Hyderabad: 235 cadets of IAF commissioned into flying, ground duty branches

The Air Force Academy organized the combined graduation parade (CGP) to mark successful culmination of the training of these cadets.

Hyderabad: It was a proud occasion for 235 flying cadets as they got commissioned into the flying and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force (IAF) here on Saturday. The Air Force Academy organized the combined graduation parade (CGP) to mark successful culmination of the training of these cadets.

The highlight of the parade was the ‘Commissioning Ceremony’ in which the graduating cadets were awarded their ‘rank and wings’ by the reviewing officer, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari.

Flying officer Happy Singh 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.

An enthralling aerobatic show by SU-30 MKI, synchronous aerobatics by the Sarang helicopter display team, and the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team formed part of the grand finale of the CGP.

In a testament to resilience and determination, Happy Singh of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, after making several unsuccessful attempts to join the National Defence Academy (NDA) not just passed with flying colours but achieved a remarkable feat by clinching the President’s Plaque and the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour.

“I made several attempts to join the NDA. Yet I did not give up on my goal. Later I cleared the Combined Defence Services examination and joined the IAF,” Singh, son of a sugarcane farmer, said. Initially, Happy Singh, whose brother-in-law is a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, wanted to join the army. “I could have joined the Indian Army but my interest changed later as I wanted to fly high in the sky.”

Pulkit Ratra, a son of a tailor, achieved his childhood dream of joining the IAF. Hailing from Jammu & Kashmiri, Ratra, saw military movements in the district and decided to join the defence forces and started preparation.

“I come from a humble family background where my father is a tailor and mother is a homemaker. It is my childhood dream to join the IAF. My parents worked really hard day and night, and supported me,” Ratra shared.

Walking in the footsteps of his father who is an IAF officer, flying officer Kamarti Vishnu, a Mahabunagar lad, toiled hard to achieve his childhood dream of joining the IAF.

Vishnu who is a product of Sainik School Korukonda and NDA, enrolled in the AFA. “The main challenge that I faced is consistency during my journey. I got into Sainik School in Class IX and that’s when I aimed at joining the IAF as an officer. My father is my biggest motivator,” he added.

Sreehari Ravi of Kerala, who previously worked as a security guard and security executive, has now embarked on a new journey with the IAF, specializing in the administration of the fighter controller. Hailing from a humble family background with his father Ravindran driving an auto, Sreehari had to take up a lot of daily-wage jobs to support his family as he is only son.

“I also had to take responsibility for my family. I have taken up a lot of daily-wage jobs and worked as a security guard and also as technical supervisor and security executive,” said Sreehari Ravi, who secured All India 7th rank in the exam.