Indian Air Force Day 2026: 20+ Interesting GK Questions to Test Your IAF Knowledge
Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on October 8 every year. Test your knowledge with 25 GK questions covering the IAF’s history, heroes, operations, aircraft, commands, special forces, achievements and fascinating milestones. Take the quiz and discover how much you know.
Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year on October 8, marking the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1932. But how much do you really know about the force that guards India’s skies? From its early days with a handful of aircraft to becoming a formidable modern air force, the IAF has witnessed remarkable milestones. Its story features legendary officers, daring combat missions, humanitarian rescue operations, iconic fighter jets and historic firsts. On this Air Force Day, put your knowledge to the test and discover fascinating facts about the IAF.
Take this GK quiz and see how many questions you can answer correctly!
Take this GK quiz and see how many questions you can answer correctly!
Q) On which exact date was the Indian Air Force officially established?
A) 15 August 1947
B) 26 January 1950
C) 8 October 1932
D) 1 April 1935
Answer: C) 8 October 1932
Explanation: The Indian Air Force was established on October 8, 1932, as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire. This day is celebrated annually as Indian Air Force Day.
Q) What prefix was added to the title of the Indian Air Force in 1945 by King George VI to honor its contributions during World War II?
A) Imperial
B) Royal
C) Sovereign
D) Federal
Answer: B) Royal
Explanation: In recognition of its valiant service in the European and Burma campaigns during World War II, the prefix 'Royal' was granted in 1945. It was dropped in 1950 when India transitioned into a Republic.
Q) What is the official motto of the Indian Air Force?
A) Service Before Self
B) Touch the sky with glory (Nabhah Sprsham Dipam)
C) Valour and Faith
D) Protection and Security
Answer: B) Touch the sky with glory (Nabhah Sprsham Dipam)
Explanation: The motto is taken from the eleventh chapter of the holy Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war.
Q) Who was the first Indian officer to become the Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force in 1954?
A) Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee
B) Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh
C) Air Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal
D) Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
Answer: A) Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee
Explanation: Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee, often hailed as the "Father of the Indian Air Force," took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Air Staff in April 1954.
Q) Who is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be conferred with the highest five-star rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force?
A) Subroto Mukherjee
B) Arjan Singh
C) Arup Raha
D) Birender Singh Dhanoa
Answer: B) Arjan Singh
Explanation: Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh was awarded the prestigious five-star rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force in January 2002 for his monumental military leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
Q) In 2023, the Indian Air Force adopted a newly updated ensign. Where was this historic new ensign officially unveiled?
A) AFS Hindon, Ghaziabad
B) AFS Bamrauli, Prayagraj
C) AFS Dundigal, Hyderabad
D) Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh
Answer: B) AFS Bamrauli, Prayagraj
Explanation: The updated IAF Ensign, which features the IAF crest in the upper right fly side, was unveiled by the Chief of Air Staff during the 91st Air Force Day celebrations at Prayagraj on October 8, 2023.
Q) Who was the first Indian citizen—and an IAF pilot—to travel into space as part of the Soviet Interkosmos program in 1984?
A) Ravish Malhotra
B) Rakesh Sharma
C) Kalpana Chawla
D) Vikram Sarabhai
Answer: B) Rakesh Sharma
Explanation: Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 on April 2, 1984, making him the first and only Indian citizen to reach space.
Q) What was the codename assigned to the Indian Air Force's massive air operations to support the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil War?
A) Operation Vijay
B) Operation Safed Sagar
C) Operation Cactus
D) Operation Meghdoot
Answer: B) Operation Safed Sagar
Explanation: Operation Safed Sagar was the specific codename given to the IAF’s role in the 1999 Kargil conflict, where fighter jets conducted precise high-altitude bombardments to flush out infiltrators.
Q) How many total operational and functional commands does the Indian Air Force currently maintain?
A) 5 Commands
B) 7 Commands
C) 6 Commands
D) 8 Commands
Answer: B) 7 Commands
Explanation: The IAF comprises 5 regional operational commands (Western, Eastern, Central, Southern, South Western) and 2 functional commands (Training and Maintenance Commands).
Q) Where is the Headquarters of the Training Command of the Indian Air Force located?
A) New Delhi
B) Shillong
C) Bengaluru
D) Gandhinagar
Answer: C) Bengaluru
Explanation: While Air Headquarters is in New Delhi, the vital Training Command, which manages all foundational and specialized training for IAF personnel, is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Q) Which Indian city serves as the Headquarters for the Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force?
