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{{short description|Pakistani bomber pilot}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_suffix = Air Commodore ([[Retirement|Rtd.]])
| image = 8-Pass Charlie.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| name = Najeeb Ahmad Khan
| nickname = 8-Pass Charlie
| caption = Then [[Squadron Leader]] Najeeb A. Khan with his [[B-57 Canberra]] after a bombing mission over Ambala.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1933|08|24}}
| birth_place = [[Kaimganj]], [[British India]]
| father = Israil Ahmed Khan
| spouse = Surraya (m. 1964)
| relations = [[Jamal A. Khan]] (Brother)
| children = Babar Najeeb
| nationality = [[Pakistani]] [[Canadians|Canadian]]
| residence = [[Canada]]

| allegiance = {{PAK}}
| branch = {{air force|PAK}}
| rank = [[file:Pak-air-force-OF-6.svg|15px]][[Air Commodore]]
| unit =* [[No. 2 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 2 Squadron "Minhasians"]]
* [[No. 7 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 7 Squadron "Bandits"]] ([[Officer commanding|OC]])
| serviceyears= 1954–1981
| commands = [[Base Commander]] of [[PAF Base Malir|Malir Airbase]] [[air attache|Air Attachè of Pakistan to France]]
| battles ={{tree list}}
*[[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|Indo-Pakistani conflicts]]
** [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
***[[Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965]]
**[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
{{tree list/end}}
| mawards = [[File:Sitara-e-Jurat.png|40px]] {{small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]}} [[File:Tamgha-e-Basalat.png|40px]]{{small|[[Tamgha-i-Basalat]]}}
}}
'''8-Pass Charlie''' was the nickname of '''Najeeb Ahmed Khan''', a [[Pakistan Air Force|Pakistani]] bomber pilot who raided the [[Adampur Airport|Adampur Airbase]] in [[Punjab, India|India]] a number of times during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], notably starting a series of [[airstrikes]] on the base by a solo raid.<ref name="stn">{{cite web|url=https://secondtononepaf.com/2021/02/26/will-the-real-8-pass-charlie-stand-up/|title=Will The Real "8-Pass Charlie" Stand Up|website=Second To None PAF|author=Air Commodore (R) Najeeb Ahmed Khan|publisher=Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force|date=26 February 2021}}</ref><ref name=Samir>{{cite book|title=The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965|date=May 2005|publisher=Manohar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAhuAAAAMAAJ&q=8-Pass+Charlie|isbn=978-8173046414|pages=241–243|author=P V S Jagan Mohan|edition=1st|author2=Samir Chopra|access-date=24 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="paf">{{cite book|url=https://www.paf.gov.pk/asset/appattachments/Sentinels_in-the_sky.pdf|title=Sentinels in the Sky|website=Pakistan Air Force official website|pages=151–154|publisher=PAF Book Club|author1=Colonel (R) Azam Qadri|author2=Group Captain Muhammad Ali}}</ref><ref name=indianexpress>{{citation |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-class-of-65/9548/0 |title=The Class of '65 |publisher= The Indian Express |date=30 July 2006 |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref>

He was named "8-Pass Charlie" by his impressed [[Indian Air Force|Indian adversaries]] at the [[Adampur Airport|Adampur base]] as he used to make eight passes, one for each bomb, on selected targets with improving efficiency instead of safely dropping all of his bomb load and exiting. He is also known to have had expertise in disguising his attack run by confusing anti-aircraft gunners by cutting [[throttle]]s before entering a [[Dive (aviation)|dive]].<ref name="stn"/><ref name="Samir"/>

== Early life and education ==
Najeeb was born in [[Kaimganj]] to Israel Ahmed Khan of the [[Afridi]] tribe of [[Pashtuns]], from the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] province of Pakistan, on 24 August 1933. He was the older brother of [[Jamal A. Khan|Jamal Ahmed Khan]].
Najeeb received his primary education from Muslim High School, [[Bombay]] and upon migrating to [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]] in 1949, where he settled in [[Lahore]] and completed his [[Higher Secondary School Certificate|higher education]].<ref name="paf"/>

