Start Date : 16 Nov 64 End Date : 04 Jun 67

97 Pilot Course - The course training was broken up into five states pre- commissioning - AFAC, EFTUs, PTE, AFFC and finally applied stage at various conversion units. About 150 direct entry cadets selected for the 97 PC joined AFAC Coimbatore on 16 Nov 1964 and completed ground training in March 1965.

Thereafter they were sent to various Elementary Flying Training Units (EFTUs) between March 1965 and August 1965. They were expected to do 25 hours of flying including about five solo. Tambaram and Nagpur had L-5s, Kanpur, Delhi and Patiala had Pushpak. 28 NDA Course joined up at this stage too. Due to the 1965 war, the course was sent on indefinite leave after this stage.

The Course was recalled in September 1965 and then sent to Pilot Training Establishment (PTE) Bamrauli for Basic stage flying on the HT2. The cadets were required to complete 25-30 hours of flying.This stage completed in early 1966.

The Course was then sent to AFFC Jodhpur for the intermediate stage flying on the Texan T6G/Harvard aircraft between in March 1966. Each Flight cadet was given between 75-80 hours of flying hours with about half of it being solo.

For the applied stage, the course was split into four groups. Cadets each were sent to FTW Hakimpet on Vampires for Fighter stream, No1. TTW at Begumpet and No. 2 TTW at Yelahanka on DC3 Dakota for Transport stream and LSTU Bamrauli on Bell G3 for helicopter stream. On completion of these stages successfully on 04 June 1967 they received commission and Wings.

Subsequently, the fighter lot was divided into half and sent to 220 sqn and 221 Sqn on Vampires at Pune for operational conversion training. Thereafter they were sent to the Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Jamnagar.