Air Force Station, Bidar is one of
the Premier Flying Training establishments of the Indian
Air Force. It was established during World War II, has been a training
centre for budding pilots of the IAF since 1963. The air base had trainer
aircraft like HT2 and various variants of Kiran aircraft
for nearly four decades. Now it has been remodelled and
refurbished for the arrival of the Hawks. The runway has been extended
to 9,000 feet and new facilities for aircraft and engine maintenance and
testing are built.
It is home for the
second biggest training centre in the country. Graduates from the Air
Force Academy come here to learn the skills and techniques to become a next
generation fighter
pilot before
being assigned to one of the combat units of the world’s fourth-largest air
force. Around
60-90 sorties per day are flown from the base thereby generating the highest
amount of single-engine flying hours in the country from this air base.
Once the home base
for 52nd
Squadron, the station now houses the three Hawk Operational Training
Squadrons (HOTS-A Aggressors,
HOTS-B Bravehearts and
HOTS-C Cheetahs).
In addition the Weapon
System Operators' School also functions here. A fourth
Squadron is ready to be raised shortly. In a phased manner, 66 Hawk aircraft
were to be added to AFS Bidar.
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