Dundigal (Telangana) [India], October 20 : The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Tuesday completed his final flying sortie in an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, flying the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft and bringing a memorable chapter of his flying career to a close.

The 55-minute sortie was particularly special as the CAS flew with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V S Kochar (Retd), in an aircraft bearing tail number U 707. The occasion marked a poignant reunion between instructor and student, reconnecting the CAS with the beginnings of his flying journey in the Indian Air Force.
Speaking to reporters after the sortie, AP Singh described the occasion as a dream come true, recalling how his flying journey began in the same aircraft and expressing gratitude to his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V S Kochar (Retd).
"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," he said.
"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. 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," Singh added.
The CAS undertook his first-ever flying sortie on January 28, 1984.
More than four decades later, today's sortie in the 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 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 instructors remain mentors throughout the life of the aircrew.
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.
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.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is going to succeed him as the Chief of Air Staff on October 31.