Brigadier
Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
Zaka Ullah Bhangoo (1948–2007) was a
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
aviator and one-star general who, after his retirement, became involved in flying microlight aircraft. He was killed in a light plane crash in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
in May 2007 while attempting a flight from the United Kingdom to Pakistan.
Early life and army career
Bhangoo was born in 1948 in
Sheikhupura
Sheikhupura (Punjabi language, Punjabi / ; ) also known as Qila Sheikhupura, is a city and district in the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. Founded by the Mughal Empire, Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1607, Sheikhupura is the List of ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, educated at
Lawrence College Ghora Gali
Lawrence College Ghora Gali is a school situated in Murree Tehsil, Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. The college is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and Pir Panjal at a height of about 1950 metres (6395 feet) above sea level, covering ...
, and commissioned into the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
in 1968. He flew helicopters such as the
Alouette
Alouette or alouettes may refer to:
Music and literature
* Alouette (song), "Alouette" (song), a French-language children's song
* Alouette, a List of The King of Braves GaoGaiGar protagonists#Alouette, character in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar' ...
O-1 Bird Dog
The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog is a Liaison aircraft, liaison and observation aircraft that first flew on December 14, 1949, and entered service in 1950 as the L-19 in the Korean War. It went to serve in many branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, was no ...
. He also flew helicopters for the
Pakistan Army Aviation
The Pakistan Army Corps of Aviation is a Military administration, military administrative and combined arms service Military branch, branch of the Pakistan Army.
The Aviation Corps is tasked with configuration of all army aviation aircraft a ...
's VVIP flight for 8 years.
In 2001, he and a co-pilot (Brigadier General Ajab Khan) planned to fly an ultralight aircraft around the world in 80 days. The plane was a US-made Star Streak aircraft with a top speed of . The flight did not ultimately take place due to logistical and diplomatic difficulties.
Flight incident and death
In 2007, he was piloting a light plane with an English friend, Mick Newman, on a flight from the United Kingdom to Pakistan. The pair had set off in a twin-seater Sky Arrow 650T microlight from
Trabzon
Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...
in Turkey but crashed south of the city on 13 May 2007. After the crash, ''The Daily Telegraph'' reported that