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Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi on Wednesday became the first Chief of Air Staff to earn para wings while in office by carrying out his fifth and final para jump at Air Force Station Hindon.
The 60-year-old Tyagi made his wing qualifying jump from a MI-17 helicopter at the air force station in Ghaziabad, near the capital, taking just four minutes to touch down after a free fall from 4,000 feet, according to IAF spokesman.
Having taken to the sport last year, the air chief took 15 days to complete his qualifying five jumps.
"Being an experienced pilot, the chief was quick to grasp the fundamentals. His enthusiasm and high level of fitness did the rest," Wing Commander Jayashankar, an IAF jumper of international repute and Tyagi's instructor, said.