Military Digest: 58 Pilots Course of IAF to celebrate Platinum Jubilee of earning wings

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Course mates of the 58 Pilot Course of IAF, with an average of 91 years, will celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of their commissioning on August 30. A total of 31 cadets, 30 from the IAF and one from the Indian Navy, had been awarded their wings on August 30, 1952, out of which 23 have passed away, some in service and some in retirement.
Among those who will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of their commissioning will be Wing Commander Moreshwar Woman Tilak, Wing Commander Ravinder Lal Badhwar, Air Vice Marshal Denzil Edward Satur, Squadron Leader Ronald Charles Mariano, Squadron Leader PK Chitnis, Air Vice Marshal Cecil Parker, Group Captain Sohan Lal Tandon and Air Vice Marshal MK Rudra.
Incidentally, Wing Commander Moreshwar Woman Tilak, who went on to become a test pilot at HAL and later in Australia, had been awarded the Jodhpur Sword of Honour for Best All Round Pupil and Nabha Trophy for Best in Ground Subjects. Wing Commander Ravinder Lal Badhwar had been awarded the Patiala Trophy for Best Service Pilot.
Wing Commander Tilak and Squadron Leader Mariano are now settled in Australia while Squadron Leader Chitnis is settled in the UK. Well-known defence website Bharat-Rakshak.com notes that out of the 31 Pilots who earned their wings from No. 58 Course, 14 were sent for fighter training and 14 for transport training.
It is worth noting that the course had initially gathered for training at No. 1 Air Force Academy then located in Ambala in 1951, which later moved to Secunderabad. A total of 51 cadets formed the strength of the course out of which only 31 managed to earn their wings.
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