India
Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh completed his final flying sortie in an IAF aircraft on Tuesday, October 20, bringing his distinguished flying career full circle by returning to the trainer aircraft in which he first took to the skies more than four decades ago.
Singh flew the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft alongside his first flying instructor, retired Wing Commander VS Kochhar. The 55-minute sortie held special significance for the Air Chief, who wanted to mark the conclusion of his flying journey in the same aircraft that had introduced him to aviation.
The flight took place aboard an aircraft bearing the tail number U 707. Singh said he wanted to complete the circle by flying the Kiran in uniform alongside the instructor who had trained him at the beginning of his career.
Speaking to reporters after landing, Singh described the experience as a dream come true, reflecting on the journey that began in January 1984.
“It was really a dream come true. I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only Chief who’s retiring while the basic aircraft he flew is still serving,” Singh said, according to news agency ANI.
He also expressed gratitude to Kochhar, acknowledging the instructor’s role in shaping his early flying experience.
“So, I think I’m very grateful. I’m very grateful to my instructor, Wing Commander Kochhar sir, who taught me flying in the beginning, in this place itself,” the IAF chief said.
Recalling the significance of the occasion, Singh said his first sortie took place on January 28, 1984, at the same location, with Kochhar in a Kiran aircraft. More than 42 years later, he returned to the same aircraft type and flew alongside the same instructor for his final sortie in uniform.
“And so I just wanted the circle to be complete, and do–I did my first sortie on January 28 way back in 1984, in this very place with him in a Kiran aircraft. And today, I did my last sortie in uniform with him in the same Kiran aircraft,” ANI quoted Singh as saying.
From First Flight in 1984 to a Distinguished IAF Career
The sortie marked the conclusion of a significant chapter in Singh’s association with military aviation. According to the IAF, the flight brought to a close a distinguished period of flying, reflecting the experience, discipline and commitment that have defined his service in the force.
Singh graduated from the Air Force Academy (AFA) in 1984 with the Sword of Honour, a distinction that marked the beginning of his professional journey in the Indian Air Force.
The HJT-16 Kiran, which played a formative role in his training, continues to serve as a reminder of the aircraft’s longstanding place in India’s military aviation history. Singh’s return to the trainer was particularly meaningful because the aircraft type remains in service even as he prepares to conclude his tenure as Air Chief.
Earlier, on October 12, Singh had flown his final fighter aircraft sortie aboard the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft during Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur Air Force Station. The flight marked another milestone in his final days as the head of the IAF.
Following Tuesday’s sortie, Singh received a ceremonial water cannon salute upon landing, according to PTI, as a mark of respect for his service.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh’s Successor
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is scheduled to take over as the Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, succeeding Singh in the top leadership position of the Indian Air Force.
Singh’s final sortie aboard the Kiran was therefore both a personal milestone and a symbolic moment in the transition towards the next chapter of the force’s leadership.
By returning to the aircraft that first introduced him to flying, alongside the instructor who guided his earliest steps, Singh brought his flying journey to a memorable close—linking the beginning of his career in 1984 with its conclusion more than four decades later.
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