Hyderabad, 20 October (H.S.): Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh undertook his final sortie in uniform aboard a Kiran trainer aircraft at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, near Hyderabad, on Tuesday, marking an emotional milestone in his distinguished flying career ahead of his retirement later this month.

The flight carried special significance for the Air Chief, as he was accompanied by his former flying instructor, retired Wing Commander V. S. Kochchar, who had trained him at the same academy nearly four decades ago. The sortie brought Singh’s journey as a pilot full circle, returning him to the aircraft in which he first learned to fly.

Recalling his first flight in a Kiran aircraft on January 20, 1984, with Kochchar at the Air Force Academy, Singh said he was grateful for the opportunity to undertake his final flight in uniform alongside the instructor who had guided him at the beginning of his career.

After the aircraft landed, Singh received a ceremonial water cannon salute in recognition of the occasion.

Singh graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1984, earning the prestigious Sword of Honour. Earlier, on October 12, he had completed his final fighter aircraft sortie in an indigenously developed Tejas during Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur Air Force Station.

Reflecting on the significance of ending his flying career in the same type of aircraft in which it began, Singh described the experience as a dream come true. He noted that the Kiran remained in service and expressed gratitude to Kochchar for teaching him the fundamentals of flying at the academy.

Retired Wing Commander Kochchar, 73, also expressed his delight at sharing the occasion with his former student. Describing Singh as the brightest pupil he had ever taught and the best Chief of the Air Staff, he said the opportunity to fly with him once again was a dream come true.

The farewell sortie served as a poignant reminder of Singh’s longstanding association with the Air Force Academy and the aircraft that marked the beginning of his aviation journey.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar