Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh closed the flying chapter of his Indian Air Force career on Tuesday, taking off from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, near Hyderabad, for his final sortie — in the same aircraft, alongside the same instructor, who launched his journey 42 years ago. For AP Singh, the farewell flight was the fulfilment of a wish he had carried for decades.
The 55-minute sortie was flown in an HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft bearing the tail number U 707. AP Singh flew alongside his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V.S. Kochar (Retd), now 73, who had first taught him to fly. The Air Chief undertook his maiden flying sortie on January 28, 1984, at the same academy, in a Kiran aircraft, with the same instructor — making Tuesday’s flight a full-circle moment more than four decades later. After landing, the aircraft was accorded a traditional water cannon salute.
Speaking to reporters after the flight, AP Singh called the experience a “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 he flew is still serving. I am very grateful to my instructor, Wing Commander Kochar, who taught me flying in the beginning at this very place. I just wanted the circle to be complete,” he said. He added that Tuesday’s mission was his last sortie in uniform.
AP Singh’s final sortie closes a 42-year circle
The symbolism of AP Singh’s final sortie was not lost on the Indian Air Force. The Kiran, an iconic trainer aircraft, has played a significant role in training generations of IAF pilots, and returning to it for his last flight underscored the enduring bond between a pilot, his instructor and the skies that shaped his career. An IAF official described the occasion as “a poignant reunion between instructor and student, reconnecting the CAS with the beginnings of his flying journey in the Indian Air Force.”
AP Singh and Wing Commander Kochar: the instructor reunion
Wing Commander Kochar (Retd) was equally moved by the reunion with AP Singh. Calling the Air Chief “the brightest pupil ever,” the 73-year-old said the flight was a dream come true for him as well because it gave him “one more trip” with his former student. “I am 73 now, so getting another trip with him is special. He is the best person ever in this world,” he said. IAF officials noted that the occasion was a tribute to the rich tradition of flying training in the force and to the invaluable role played by flying instructors, who “remain mentors throughout the life of the aircrew.”
The Kiran aircraft itself added to the poignancy of the day. The HJT-16 has been the Indian Air Force’s workhorse basic trainer for decades, and the fact that the type is still in service — still shaping new generations of pilots at Dundigal — made the Air Chief’s remark about being the only Chief to retire while his first aircraft still flies all the more striking. For the young flight cadets watching the water cannon salute, it was a vivid lesson in how careers in the air force come full circle, and in the traditions that bind every generation of air warriors.
AP Singh’s IAF journey nears its end
Tuesday’s trainer sortie followed AP Singh’s last fighter sortie in the indigenous Tejas, flown on October 12 during Exercise Tarang Shakti at the Jodhpur Air Force Station — an exercise that showcased the capabilities of the home-grown jet and underscored his commitment to indigenous military aviation. The Air Chief, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1984 with the Sword of Honour, is set to retire later this month after a tenure characterised by a focus on modernising the air force and enhancing operational readiness. His final flight in the Kiran brought a distinguished flying career full circle — ending, as it began, with his first instructor beside him.