Nabhah Sparsham Deeptam’ means Touch the Sky With Glory. It is taken from Verse 24 , Chapter 11 of Shrimad Bhagvat Gita.
In this verse Krishna reveals his Visvarupa form to Arjuna who is struck with awe. Arjuna says “O Lord Vishnu, seeing Your form touching the sky, effulgent in many colors, with mouths wide open and enormous blazing eyes, my heart is trembling with fear. I have lost all courage and peace of mind.” This is same effect Indian Air Force aims to strike among adversaries.
A Himalayan Eagle has also been depicted in the IAF logo. It symbolises the indomitable spirit and fighting qualities of the IAF particularly its strength, agility and abilities to protect the skies.
Source: afcat.cdac.in, Swami Mukundananda translation of Bhagavad Gita.

Avani Chaturvedi became the first Woman Fighter Pillot in June 2016 when the combat roles were opened for women in the Indian Air Force. Two other women, namely Mohana Singh and Bhawana Kanth, were inducted as combat pilots into fighter squadrons along with Avani Chaturvedi.

Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma, an Indian Air Force Pilot, became the first Indian to go into space. He travelled aboard Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 to the space station Salyut 7 on 03 Apr 1984. He spent almost eight days in space. During a live conversation with Indira Gandhi during his trip, she asked him how India looked like from space. Rakesh Sharma answered, “Saare Jahan Se Achcha.”

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Sekhon was posthumously awarded Param Vir Chakra for his stellar role in defending Srinagar Air Base from Pakistani air raid during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
On 14 December 1971 Srinagar Airfield was attacked by a wave of six enemy F- 86 Sabre Jets. Flight Lieutenant NS Sekhon alongwith another officer was on readiness duty. He scrambled to intercept the enemy. By the time he took off the air field had been bombed. From a mid air battle Sekhon sent a message on the Radio ‘I am behind two sabres. I won’t let the… get away.’ He destroyed the two Sabres. But his Gnat was also hit and he died.
The picture is the room that he used while he was in Srinagar. It has been converted into a museum.

Air Marshal Subrato Mukherjee was born on 05 Mar 1911 in Kolkata. He joined Royal Indian Air Force in 1932 and rose to Commander in Chief’s (Later known as Chief of Air Staff) rank on 01 Apr 1954. He was a football lover and fan of Mohun Bagan club. He conceived the idea of an inter-school all-India football competition. After his death in 1960, Indian Air Force implemented the idea and runs the tournament.

In the 1971 war with Pakistan, the aircraft Folland Gnat ( also known as HAL Ajeet) was a highly effective and successful aircraft of the Indian Air Force. It outperformed PAF F-86 Sabre Jets in several dog fights earning the moniker of ‘Sabre Slayer.’ In the ‘Battle of Boyra’ it destroyed several PAF aircraft. It established air superiority for India. It hugely contributed to India’s decisive victory over Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh.
The picture is an India Post stamp of Gnat.

IAF assisted 2 Para of the Indian Army in executing one of the most daring and probably the largest paradrop operations conducted anywhere in the world after WW II. The aim of the operation was to capture Poongli Bridge. The operation was conducted on 11 Dec 1971 in Tangail area( Present day Bangladesh) to seize Poongli Bridge. Pakistan’s 93 Infantry Brigade which was on its way to reinforce Dhaka was routed. IAF used 6* AN 12, 20* C119 Boxers, 22* C147 Skytrains to drop over 1000 men. The operation was a great success and hugely helped Indian Armed Forces in achieving its objectives.
The picture is a photo of an air drop over Agra which was given to the UK and US newspapers, without revealing it was a file photo. It was used by Times London to report on the Tangail airdrop. No pictures of the air drop were available.
Source: Swarajyamag

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh DFC is renowned for his role in the Indo- Pak War of 1965. He promised to hit Pakistan units in an hour and true to promise, the Indian Air Force bombed the armoured units of Pakistan in Akhnoor within an hour. He was conferred this five star rank in Jan 2002.

MIG 21 is a Russian Aircraft. MIG stands for Mikoyan-Gurevich. It is IAF’s first supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraft. After serving for nearly 62 years, it was decommissioned on 26 Sep 25. Indian inducted more than 1200 aircrafts during these 60 years. At its peak 400 MIG-21s were in service. In the 1971 war, MIG 21 bombed the Governor’s house in Dhaka deciding the war’s result. In the 1999 Kargil war, MIG 21 was used to strike the Pakistani troops in the tough Himalayan terrain. In the post Balakot strikes, Wing Commander Abhinandan was flying a Mig 21 when he shot down an F16. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flew the final sortie.

IAF utilised sophisticated ‘Air to Ground’ SCALP and HAMMER missiles using its aerial platforms to strike enemy targets deep within Pakistani territory. These are European and French missiles and have advanced navigation and targeting capabilities.

Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26th October. Indian Army had to immediately secure Srinagar airport to supply its troops against the invading army. It was not clear if the airfield had already fallen into Pakistani hands or it was still with India. The airfield was unpaved, had no landing aids and there was no air traffic control to assist.
Wing Commander Bhatia took off from Delhi with two more aircraft. He landed the first Dakota in Srinagar airfield on October 27 1947 taking troops of 1 SIKH Battalion. A few following Dakota aircraft received bullet hits on their fuselage and wings. This courageous action ensured that the Indian Army troops landed just in time and secured Srinagar airport. They could stall the enemy and also induct more troops into Kashmir. Infantry Day is celebrated on 27th October every year to mark this event.
Wing Commander Bhatia had rushed from Agra for this mission. When his wife had asked him when he would be back, he had told her, “expect me when you see me.” When he returned on the same day to Srinagar for a second sortie, his aircraft was hit by enemy fire, but he was safe. He flew for almost 8 ½ hours on 27th October.
The picture is the iconic Dakota flown by Wing Commander Bhatia.
Source. Ranjeet Bhatia, Bharat-Rakshak.com

After Indonesia’s declaration of independence in August 1945, the Dutch tried to reimpose control. The Indonesian nationalists, led by Sukarno and Hatta, shifted their base to Yogyakarta in central Java. Sukarno wanted his Prime Minister to attend the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi to spread awareness about Indonesian movement, but the Dutch were trying to arrest the leaders. Biju Patnaik secretly flew his Dakota to Yogyakarta, landed on a makeshift airstrip, and evacuated Sutan Sjahrir (Prime Minister) and his wife. He brought them to New Delhi. Biju Patnaik’s wife, Gyanwati was also a trained pilot and she accompanied him in this mission. Both were awarded the title Bhoomi Putra by the Indonesian Government. The picture is the historic Dakaota that Biju Patnaik flew, now on display at the Bhubaneswar Airport.