshi
Rank: Wing Commander
Service: Indian Air Force
Appointment: Commanding Officer, No. 7 Squadron
Squadron name: ‘Battleaxe’
Date of death: 8 October 1989
Location: Palam, New Delhi
Aircraft: Mirage 2000
Occasion: Air display during Air Force Day celebrations
Remembering Wing Commander Ramesh ‘Joe’ Bakshi
Thirty-seven years after his death, The Veterans Post honours Wing Commander Ramesh ‘Joe’ Bakshi’s service and remembers the air warrior who lost his life during the Air Force Day display.