Outgoing Air Chief takes retiring sortie from Lohegaon

“He (chief) was slated to be here for the PoP. The sortie was thus planned,” said an official. Browne,who took over as IAF chief in July 2011 had commanded IAF 2 Wing in 2001. The Lohegaon airbase is a prime base of the IAF where two squadrons of IAF’s air dominance fighter Sukhoi-30 MKI are based. Air Marshal Arup Raha will be taking over as IAF chief after Browne.

Prior to the PoP,he will also attend a tattoo- a physical training display show at the NDA Friday.

The academy will give a farewell to the outgoing chief by putting up a grand display of IAF Sarang team along with newly acquired Swiss Pilatus aircraft,which will be doing a flypast during the parade,besides the Sukhoi sorties which are a usual feature of the PoPs.

“Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne,Chief of the Air Staff,who is on a three day visit to Pune to review the 125th Passing Out Parade of National Defence Academy,Khadakwasla,visited Pune airbase today,a base he commanded as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) from the year 2000 to 2003. Besides inspecting the key installations and interacting with the station personnel,the Air Chief flew Su-30 with his son,Squadron Leader Omar Browne,also a Su-30 pilot posted to 20 Squadron,in what would be recorded as the last sortie in the Air Chief’s log book,” said a press release issued by Press Information Bureau,Defence Wing.