Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh completes his final Indian Air Force flying sortie, returning for one last flight in an HJT-16 Kiran aircraft. Multiple outlets describe the flight as bringing his career “full circle,” because the aircraft and instructor are linked to the beginning of his training.
The reports say the sortie takes place near Hyderabad, with Singh accompanied by his first trainer, Wing Commander V.S. Kochar (also described as the initial mentor or instructor). Times of India adds additional career context, stating Singh has logged over 5,000 flying hours and that he is set to retire on October 31, when Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over command. Business Line and The Hindu focus more directly on the symbolism of the final flight and the presence of the instructor, including that the instructor is 73.
Coverage framing differs mainly in how much career detail each outlet includes, but the core elements—Singh’s last sortie in the Kiran and his accompaniment by his first instructor near Hyderabad—are consistent across sources.
