IAF gets second Tejas squadron; Air Chief shows the way with solo sortie

In a statement of confidence in the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), the Indian Air Force (IAF) boss, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, climbed alone into the cockpit of a Tejas fighter on Wednesday, revved up its powerful turbofan engine and took off for a solo flight around Coimbatore.

Air force chiefs, including Pakistan’s recently, often go up for a spin to boost the morale of their fighter pilots. But they usually do so in twin-seat aircraft, with the squadron’s top fighter jock controlling things from the front seat. Bhadauria — a veteran test pilot who has flown multiple