Christmas graduation for 168 flight cadets
For the first time the parade was reviewed by a foreign service chief, a rare distinction
Hyderabad: To mark the successful culmination of the training of 168 flight cadets of the flying and ground duty branches of Indian Air Force (IAF), a combined graduation parade (CGP) of No. 210 course was held at the Air Force Academy(AFA) in Dundigal, on Saturday.
Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, Chief of the Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force, was the Reviewing Officer (RO) of the parade, making it the first instance when the parade was reviewed by a foreign service chief.
A cadet faints during the Combined Graduation Parade at the Air Force Academy Dundigal, Hyderabad on Saturday. He was later taken in a stretcher. (Photo: S. Surender Reddy)
Graduating flight cadets were conferred with the ‘President’s Commission’ while six officers from Indian Navy and nine from the Indian Coast Guard
were awarded ‘Wings’.
The highlight of the parade was the ‘Pipping Ceremony’ in which the graduating cadets were awarded the flying officer’s ‘Stripes’ by the RO, following which they were administered the ‘Oath’ by the Commandant of the Academy Air Marshal B. Chandra Sekhar.
The CGP also had a fly-past by formations of Chetak, Pilatus PC-7, Kiran and Hawk aircraft, a skydiving display by Akashganga team and aerobatic displays
by Pilatus PC-7, Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team and Sarang helicopter team.
The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force performs during the Combined Graduation Parade at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, in Hyderabad on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)
The RO congratulated the graduating officers for induction into one of the ‘finest air forces in the world’. He appreciated IAF for keeping pace with the changing environment and updated curriculum.
He said India and Bangladesh have an umbilical connection. He recalled India’s contribution as a whole and of the Indian Air Force in particular during the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971. “Both countries have a significant role to play in ensuring security of the region,” he said.
Indian Air Force (IAF) cadets celebrate after their combined graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy, in Dundigal, on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)