Fifteen minutes past 8 a.m., the azure sky above the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, in the outskirts of Hyderabad bore witness to a colourful graduation ceremony. The combined graduation parade of flying, navigation and ground staff officers of five Air Force training colleges — three in Hyderabad and one each in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — also included a scintillating air show that showcased the prowess of flight cadets in sky diving, helicopter, manned Hawks and fighter planes.
The performance not just thrilled the audience which included flying officers of different ranks, parents of the newly inducted officers and dignitaries, but gave proud and emotional moments to those close the defence establishment in the country.
Audience enthralled
As 110 young officers, men and women, marched past a sprawling ground, onlookers cheered them.
The cadets astounded the audience with the precision of their steps and gait. From handling the baton to the display of honorary artillery, the officers in blue performed drill with ease and valour.
The officers who passed out were trained for one year at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Air Force stations Hakimpet and Begumpet, Airforce Station, Yellahanka, Karnataka, and the Airforce Administrative College, Coimbatore.
While the performance on ground was orderly and synchronised, the performance of the cadets in air provided the lookers a nail-biting experience.
Dotting the sky above the Sekhon block of the Air Force Academy were PC-7 MK II or planes used to train pilots in the Academy, Suryakiran aerobatic team that specialises in skydiving apart from air formations, the Hawk formation team of fighter pilots and the Sarang helicopter team.
To the cheers of audience the teams performed air formations in twos and threes finally finishing off with a Tricolour carving in the sky. Among the air performances the biggest hit was sky divers who dropped from several feet above the ground to first form circular and hexeganal formations in the air before unfurling their parachutes.
The majestic rise and swoop down of fighter planes Su-30 MK-I, a common feature in the Indian Air Force elicited awe of the audience, several of whom were women.
Even the aerobatic displays of PC-7 MK II, turbo training planes met with cheers even as the reviewing officer, Air Marshal KVB Jayampathy, Commander, Sri Lanka Air Force presided over the graduation parade.
The performance wound off with the country’s National Anthem playing, and the new officers sharing with their family members their moment of glory.
