IAF Chief AP Singh completes final sortie with first flying instructor

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh completed his final sortie in uniform in a Kiran trainer at Dundigal on Tuesday, flying alongside his first instructor, Wing Commander VS Kochar. The 55-minute flight brought his flying journey in IAF aircraft full circle.

Hyderabad: From his first-ever sortie in 1984 to his last in 2026, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh’s flying journey came full circle at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, alongside his first instructor, here on Tuesday.

Air Chief Marshal Singh, who took to the skies for the first time in HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft at AFA on January 28, 1984, completed his final flying sortie in the same Kiran aircraft. The 55-minute sortie was special as Air Chief Marshal Singh flew with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander VS Kochar (Retd), in an aircraft bearing tail number U 707.

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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 (IAF).

Speaking to media persons after the sortie, Air Chief Marshal Singh said it was his dream come true.

“I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only Chief who is retiring while the basic aircraft we flew is still serving. I am grateful to my instructor, Kochar sir, who taught me flying in the beginning in this place itself. So, I just wanted the circle to be complete,” Air Chief Marshal Singh said.

Wing Commander Kochar said it was also his dream come true to get one more trip at the age of 73. He called Singh the best Air Chief.

The occasion was a tribute to the rich tradition of flying training in the IAF 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.