Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh completed his farewell military sortie on 20 October, marking the conclusion of an active aviation journey that spanned more than four decades. For this milestone flight, he took to the skies in an HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft. Sharing the cockpit was the very officer who introduced him to military aviation decades ago, his foundational flight instructor Wing Commander VS Kochhar (Retd). Together aboard aircraft tail number U-707, the two aviators logged a poignant 55-minute flight that brought a distinguished flying career full circle.
A Four-Decade Flying Career Comes Full Circle
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh embarked on his military aviation path on 28 January 1984, the date of his maiden flight as a young trainee. Across the subsequent four decades, his professional life remained continuously tethered to the cockpit and the operational demands of the air force. Choosing the Kiran Mk-1 for his concluding sortie carried deep personal and professional resonance. The jet has served as a foundational training workhorse for the Indian Air Force, shaping the airmanship of countless officers as they transitioned into operational fighter roles.
Mentor and Protégé Reunited in the Cockpit
The presence of Wing Commander VS Kochhar (Retd) in the trainer aircraft lent an exceptional quality to the 20 October flight. Decades earlier, Wing Commander Kochhar guided AP Singh through the demanding fundamentals of handling an aircraft, instilling the precise habits required of a military pilot. Rejoining in the same cockpit after forty years allowed the veteran instructor to witness his former student culminate his flying journey as the head of the air force. Their 55-minute airborne reunion underscored the lifelong bond forged between flying instructors and their trainees during initial induction.
The Enduring Legacy of Air Force Flight Instruction
The HJT-16 Kiran holds a revered stature in the operational lore of the Indian Air Force, having nurtured several generations of aviators through rigorous syllabus phases. Military flying instructors carry out responsibilities that extend well beyond rote instrument handling. They systematically impart operational discipline, acute spatial judgment, and an uncompromising sense of duty. The principles absorbed in these early training sorties typically guide aircrew throughout their subsequent command postings. Conducting his final sortie in the Kiran alongside his initial teacher served as a visible tribute to the dedication of the service's instructional cadre.
Transition of Air Force Leadership
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will formally retire from active military service at the end of the current month. To succeed him at the helm of the service, the central government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit will officially assume office on 31 October. The commemorative 55-minute flight in aircraft U-707 stands as an enduring reflection of mentorship, duty, and professional heritage within the Indian armed forces.
