From his first flying sortie in 1984 to his final flight in an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft in 2026, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh’s flying journey has come full circle. On Tuesday (October 20, 2026) he took to the skies in an HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal near Hyderabad, flying alongside the instructor who first taught him to fly.

The 55-minute sortie was significant as Air Chief Marshal Singh flew with his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V. S. Kochar (Retd), in an aircraft bearing tail number U 707. The occasion marked a reunion between the instructor and his former student, reconnecting the Air Chief with the beginnings of his flying career.

Air Chief Marshal Singh undertook his first-ever flying sortie on January 28, 1984. More than 42 years later, his final sortie in an IAF aircraft aboard the Kiran trainer marked the culmination of a distinguished chapter in his flying career.

The choice of the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 added significance to the occasion. It is an iconic trainer aircraft associated with the training of generations of IAF pilots, the Kiran has played an important role in the Air Force’s flying training tradition.

The sortie also highlighted the lasting influence of flying instructors, who continue to mentor aircrew throughout their careers. The presence of Wing Commander Kochar (Retd), who guided Air Chief Marshal Singh during his earliest flying days, brought together the beginning and end of his flying journey in the IAF.

With the sortie, Air Chief Marshal Singh concluded his flying journey in IAF aircraft, carrying forward the experience, discipline and commitment that have defined his association with the Air Force.