Indian Air Force Day Parade and Flypast to be held in Chandigarh this year

New Delhi: Indian Air Force has decided to celebrate this year's annual Air Force Day parade and flypast in Chandigarh instead of the Hindan Air Base in Delhi NCR, where it was being held for the past many years.

The step is in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives to take major events and festivities out of the national capital region to different parts of the country.

Quoting Air Force Officers, media reports said this year, the Indian Air Force has decided that the major Air Force Day festivities on October 8 like the flypast and parade would be held in Chandigarh. The idea is that more and more people should watch the air show and people from all parts of the country should see what their Air Force is and know its capabilities.

The IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari has also issued instructions that the force must involve the maximum possible people in the celebrations.

According to officials, the flypast is being planned to be held over the famous Sukhna lake in the city where a large number of people, from not just Chandigarh but adjoining cities, can come and witness combat aircraft such as the Rafale, Su-30 and Mirage 2000 fly along with the aerobatic display teams like the Suryakirans and the Sarang perform.

For many decades, the Indian Air Force used to hold the parade and flypast at the Palam Air Base but shifted it to the Hindan Air Base in 2006.

The Indian Air Force is also taking the Agnipath recruitment scheme to different corners of the country as IAF officials are meeting with students in different cities to explain the scheme to them.

IAF Chief VR Chaudhari has also visited multiple air bases to educate and inform the men in his force about the scheme so that they can further guide the aspirants to join the force. He has till now covered more than 20 bases of the force in this regard.

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