== Career ==
Najeeb joined the Pakistan Air Force's 17th GD(P) course at [[Pakistan Air Force Academy]] in [[Risalpur]] and graduated on 6 June 1954. He was then posted to the PAF's [[No. 2 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 2 Squadron]] for [[Operational conversion unit|Fighter Conversion Course]]. His brilliant performance in the conversion course led him to be selected for Advanced Jet Conversion Courses in the [[United States]].<ref name="paf"/>

On his return to Pakistan, he served in various PAF squadrons. He was amongst the few pilots who were selected to fly the newly inducted [[B-57 Canberra]] bombers. In 1962, he was again sent to the United States for more Advanced Training Courses and after returning, he was posted as the [[Officer commanding]] (OC) of the 31st Tactical Attack wing's elite [[No. 7 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 7 Squadron]] which was based at [[PAF Base Masroor|Mauripur Airbase]]. In 1969, he was appointed as the [[Base commander]] of [[PAF Base Malir]] and later commanded the PAF's [[No. 15 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 15 Squadron "Cobras"]]. During his tenure with the Squadron, Najeeb also assisted [[Chuck Yeager]] on a flight to [[Mount Godwin Austin]] and took some memorable pictures of him in a PAF [[F-86F]] over the mountain.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/pages/books/13153/hussaini-tanvir-m-ahmed-jamal-a-khan-text-intro/paf-over-the-years |title=PAF over the Years|page=95|chapter=Trauma & Reconstruction (1971-1980)|author=Group Captain (R) Husseini & Pakistan Air Force|publisher= Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force|edition=Revised}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/29-Jun-2015/charles-yeager-and-pakistan-air-force?version=amp|website=Daily Pakistan|title=Charles Yeager and Pakistan Air Force|author=Sarfaraz Ali}}</ref> In 1974, he attended [[Joint Warfare Establishment|Joint Warfare Courses]] at the [[UK]] and also graduated from [[PAF Staff College]]. As his last deployment, Najeeb was appointed as Pakistan's [[Air Attaché]] in [[France]] until finally [[retiring]] from the PAF on 20 June 1981.<ref name="paf"/>

=== 1965 War ===
{{main|Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965}}
Najeeb was serving as the commander of the No. 7 Squadron during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. Throughout the war, Najeeb participated in 17 [[Airstrike|strike missions]] deep inside enemy territory.<ref name="paf"/>

====B-57 raids====
[[File:Pakistan Air Force B-57s.jpg|thumb|Pakistani B-57 Canberra bombers]]
During the war, the bomber wing of the [[Pakistan Air Force|PAF]] was attacking the concentration of airfields in north India. In order to avoid enemy fighter-bombers, the B-57s operated from several different airbases, taking off and returning to different bases to hop and avoid being attacked.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/may99/b-57.htm |title=B-57 The Intrepid Bomber of PAF |publisher=Defencejournal.com |access-date=2012-06-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515215015/http://www.defencejournal.com/may99/b-57.htm |archive-date=15 May 2012 }}</ref> The B-57 bombers would arrive over their targets in a stream at intervals of about 15 minutes, which led to achieving a major disruption of the overall IAF effort.<ref name="PAF">[http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/september/wars.htm "PAF and the three wars."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608010603/http://www.defencejournal.com/2001/september/wars.htm |date=8 June 2011 }} ''defencejournal.com'', 2001. Retrieved: 5 July 2010.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Magnificent Bomber Operations of PAF in Indo-Pak 1965 War |journal=Defense Journal |url=http://defencejournal.com/sept99/bomber.htm |issue=September 1999 |language=English |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010708101629/http://defencejournal.com/sept99/bomber.htm |archive-date=2001-07-08}}</ref>

=== 1971 War ===
{{main|Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
During the 1971 war, Najeeb served as the PSO of PAF's [[Commander-in-chief]], "Air Marshal [[Abdul Rahim Khan]]".<ref name="paf"/>

