PUNE: After a gap of two years, cadets from the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Mumbai, have revived the flying training activity at Air Force Station in Lohegaon. The cadets are practising flying microlight aircraft.

The microlight aircraft was available at the Station but the flying movement was closed due to heavy traffic at Pune airport, which has civil and fighter aircraft jostling for space. A total of 200 cadets of 1 Air Squadron of NCC Mumbai Group B, including 66 female cadets, began their air training in the city last week. They had to stop training at Mumbai airport in 1995 because of heavy air traffic. After that, the cadets had limited training in Pune but that was also later stopped.

Group captain Nilesh Dekhne, Chief of the 1 Air NCC Mumbai Group B, said, “We received an Eagle Microlight Aircraft in 2018 but due to of several constraints, our cadets could not fly. Now, the training has once again started. The aim is to motivate them to join the Indian Air Force.”

The cadets from Mumbai and Nashik are undergoing training from past one week under the supervision of Group Captain Dekhne and Air Group’s Captain R Kumar.