1. 

   Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman on Monday flew a sortie with Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on a MiG 21 jet. In February 2019, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman became the face of a tense military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in the dogfight. Before his jet was hit, the IAF pilot downed an F-16 fighter of Pakistan. He was released on the night of March 1 by Pakistan. Because of his injuries he was taken off flying duties. (Photo: IAF)

2. 

   Indian Air Force, in a tweet, said it was the last sortie flown by IAF chief Dhanoa in a fighter aircraft before his retirement. (Photo: IAF)

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   IAF chief BS Dhanoa, who is set to retire on September 30, said 'it was an honour for me to fly with him' after the sortie. (Photo: IAF)

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   Both Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa and Varthaman posed for photographs while standing on the cockpit of the twin-seater trainer aircraft. (Photo: IAF)

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   Photo-journalists were taken inside the Pathankot air base to record the 30-minute sortie. (Photo: IAF)

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   Days after he returned from Pakistan, Varthaman conveyed to the IAF brass his wish to return to fighter cockpit at the earliest. (Photo: IAF)