Kashmir’s Hilal Ahmad Rather becomes first IAF pilot to fly Rafael jet

Born in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district’s Kadipora area -the centre of main Anantnag town, Hilal Ahmed Rather has become an overnight sensation not only in the valley but outside valley also. Bilal saw off the first batch of Rafale jets which took off from France to India on Monday

The first batch of Rafael jets is set to be inducted in the Indian Air Force on Wednesday and Air commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather became the first to fly the giant aircraft.

Among other things, he has also been associated with the weaponization of the Rafale aircraft for acclimatization to Indian requirements.

Hilal Ahmad Rather is presently India’s Air Attache in France.

Born in the south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to middle-class parents, Bilal’s father, late Mohammad Abdullah Rather retired as a deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) in J&K police department. He has three sisters and is the only son of his parents. Bilal studied in Sainik School in Nagrota town of Jammu district.

He was commissioned in IAF as a fighter pilot on December 17, 1988, became flight lieutenant in 1993, wing commander in 2004, group captain in 2016 and air commodore in 2019.

He graduated from defense services staff college (DSSC). He also graduated from  Air war college (USA) with distinction. He won the sword of honour in NDA. Hilal is also the recipient of the Vayu Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva medal.

With an impeccable record of 3,000 accident-free flying hours on mirage-2000, MIG-21 and Kiran aircraft, Hilal’s name will now forever be associated with Rafale in India.