INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF) It's not just about flying!

October 8, every year, is observed as Indian Air Force day, in India, to commemorate the day the Indian Air Force was officially established in the year 1932.

- GP CAPT ACHCHYUT KUMAR

The coming of October 8, each year, brings back memories of the twenty-eight years and four months of service with the Indian Air Force; a life-changing experience. I had all my education in English medium and had played several games at the university level before joining the Indian Air Force but little did I know that the Air Force years were destined to keep me away from my past and add absolutely new experiences.

Any new person to whom I am ever introduced has a primary question to ask: which aircraft did I fly? It is, perhaps, disappointing for them when I tell them that I was an Air Traffic Controller and not a flier. Quite rightly, the IAF is always related to flying but there is so much more to it than flying. In fact, the flying crew forms only a small fraction of the total strength not only of the IAF but also in any other Air Force around the world. Flying an aircraft requires a large support service in terms of technical as well as administrative support.