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The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932. Its first ac flight came into being on April 1, 1933. The air force possessed a strength of six RAF-trained officers and 19 Havai Sepoys. The aircraft inventory comprised of four Westland Wapiti IIA army co-operation biplanes at Drigh Road as the "A" flight nucleus of the planned No 1 (Army Co-operation) Squadron. Here's a glance at the history of the air force through the decades:

1st April 1954: Landmark decade
This is a landmark date in the history of the Indian Air Force. On 1st April 1954, Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, one of the founding members of the Air Force took over as the first Indian Chief of Air Staff.

The interim witnessed the bloodiest war in the history of mankind, for the second time-World War II. The IAF lent its support to UK during the war. KK Majumdar, one of the legendary heroes of the Indian Air Force was rated one of the twelve best pilots of the Allied Air Forces. The same decade also saw the birth of an Independent India followed by the formation of the Indian Air Force, as we know it today.

1955-1971: Warring decade

The Indian Air Force entered a new era with the acquisition of jet aircraft. The period also saw the two Indo-Pak wars, both of which were marked by the neutralisation of Pakistani Air efforts by the Indian Air Force. The IAF also contributed to the UN Peace keeping mission in Congo as well as the Sino India Conflict, with dedication and commitment.

1972-1990: A time of advancement

Over the next two decades, the Indian Air Force undertook massive upgrading of its aircraft and equipments. As part of the process, the Indian Air Force introduced over twenty new aircraft types. Jaguars and several variations of the MiG were among the aircraft introduced to replace the Dakotas and the Packets. The MiG is a revolutionary aircraft that was introduced to the Indian fleet in the eighties. It operates up to three times the speed of sound and over 80,000 feet above sea level.

The same period also witnessed a number of world records set by Indian Air Force personnel. Sqn Ldr Makkar and Flt Lt RTS Chinna set a world record by bombing from their Mi-17 helicopter in Ladakh at an altitude of 5,050 metres. Sqn Ldr Sanjay Thapar, was the first Indian to para jump over the South Pole. Exploring new vistas, Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian cosmonaut to venture into outer space as part of an Indo-Soviet space program.

1990 - Present: Flying into the New Millennium
The last decade of the twentieth century saw a phenomenal change in the structure of the Indian Air Force with induction of women for short service commissions. It was also a time when the Air Force undertook some of the most perilous operations ever undertaken.

In 1999, the Indian Air Force undertook Operation Safed Sagar, the most unique air operation undertaken by any air force in the world. An air attack was launched and won at an unprecedented height, under hostile climatic conditions against an intruding enemy. The Indian Air Force also participated in the peacekeeping mission at Somalia as part of a humanitarian operation.

Chief

Air Chief Marshal

Directorial Level Officers

Air Marshal
Air Vice Marshal
Air Commodore

Executive Level Officers

Group Captain
Wing Commander (Wg Cdr)
Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr)

Junior Level Officers
Flight lieutenant (Flt Lt)
Flying Officer (Fg Offr)

There are five operational air commands:

The Western Air Command with headquarters in Delhi being the prime one and responsible for air operations from Kashmir southwards to Rajasthan and including the capital and the Punjab, with an Operations Group dedicated for Jammu & Kashmir , including Ladakh.
Central Air Command based at Allahabad, encompasses most of the Indo-Gangetic plain while Eastern Air Command, at Shillong, is responsible for Bengal, Assam, the eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and the others bordering area on Tibet, Bangladesh and Burma.
South Western Air Command, at Jodhpur, is responsible for air operations in most of Rajasthan, southwards through Gujarat to Saurashtra and the Kutch area. Southern Air Command was formed in July 1984 with headquarters at Trivandrum and has, geographically, the largest territory, from the Deccan plateau area to the southern tip of the peninsula and including the island territories of Lakshwadeep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Training Command has its headquarters at Bangalore, with the majority of flying and ground training establishments located in Southern India. Maintenance Command operates from Nagpur in Central India.

The five Operational Commands through administrative Wings, control some 45 fixed-wing squadrons, 20 helicopter units and numerous surface-to- air missile squadrons, with unit establishments varying from 12 to 18 aircrafts. This represents a total aircraft strength of nearly 1,700 including training and support types, manned by some 120,000 personnel.

Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major was born on 29 May, 1947 in Secunderabad. He studied at Wesley High School, Secunderabad and was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on 31 December, 1967.

The Air Chief Marshal has flown over 7,000 hours on the Sentinel, T-6G, Mi-4, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters. As a Wing Commander, he commanded the IAF's first Mi-17 Squadron, which operated at the Siachen Glacier - the World's highest battlefield. As a Group Captain, he commanded another Mi-17 Squadron, leading it into battle during the operations of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka. For his leadership and courage during this tenure, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry). Later, as Station Commander of Air Force Station Sarsawa, he led the daring rescue of eleven passengers from a stranded cable car in the middle of a valley at a resort in Himachal Pradesh. For this act of gallantry, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra.

