HYDERABAD: The Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal commemorated 50 years of its glorious existence on Tuesday. On the occasion, Air Chief Marshal and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) RKS Bhadauria flew a sortie in the PC-7 Mk-II trainer with one of the qualified flying instructors, currently serving at the AFA, to mark the golden jubilee.
The CAS also unveiled a statue of the ‘Eternal Pilot’ which was presented to the academy by the pioneers of the 107 Pilots’ Course -- the first course to undergo flying training at the AFA. He released an Indian Postal service Special Cover and Golden Jubilee medallion too.
The CAS addressed the trainees and instructors of the AFA at a training workshop held as part of the golden jubilee celebrations and complimented the academy for rendering yeoman services in imparting high quality training that provides the bedrock on which young flight cadets go on to become thorough professionals and military leaders.
Underscoring the requirements for the IAF’s capability building, he urged the trainees to imbibe the force’s ethos, train hard to prepare for challenges that lie ahead and develop tri-service domain knowledge to fight future wars. He asked the faculty of the AFA and the HQ Training Command to explore avenues for evolving new training methodologies, reshaping curriculum, and incorporating new-generation aids to make officers future-ready.
Since its inception in 1971, the AFA has added many feathers to its cap. With a team of experienced and highly qualified instructors, it conducts training for all branches of the IAF. It also imparts training to officers of the Navy, Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries.