In a moment filled with memories, gratitude and pride, the Chief of the Air Staff flew the HJT-16 Kiran trainer aircraft alongside his first flying instructor, Wing Commander V S Kochhar (Retd), at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal. From a young trainee taking his first steps towards the skies in 1984 to the head of the Indian Air Force, it was a journey that came to a beautiful close in the company of the man who first taught him to fly.

Some journeys are too special to be measured in years, ranks or achievements. They are measured in memories, the people who shape our lives and the moments that stay with us forever. For Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, one such moment unfolded when he returned to the cockpit of the Kiran aircraft to undertake his last flying sortie in uniform.

It was not just another flight. It was a return to where it all began.

At the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal, near Hyderabad, the Indian Air Force chief climbed aboard the HJT-16 Kiran trainer aircraft with Wing Commander V S Kochhar (Retd), the instructor who had taught him to fly more than 42 years ago. The same aircraft type had introduced the young AP Singh to the skies on January 28, 1984. Now, as he prepares to retire from service later this month, the two men were together again, bringing a remarkable chapter of his life full circle.

For a man who has spent decades serving the nation, leading air warriors and flying some of the country's most advanced aircraft, the occasion was a deeply personal one.

Back to where the dream began

Every pilot remembers the first time an aircraft leaves the ground with them in the cockpit. For AP Singh, that first experience came in a Kiran aircraft at the Air Force Academy in 1984, with Wing Commander Kochhar guiding him through the early lessons of flying.

As the two took to the skies together for a 55-minute sortie, the years had passed: the young trainee had risen through the ranks to become the Chief of the Air Staff, while the instructor who had guided his first flight was now sharing his final sortie in uniform.

After landing, Singh spoke about the special meaning of the flight and the feeling of returning to his beginnings. "It was really a dream come true. I started my journey with the same aircraft. I think I must be the only Chief who's retiring while the basic aircraft he flew is still serving," he said.

He added that he was grateful to his instructor, Wing Commander Kochhar, who had taught him to fly at the very same academy. "And so I just wanted the circle to be complete, I did my first sortie on January 28 way back in 1984, in this very place with him in a Kiran aircraft. And today, I did my last sortie in uniform with him in the same Kiran aircraft," Singh said.

There was no need for grand words to explain the moment. The aircraft, the academy and the instructor were all reminders of a dream that had taken a young man from his first flying lesson to the highest office in the Indian Air Force.

A teacher and his student

For Wing Commander V S Kochhar (Retd), the sortie was just as special. At 73, the veteran instructor found himself once again sharing a cockpit with a former student who had gone on to lead the Indian Air Force. Kochhar described Singh as the "brightest pupil ever" and the "best chief", expressing his happiness at getting the opportunity to fly with him once more.

For an instructor, there can be few greater rewards than seeing a student grow into an accomplished professional. In this case, that student had risen to become the head of one of the world's major air forces.

Yet, for those 55 minutes, the difference in rank seemed less important than the bond between teacher and student. One had helped the other take his first steps into the skies; decades later, they were together again as the student completed his final sortie in uniform.

The moment also served as a tribute to the countless instructors, mentors and senior officers who quietly shape the lives of India's air warriors. Behind every skilled pilot are years of training, patience, discipline and guidance from people who help turn ambition into ability.

Kochhar's presence in the cockpit made this more than a farewell flight. It was a reminder that the people who teach us at the beginning of a journey often remain part of our story, no matter how far we travel.

A water cannon salute to a distinguished journey

As Singh returned to the ground, the aircraft received a water cannon salute, a mark of respect and celebration for the occasion. The gesture brought an emotional touch to a day that was already rich in memories. The sortie marked the close of a distinguished chapter of flying in uniform, reflecting decades of commitment to the Indian Air Force and the country.

Singh had graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1984 with the Sword of Honour, an achievement that recognised his performance during training. From those early days, he went on to build a long career in military aviation before becoming Chief of the Air Staff.

His final sortie in the Kiran was not his last flight in a fighter aircraft. On October 12, he had flown the indigenous Tejas fighter during Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur Air Force Station. That flight marked another important moment in his association with India's home-grown combat aircraft.

But the Kiran sortie carried a different meaning. The Tejas represented the progress of Indian aerospace engineering and the capabilities of a modernising Air Force. The Kiran took him back to the beginning, to the first lessons and the people who helped shape his career.

One flight celebrated how far he had travelled. The other reminded him where the journey started.
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From a young cadet to Chief of the Air Staff

The story of AP Singh's career is also a reflection of the dedication and discipline required to serve in the Indian Air Force.

In 1984, he was a young trainee learning the skills needed to become a military pilot. Over the decades, he gained experience, took on greater responsibilities and eventually became the Chief of the Air Staff, entrusted with leading the service and its personnel.

The journey from trainee to Air Chief is not simply a rise through ranks. It involves years of learning, difficult decisions, responsibility for fellow air warriors and a commitment to the safety and security of the nation.

As he prepares to retire later this month, the final sortie offered a rare glimpse of the person behind the uniform, a pilot remembering his first flight, a student expressing gratitude to his teacher and a leader reflecting on a lifetime spent in service.

His words also carried a sense of wonder that the aircraft in which his flying career began was still serving the Air Force after all these years. The Kiran has trained generations of pilots, helping prepare them for the demanding world of military aviation.

For Singh, returning to the same aircraft was a way of acknowledging the role it played in his life and the institution that shaped him.

A salute to those who teach India's air warriors

Every pilot who takes off on an operational mission has passed through years of training. Every confident take-off and safe landing is built on lessons learned from instructors, technical teams and colleagues who share their experience along the way.

For young men and women joining the Indian Air Force today, Singh's journey offers a powerful reminder that great achievements often begin with small steps. A first lesson, a first solo flight and the guidance of a trusted instructor can set the direction for an entire career.

It also reminds us that service to the nation is not only about the aircraft we fly or the positions we hold. It is about the people who guide us, the responsibilities we accept and the values we carry forward.

The salute given to Singh as he landed was therefore not just a farewell to a senior officer. It was also a salute to a life of service and to the instructors, colleagues and air warriors who have been part of that journey.
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End of one chapter, beginning of a legacy

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is scheduled to take over as Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, as Singh prepares to retire. Leadership will pass to a new chief, and the Indian Air Force will continue its work of protecting the nation's skies. Aircraft will take off, training will continue and a new generation of pilots will begin their own journeys.

But for AP Singh, the memory of October 20 will remain different from any other day in his career.

He returned to the Air Force Academy where his flying dream began. He climbed into a Kiran aircraft, the machine that first introduced him to the skies. And he flew alongside the instructor who had guided him at the beginning of his journey.

From his first sortie in 1984 to his last sortie in uniform in 2026, the circle was complete.

Perhaps that is what made the moment so moving. At the end of a distinguished career, amid the responsibilities and honours that come with leading the Indian Air Force, the Air Chief returned to a simple truth, every great journey begins with someone who believes in us enough to teach us how to take off. And sometimes, the most meaningful way to say goodbye is to return to where it all began.

A first flight, final salute, one aircraft, two generations of aviators and a lifetime of service to the nation. Some legacies do not end when the uniform is put away. They continue in the people we inspire, the lessons we leave behind and the young air warriors who will carry the Indian flag into the skies of tomorrow.