Air Chief Marshal AP Singh Flies His Final Sortie in an HJT-16 Kiran at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal

20 October 2026National

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flew the last sortie of his career on 20 October 2026, a 55-minute flight in an HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1 (tail number U 707) from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, near Hyderabad, with his first flying instructor, retired Wing Commander V.S. Kochar. Singh had begun flying training on the same type on 28 January 1984, and got a water cannon salute on landing. His final fighter sortie was in a Tejas on 12 October 2026 during Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur. The HAL-built Kiran first flew in 1964 and entered service in 1968.

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The Air Force Academy at Dundigal, near Hyderabad, was established in 1969 and trains cadets for the IAF's flying and ground-duty branches | HJT stands for Hindustan Jet Trainer; HAL was founded in 1940 at Bangalore as Hindustan Aircraft Limited | The Indian Air Force was formed on 8 October 1932 and its motto is 'Nabha Sparsham Deeptam'

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