Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa commended Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman for qualifying for a swift comeback to flying duties after he ejected from his MiG-21 Bison in February.
The Air Force chief flew his last sortie before his retirement in a two-seater MiG-21 trainer with Wing Commander Varthaman on Monday.
"It was a pleasure for me to fly with Abhinandan because he has got his flying category back. That is what all pilots look forward to. I also ejected in 1988; it took me nine months to get my category back. He has been back in less than six months," Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa told reporters soon after landing from a 30-minute flight above the skies of Pathankot airbase in Punjab.
Wing Commander Varthaman shot down an American-made F-16 of the Pakistani Air Force in a dogfight a day after Indian jets bombed a camp of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, across the Line of Control. He was also downed by enemy fire, captured and released days later.