Air Commodore Ajit Mohan Shahane, Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the Air Force in January 1954. He has logged over 5500 hrs of accident free flying, out of which over 1500 hours were flown in the difficult hilly areas of Ladakh and the Eastern Himalayas. During his long service, he has held many important Staff and Command appointments which include Directing Stall at Defence Services Stall College, Commandant of College of Air Warfare and Air II of an operational Command.

He was amongst the few pioneers who surveyed and established the routes in the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, for operation of Packet aircraft. As a veteran pilot himself, he was able to motivate and inspire the aircrew of the ageing Packet fleet to undertake the maintenance operations in Ladakh, with zeal and enthusiasm. His mettle in flying can be best gauged from the example of calm and cool courage, displayed by him during a grave in-flight emergency, where he skillfully nursed a crippled Packet aircraft in Ladakh and landed it safely at Leh.

During the Goa operations, the Chinese aggression and the Indo-Pak conflict in 1965, AVSM 1985 he undertook transport support tasks and flew a number of maritime tactical missions. During 1971, as Deputy Director Operations (Transport & Maritime), he made valuable contributions in planning and coordinating strategic airlift for the Army. As Directing Staff at DSSC and Commandant of College of Air Warfare, he made significant contributions in projecting the correct philosophy and strategy in respect of Air Power. As Joint Director Intelligence, he was able to strengthen and modernise the Security and Counter Intelligence Organisation.

Air Cmde Shahane in his appointment as Air II of an operational Command, achieved optimal utilisation of available resources. He met all multifarious commitments of Air maintenance, flood relief and the Route Transport Role, despite tremendous handicaps in the shape of dwindling availability of transport fleet placed under his command.

Air Commodore Ajit Mohan Shahane has thus rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.