Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Tuesday completed his final flying sortie with a pilot, who had trained him to fly planes more than 42 years ago.

IAF  Chief and his first trainer Wing Commander VS Kochar (retd) flew in a Hindustan Jet Trainer Kiran Mark-1 trainer aircraft bring a chapter of his flying career to a close. Earlier on October 12, the IAF Chief had done his final ‘fighter jet sortie’ in a Tejas jet at Jodhpur.

The Kiran Mark 1, is not classified as ‘fighter jet’.

The IAF said “the 55 minute sortie was particularly special as the IAF Chief flew with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V S Kochar (Retd)”.

The occasion marked a poignant reunion between instructor and student, reconnecting the IAF Chief with the beginnings of his flying journey in the Indian Air Force.

The IAF Chief had undertaken his first-ever flying sortie on January 28, 1984. In the world of military aviation, instructors remain mentors throughout the life of the trainees.

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

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