Grand Graduation Parade held at Air Force Academy

Hyderabad: The Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) was held at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal on Saturday, to mark the successful culmination of training of 235 flight cadets of flying and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) conferred the Presidents’ Commission to the graduating flight cadets on successful completion of their training.

The graduating officers included 22 women officers who got commissioned in various branches of the IAF. The ceremony was witnessed by a number of dignitaries from IAF and sister services as well as the family members of the graduating officers. On the occasion, nine officers from the Indian Navy, nine officers from the Indian Coast Guard, and one officer from the friendly foreign countries were also awarded ‘Wings’ on successful completion of flying training.

This is also the first CGP where 25 cadets who joined the National Defence Academy four years ago for Ground Duty branches, were commissioned as officers.

Five of these officers have been commissioned in the Administration branch, three in the Logistics branch and 17 in the Technical branch of the IAF. The graduating parade was interspersed by well-coordinated and synchronized fly-pasts by four trainer aircraft that comprised of Pilatus PC-7 Mk-lI, Hawk, Kiran and Chetak helicopters.

The highlight of the parade was the ‘Commissioning Ceremony’ in which the graduating flight cadets were awarded their ‘Rank and Wings’ by the Reviewing Officer. The graduating officers were then administered the oath by the Commandant of the academy, where they pledged to safeguard the security, safety, sovereignty and honour of the country. The Reviewing Officer gave away various awards to the graduating officers, who excelled in various disciplines of training. Flying Officer Happy Singh from the flying branch was awarded the President’s Plaque and the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for standing first in the overall order of merit in the pilots’ course. Flying Officer Taufeeq Raza was awarded the President’s Plaque for being first in the overall order of merit in the ground duty officers’ course.