Dundigal: PC-7MkII aircraft completes 2 lakh flying hours

The PC-7MkII fleet has set a new benchmark in training and the platform has to-date trained more than 2,500 cadets

Hyderabad: Since its induction in the Indian Air Force (IAF) a decade ago, the Pilatus PC-7MkII aircraft has successfully completed 2 lakh accident free flying hours on Monday.

A basic trainer aircraft, PC-7MKII in which all aspiring pilots of the IAF are trained, currently operates from Air Force Academy in Dundigal, with a fleet comprising 75 aircrafts as well as Flying Instructors’ School, Tambaram.

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The fleet has facilitated a transformative evolution of training flying from the erstwhile HPT-32 aircraft. The accident free record of the fleet since its inception is a noteworthy testimony of the professionalism and dedication of the operational and maintenance crew, a press statement said.

The PC-7MkII fleet has set a new benchmark in training and the platform has to-date trained more than 2,500 cadets, most of whom are themselves Qualified Flying Instructors now. The fleet has also trained pilots of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, apart from trainee cadets from friendly foreign countries.

The PC-7MkII fleet continues to be the bedrock of the IAF’s mission of producing the best Military Aviators in the world, the statement added.