He has held a number of other important staff and field appointments - Joint Director (Helicopter Operations) and Director Operations (Transport & Helicopter). In 1999, he took over as the Air Officer Commanding Leh (Ladakh), in the aftermath of the Kargil conflict. For his leadership, successful accomplishment of tasks and distinguished service of a very high order, he was awarded the 'Ati Vishist Seva Medal' in Jan 2002. He was promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal in Feb 2002 and appointed as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel Airmen & Civilians) at Air Headquarters. On promotion to the rank of Air Marshal in Jan 04 he moved to HQ Integrated Defence Staff as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) and directed the relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations of the Indian Armed Forces, in India and abroad, in the aftermath of the Tsunami. On 05 Sep 05, he was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command. That tenure saw the successful conduct of three major international air exercises with the United States Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force and the French Air Force. He was awarded the 'Param Vishisht Seva Medal' by the President of India on 26 Jan 2006. He took over as the Chief of the Air Staff on 31 Mar 07.

He is an avid golfer and a cricket fan.

ELIGIBILITY

Intermediate (10+2)

Age
16 ½ to 19 years*

Gender
This is applicable only to men.

Educational qualifications
You should have passed your 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics. You can, however send your application during your 10+2; provided you meet the eligibility criteria at the time of joining the academy.

Graduate

Age
19 to 23 years*

Gender
This is applicable to both, men and women.

Educational qualifications

1. First Class Graduation (min 60 percent aggregate marks) in any discipline (three-year course) with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.
2. First Class (min 60 percent aggregate marks) BE/ BTech (four years).
3. Final Year students can also apply, provided they do not have any backlog and min 60 percent aggregate marks in the previous year/semester.

Engineer

Age 19 to 23 years*

Educational qualifications

1. First Class Graduation (min 60 percent aggregate marks) in any discipline (three-year course) with Physics and Mathematics at 10+2 level.
2. First Class (min 60 percent aggregate marks) BE (four years).
3. Final Year students can also apply, provided they do not have any backlog and min 60 percent aggregate marks in the previous year/semester.

Post Graduate

Age 18 to 28 years*

Gender This is applicable to both, men and women.
Educational qualifications
First division (60 percent & above)
BE / B.Tech in Electronics / Telecommunication / Electrical / Electrical Communication / Electronics & Communication / Instrumentation / Computer Science & Engineering or a combination of these subjects.
OR
Diploma in Electronics of Madras Institute of Technology.
OR

B Tech in Radio Physics and Electronics / Optics and Opt Electronics.
OR
M Sc Degree in Physics (With Electronics) / Electronics / Computer Science / Computer Application / MCA with Maths, Physics and Electronics at graduation level or MSc. Tech in Electronics and Radio Engineering.
OR
Section A&B Examination of the Associate Membership Examination of the Institute of Engineers (India) in Electrical, Electronics or Telecommunication subjects.
OR
Graduate Membership Examination of the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers with subjects of Section A & full subjects of Section B by actual studies (Maths, Applied Electronics and Circuits, Principals of Communication Engineering, Transmission lines and Networks).

OPPORTUNITIES

Working in the Air Force is about being in the middle of supersonic jets and state-of-the-art technology. You are where the action is. Air Force provides you with the most modern facilities, gives you an unparalleled way of life and creates an environment, which brings out the best in you.

Whether you are a graduate or you have finished your schooling or you have passed your class tenth, the Air Force has an exciting career opportunity for you.

As an officer in the Indian Air Force, you strategise, lead and manage. Trained in diversified fields and environments you are ready for all the challenges that the fast paced life in the Air Force has in store for you. Be it flying the most advanced combat aircraft or providing technical support, your mission is to give your best.

BENEFITS

Insurance cover
The Indian Air Force also provides you with an insurance cover of rupees 20 lakhs at low premium rates.

After retirement benefits
After retirement, you are offered a large number of benefits like pension, medical facilities, use of the canteen etc

Medical facilities
All personnel of the Indian Air Force and their families are comprehensively covered by medical facilities, including specialist services.

REMUNERATION

* This includes your Basic Pay, Dearness Pay, DA and Kit Maintenance Allowance.

HOW TO APPLY

You start by sending your application
The procedure for sending your application is fairly simple. The first stage is to watch out for the advertisement inviting applications in the leading newspapers and the Employment News. After you spot the relevant ad, you send your application in the format mentioned in the advertisement, before the last date. Once you send in the application, you go through the selection procedure.

Selection Procedure

Step 1 - Scrutiny of Applications
Step 2 - Testing Officer Like Qualities
Step 3 - Conducting of Medical Examinations
Step 4 - Preparing All India Merit List