Outgoing Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff, on Thursday made the last sortie in Pune, by flying a Su-30 combat aircraft, with his Squadron leader-son Omar Browne, also a pilot posted to 20 Squadron.
The Air chief, who is on a three-day visit to Pune to review the 125th Passing Out Parade of National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, visited lohegaon airbase in Pune, a base he commanded as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) from the year 2000 to 2003.
“Apart from inspecting the key installations and interacting with the station personnel, the Air chief flew Su-30 with his son, Squadron leader Omar Browne, also a Su-30 pilot posted to 20 Squadron, in what would be recorded as the last sortie in the Air Chief’s log book,” a Pune-based defence spokesperson said,
It was under NAK Browne’s tenure as the AOC in Pune that the Indian Air Force inducted Su-30MKIs in September 2001.
Air Chief Marshal Browne, who is due to retire on December 31, 2013, will inspect the Passing Out parade of the 12th course at the NDA, Khadakwasla on November 30. In all, 296 cadets, including five from Tazikistan and one from Kazakhastan, will pass out of the NDA’s 125th course.
The highlight of this year’s PoP at the NDA is that there will be a fly past of the Indian Air Force’s latest induction Pilatus or PC-7 MkII, which is a turbo prop basic
trainer aircraft The cadets who will join the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Hyderabad will now fly this trainer aircraft as part of their training activity.