Once the entire force of 106 Hawk trainers are inducted, there would be a significant improvement in the already high training standards of the IAF

Transforming a relatively raw individual into a skilled professional capable of piloting a weapon of war as powerful as a fighter aircraft is a process replete with challenges, both for the individual and the systems of training that are responsible for bringing about this metamorphosis. The process begins with selection of candidates for the flying branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF). This process is elaborate and is designed to assess every facet of one’s personality. Candidates who clear the initial screening tests are subjected to stringent medical examination to verify fitness level essential for the demanding work-load of a pilot. Visual acuity and superb physical condition are vital requirements. Mental agility, ability to perform as a team and social compatibility are also prerequisites that are duly verified. A special series of Pilot Aptitude Battery Tests gauge the motor co-ordination skills and spatial orientation capability of the candidates. A failure in this invites permanent unsuitability for a flying career in the military.

Training For F(P) Branch
Aspirants to a career in military aviation have the option to join the Flying Pilots or F(P) branch, of the IAF and route through the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakvasla near Pune. In this institution, cadets of all three services, the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the IAF are trained together. Cadets assigned to the F(P) branch are introduced to elementary powered flying on the Super Dimona aircraft in their final term which is of six months. On completion of a three-year training programme at the NDA, cadets of the Flying Branch are then routed to the Air Force Academy (AFA) for Stage-I training. The AFA is a unique institution where trainees of all branches of the IAF, that is, flying, technical or engineering and ground duty, are trained jointly for the first six months.

At the AFA, basic flying training is imparted on the HPT-32 aircraft designed and built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). All trainees destined for the flying branch, including ex-NDA, direct entry and women cadets, are required to undergo a common flying training syllabus of approximately 65 hours during Stage-I, which is the basic stage. In the first 15 hours or so it becomes apparent whether the flight cadet is capable or not of going solo, in other words, of being entrusted solely with the aircraft. The first solo flight is an achievement unlike any other. Flight cadets who prove incapable of going solo within the stipulated number of hours are weeded out. The process of rejection on account of failure to achieve the minimum standards of proficiency continues throughout all stages of flying training. During Stage-I basic flying manoeuvres are taught. The concerned flying instructor continuously evaluates and meticulously records a flight cadet’s performance during each sortie so that by the end of Stage-I, a comprehensive overall assessment of the individual’s capability and progress is available.

The batch of flight cadets completing Stage-I training is trifurcated into different streams of the flying branch: fighters, transport and helicopters. Undoubtedly, all three streams demand challenging flying skills but individuals have differing aptitudes and dispositions. The flying instructors are trained to spot these nuances of personality and recommend in respect of each flight cadet, the stream for which the individual is best suited from the point of view of capability and temperament. As per regulations currently in vogue, women cadets are restricted to being assigned to either the transport or the helicopter stream.

Acquiring Wings
For Stage-II, trainees of the fighter stream move to Air Force Station Hakimpet, Hyderabad. Stage-II consists of approximately 80 hours of flying on Kiran Mark I or Mark IA aircraft over a 24-week period. Transport trainees fly the Dornier DO-228 and Avro/An-32 aircraft at Yelahanka while the helicopter trainees fly the Chetak and Mi-8 at Hakimpet and Yelahanka, respectively. Unlike the HPT-32, the Kiran Mk I/IA is a jet aircraft capable of much better performance. Advanced aerobatics, close formation flying and basic fighter manoeuvres are taught to the cadets during Stage-II. All flight cadets are awarded the coveted wings and commissioned into the IAF at the end of this Stage. In a few years time, the Kiran aircraft is scheduled to be replaced by the HAL manufactured Intermediate Jet Trainer, HJT-36 aircraft.