40 Years Later, IAF Chief A.P. Singh Completes His Flying Journey in the Same Kiran Aircraft

More than four decades after taking his first flying lesson, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh returned to the aircraft that launched his journey in the Indian Air Force, completing an emotional full circle with his first flying instructor by his side.

Days before his retirement, the Chief of the Air Staff flew his final sortie in uniform on Tuesday aboard the HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 trainer aircraft at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal, near Hyderabad. The 55-minute flight was not just the end of a distinguished flying career but also a nostalgic return to the place where his dream of becoming a pilot took shape.

The sortie carried special significance as Singh flew alongside Wing Commander V.S. Kochar (retd), the instructor who taught him to fly in January 1984. The aircraft, bearing tail number U707, brought the two together once again, recreating a connection that had endured throughout Singh’s professional journey.

“I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only Chief who is retiring on the basic aircraft he flew is still serving,” Singh told reporters after landing. Expressing gratitude to his former instructor, he said he wanted to complete the circle by returning to the aircraft and the place where it had all begun.

Singh was welcomed with a water cannon salute after landing, marking the end of his final flying sortie in an IAF aircraft. An alumnus of the Air Force Academy, he passed out in 1984 with the prestigious Sword of Honour.

For Kochar, now 73, the reunion was equally memorable. Describing Singh as the “brightest pupil ever” and the “best chief”, the veteran instructor said getting one more flight with his former student was a dream come true.

Commissioned into the fighter stream in December 1984, Singh has accumulated several thousand hours of flying experience across fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. A Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he is scheduled to retire on October 31.

Earlier this month, Singh flew his final fighter jet sortie aboard the indigenous Tejas during the multilateral air exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur Air Force Station.

However, Tuesday’s flight held a different emotional significance. By returning to the Kiran, Singh revisited the beginning of his career and paid tribute to the instructors who shape generations of air warriors. His final flight served as a reminder that behind every accomplished pilot lies a teacher whose lessons remain long after the training ends.