NEW DELHI: Days ahead of his superannuation, IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Tuesday flew his final sortie aboard HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft at his alma mater near Hyderabad, bringing his distinguished flying career in the Indian Air Force a full circle.
At the end of the 55-minute sortie at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal in Telangana, Singh acknowledged it was his "last sortie in uniform."
The flight was particularly special as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) flew with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V S Kochar (retd), in the aircraft bearing tail number U707, a senior IAF official said.
Recalling his first flight in January 1984 with Kochar in a Kiran aircraft at the AFA, Singh said he did his "last sortie in uniform" on Tuesday with his teacher by his side. He expressed his gratitude to his guru.
Air Chief Marshal Singh was given a water cannon salute as a mark of respect as he landed, concluding the sortie.
The IAF chief passed out from the AFA in 1984 with a Sword of Honour.
When reminded that he started his flying career with the Kiran aircraft and "ended" with the same, Singh said it was a "dream come true".
"I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only Chief who is retiring on the basic aircraft he flew is still serving. I am very grateful to my instructor Kochar sir who taught me flying in the beginning, in this place itself. So, I just wanted the circle to be complete," he told reporters after landing.
Describing Singh as the "brightest pupil ever" and the "best chief", 73-year-old Kochar said it was a dream come true for him as well to get "one more trip"
The CAS was commissioned in December 1984 in the fighter stream of the IAF.
A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot with an experience of several thousand hours of service flying on a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, he is set to superannuate on October 31.
Recently, during multilateral air exercise 'Tarang Shakti' hosted at Jodhpur Air Force Station, he had flown his last fighter jet sortie aboard an indigenous Tejas.
The IAF on October 12 had shared a video of that sortie, and said that it reflected the "spirit of a fighter pilot who has always believed in leading from the front".
On October 20, the occasion was perhaps more emotional for the air chief marshal, as it also marked both a return to Kiran, an iconic trainer aircraft associated with the training of IAF pilots, as well as a nostalgic reunion with his first flying instructor, reconnecting him with the beginning of his flying journey in the force.
The air officer had undertaken his first-ever flying sortie on January 28, 1984, the official said.
"More than four decades later, today's sortie in Kiran brought his flying journey in the IAF full circle, symbolising the enduring bond between a pilot, his instructor and the skies that shape professional life," the official said.
The occasion was a tribute to the rich tradition of flying training in the IAF and to the invaluable role played by flying instructors in nurturing generations of air warriors. The instructors remain mentors throughout the life of the aircrew, he added.
The CAS today completed his final flying sortie in an IAF aircraft, flying the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft, and bringing a memorable chapter of his flying career to a close, the official said.
The return to Kiran aircraft added special significance to the sortie, the IAF said.
"With this sortie, the CAS concluded a distinguished chapter of flying, carrying forward the experience, discipline and commitment that have defined his association with the Indian Air Force," he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College.
