Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flies his last sortie with his first flying instructor

The IAF chief, who began his flying journey in the force in January 1984, superannuates at the end of this month.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh with his former instructor Wing Commander (retd) VS Kochar inside the cockpit of an aircraft after undertaking a final sortie at the Air Force Academy, in Dundigal, Telangana, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. | PTI Photo

New Delhi: Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who superannuates at the end of this month, Tuesday completed his final flying sortie in the the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft, bringing his flying career to a close.

The 55 minute sortie was done with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V. S. Kochar (Retd), in an aircraft bearing tail number U-707.

It marked a reunion between instructor and student, reconnecting the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) with the beginning of his flying journey in the force on 28 January 1984.

More than four decades later, today’s sortie in the Kiran brought his flying journey in the IAF full circle.

The occasion was a tribute to the rich tradition of flying training in the Indian Air Force and to the invaluable role played by flying instructors in nurturing generations of air warriors, the IAF said in a statement.

The return to the Kiran, an iconic trainer aircraft associated with the training of IAF pilots, added special significance to the sortie.

The presence of Wg Cdr V. S. Kochar (Retd), who had guided the CAS during his earliest flying days, made the occasion especially meaningful, bringing together memories of the CAS’s first flight and the culmination of his flying journey in IAF aircraft, the IAF said.

(Edited by Niyati Kothiyal)