Chennai: Indian Air Force's Flying Instructors School celebrates platinum jubilee
Nov 04, 2023
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 4 : Flying Instructors School at Chennai's Tambaram Air Force Station celebrated its platinum jubilee ceremony on Saturday. Paragliding jumps by officers stationed at Tambaram officers and various aircraft performed VIC formation as part of the celebration.
VR Choudhary, Air Chief Marshal and Chief of the Air Staff participated in the event and witnessed the air show.
After the sportive paragliding and aircraft show, Chief of the Air Staff, VR Choudhary made an address where he said that Many Air Forces today use high-tech equipment as the benchmark to judge the severity of the threat from adversaries.
"In aerial combat, the human adversary is the wild card that often makes the difference between success and failure. To make successful aviators in the future, I strongly believe that we need to start training differently...We need to review our attitude towards teaching and learning," the Air chief said.
On Friday, as part of a platinum Jubilee celebration and honour of India's heroes who have made the supreme sacrifice, a Smrithi Sthal has been conceptualized at Air Force Station Tambaram.
It was inaugurated by Alka Ahuja, wife of late Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja Vir Chakra who displayed exceptional bravery and selflessness during Operation Safed Sagar in 1999. He was also a part of this prestigious Flying Instructors' School.
The Flying Instructors' School (FIS) was formed on April 1, 1948 at Ambala. The school trains operational pilots from the IAF, sister services, and friendly foreign countries to become Qualified Flying Instructors (QFI). During the initial few years, only 5-6 pilots per course were trained on Tiger Moth and Havard aircraft. The course duration was 12 weeks.
Today, the course duration is of 24 weeks with an intake of 55 to 60 pilots per course.
On October 10, 1954, the school was moved to AFS Tambaram on the outskirts of Chennai in Tamil Nadu and has been at this station since then.
