The entire country has been celebrating the 85th #AirForceDay on October 8 as the IAF has always set the benchmark for saving the skies from enemies. On this special occasion, the IAF can’t forget its brave fighter pilot Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon who was the only winner of the country’s highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra.

We present you the story of a man who went on to become Indian Air Force’s greatest war hero. Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon aka Nimmy was born on July 17, 1943.

Deeply inspired by his father, Sekhon had already decided that he would join the Indian Air Force (IAF) when he was still a child. He had only one ambition and that was IAF. He wanted to become fighter pilot. On June 4, 1967, he was formally commissioned into the IAF as a Flying Officer.

In 1971, Nirmaljit Singh was posted at the forward base in Kashmir with the squadron named Flying bullets. Their airfield was attacked on December 14, 1971 by Pak Air Force.

Only available pilot at this time at Srinagar Base was Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon. Sekhon didn’t think for a minute and ran towards his fighter plane. Even the officers told him to come back but the brave pilot didn’t bother about his life and he successfully flown his fighter plane.

Sekhon single handedly took on all six PAF Sabres. Once the Pakistan Sabres ran away he managed to land his Gnat fighter plane just before his death due to bullets piercing through his body.

It was not his day, yet he made it his own.

Param Vir Chakra award was posthumously awarded to Sekhon.

A detailed story of his effort has been mentioned in fairly detailed account by PAF pilot Air Cdre Kaiser Tufail. He wrote, “"some enemies are also respectable.”

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/tale-of-a-brave-iaf-pilot.52626/

His skill was later also praised in an article by Salim Baig Mirza, the pilot who shot him down.

He remains the only air force pilot to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Soldiers like ‘Brother’ Shekon are not born every day. He was really the emperor of skies who sacrificed for the nation. Salute to this brave IAF Pilot on 85th #AirForceDay.