==Named by adversaries==
The name was assigned to this unknown pilot by his impressed [[Indian Air Force|Indian]] adversaries at the Adampur base,<ref name=br>{{citation |url=http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/2000s/Samir.html |title=When old warriors meet. |last=Samir Chopra |publisher=Bharat-rakshak.com |access-date=19 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206185150/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/2000s/Samir.html |archive-date=6 December 2006 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and appears to be derived from his daring routine of making eight passes in bombing runs during every air raid over the alerted airbase to bomb selected targets with each 500 lb bomb in the moonlight, "and tried to carry out an effective attack each time", instead of dropping his entire bomb-load of 4,000 lbs during the first pass which would have allowed a safer exit for the aggressor aircraft over initial defences.<ref name="Samir"/>

==Kills==
One of 8-Pass Charlie's confirmed kills is an [[Indian Air Force]] [[MiG 21]]s on [[Operational Readiness Platform]] (ORP) which was about to take off when he executed the first raid on the Adampur airbase at 2200 hours with his lone B-57 on [[Defence Day|6 September]], 1965.<ref name="Samir"/>

==Technique==
[[File:B-57 dropping bombs.jpg|thumb|A B-57 dropping its full bomb load as a norm]]

In addition to his routine of making eight passes over Adampur, Najeeb also seemed to have had a second routine of conducting his raids thirty minutes after moonrise.<ref name="indianexpress"/><ref name="Samir"/>

Paddy Earle, an Indian fighter pilot, paid tribute to the PAF pilot by saying:

{{quotation|I have the utmost respect for the Pakistani Canberra bloke who loved to ruin the equanimity of our dreary lives! 8-Pass Charlie was an ace, but he had this nasty habit of turning up about 30 min. after moonrise, just as we were downing our first drink! Seriously, he was a cool dude and a professional of the highest order. To disguise the direction of his run, he used to cut throttles before entering a dive and by the time the ack-ack opened up he was beneath the umbrella of fire. After dropping his load he'd apply full throttle and climb out above the umbrella.<ref name="indianexpress"/><ref name="Samir"/>}}

== Sitara-e-Jurat citation ==
For his inspiring leadership, courage and other actions displayed during the [[1965 war]], Najeeb was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]], the third highest gallantry award of [[Pakistan]].

His Sitara-e-Jurat citation read as follows:

{{Quotation|{{center|'''CITATION ''' 
'''Sqn Ldr Najeeb Ahmed Khan ''' 
'''7 SQUADRON PAK/3610''' }}
Squadron Leader Najeeb Ahmed Khan was commanding a Bomber Squadron during the Indo-Pakistan War. He flew 17 bombing missions against various Indian Air Force operational bases and led his Squadron with courage during the most hazardous raids on Ambala, Adampur, Jamnagar and Jodhpur. He carried out the raid on the well-defended airfield of Ambala deep in enemy territory at great personal risk. The attack was conducted with great accuracy and outstanding professional skills. By his example, he inspired confidence, determination and aggressiveness amongst personnel of his Squadron. For his outstanding courage, inspiring leadership and dedication to duty, he is awarded Sitara-i-Juraat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pafmuseum.com.pk/heroes/|title=HEROES of PAKISTAN AIR FORCE, 1965 Gallantry awards section|quote=Squadron Leader Najeeb Ahmed Khan - Sitara-i-Juraat|website=Pakistan Air Force Museum}}</ref>
}}

== Personal life ==
Najeeb married Surraya on 14 October 1964 in [[London]]. The couple has a son named Babar (b. 1971). Soon after retiring from the PAF, he took residence in [[Canada]] and continues to live there with his family.<ref name="stn"/><ref name="paf"/> Najeeb's younger brother, [[Jamal A. Khan|Air Chief Marshall Jamal Ahmed Khan]] later went on to [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)|command the Pakistan Air Force]].<ref name="paf"/> Both of them are the only duo brothers to be awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]].

==See also==
*[[Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui]]
*[[Saiful Azam]]
*[[Muhammad Mahmood Alam]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=PAF Bomber Operations: 1965 & 1971 Wars|publisher=PAF Book Club|author=Air Commodore Rais A Rafi}}
{{Military of Pakistan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:8-Pass Charlie}}
[[Category:Bomber pilots]]
[[Category:Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Pakistan Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Pakistani aviators]]
[[Category:Unidentified people]]

8-Pass Charlie - Revision history

Bot at 22:50, 2 December 2022