A) Nagpur
B) Kanpur
C) Pune
D) Coimbatore
Answer: A) Nagpur
Explanation: The Maintenance Command of the IAF, responsible for the repair, overhaul, and storage of aircraft and defense infrastructure, is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Q) What was the name of the IAF's massive humanitarian operation in 2013 that evacuated thousands of stranded pilgrims during the devastating Uttarakhand floods?
A) Operation Rahat
B) Operation Surya Hope
C) Operation Maitri
D) Operation Devi Shakti
Answer: A) Operation Rahat
Explanation: Launched in June 2013, Operation Rahat was one of the largest civilian rescue operations performed by any air force globally using helicopters, saving over 20,000 people.
Q) Who made history in 2018 by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to complete a solo flight in a supersonic MiG-21 Bison aircraft?
A) Avani Chaturvedi
B) Bhawana Kanth
C) Mohana Singh
D) Shivangi Singh
Answer: A) Avani Chaturvedi
Explanation: Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo, taking off from Jamnagar Air Force Station in February 2018.
Q) Who remains the sole officer of the Indian Air Force to be decorated with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry medal?
A) Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya
B) Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma
C) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
D) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman
Answer: C) Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon
Explanation: Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his exceptional bravery and defense of the Srinagar airfield against overwhelming numbers of Pakistani Sabre jets during the 1971 war.
Q) Who became the first female fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force to operationalize and fly the multi-role Rafale fighter jet?
A) Shivangi Singh
B) Gunjan Saxena
C) Mawya Sudan
D) Bhawana Kanth
Answer: A) Shivangi Singh
Explanation: Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, hailing from Varanasi, made history by joining the elite No. 17 'Golden Arrows' squadron as the first woman to operate the French-made Rafale fighter jet.
Q) What is the name of India's first indigenously designed and built delta-wing, supersonic Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) inducted into the IAF?
A) HAL Tejas
B) HAL Marut
C) HAL Rudra
D) Sukhoi Su-30MKI
Answer: A) HAL Tejas
Explanation: Developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Tejas is a highly capable multi-role supersonic light fighter.
Q) Which aircraft formed the core of the strategic air bridge during the 1988 'Operation Cactus' to thwart a coup attempt in the Maldives?
A) C-17 Globemaster III
B) Ilyushin Il-76
C) An-32
D) C-130J Super Hercules
Answer: B) Ilyushin Il-76
Explanation: The Soviet-built Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport workhorse allowed the IAF to rapidly airlift Indian Army paratroopers thousands of kilometers non-stop to secure Male airport within hours.
Q) Which massive American-made four-engine turbofan heavy-lift aircraft gives the IAF its primary global strategic transport and rapid troop movement capability?
A) Lockheed Martin C-130J
B) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
C) Antonov An-124
D) Airbus A400M
Answer: B) Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
Explanation: The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is the cornerstone of the IAF's heavy-lift capabilities, designed to carry heavy military gear, tanks, and troops across continental distances.
Q) What was the secret operational codename for the cross-border precision airstrike executed by IAF Mirage 2000 jets against terrorist camps in Balakot in February 2019?
A) Operation Bandar
B) Operation Vijay
C) Operation Parakram
D) Operation Trishul
Answer: A) Operation Bandar
Explanation: The IAF’s pre-dawn retaliatory strike targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan's Balakot following the Pulwama tragedy was designated as 'Operation Bandar' (Monkey) for operational security.
Q) What is the name of the elite special forces unit of the Indian Air Force, raised in 2004 for specialized tasks like airfield security, counter-terrorism, and hostage rescue?
A) MARCOS
B) Para SF
C) Garud Commando Force
D) NSG
Answer: C) Garud Commando Force
Explanation: The Garud Commando Force is the specialized special forces unit of the IAF, named after the divine bird-like creature Garud in Hindu mythology.
Q) Where is the premier Air Force Academy (AFA) that provides basic and advanced flying training to all newly recruited flight cadets located?
A) Dundigal, Hyderabad
B) Khadakwasla, Pune
C) Dehradun
D) Arakkonam
Answer: A) Dundigal, Hyderabad
Explanation: The Air Force Academy (AFA) is situated in Dundigal, near Hyderabad, Telangana. It serves as the main commissioning center for all IAF officers across all branches.
Q) In terms of total personnel strength and inventory size, where does the Indian Air Force rank among the largest air forces in the world?
A) Second
B) Third
C) Fourth
D) Fifth
Answer: C) Fourth
Explanation: The Indian Air Force is officially recognized as the fourth-largest air force in the world, sitting behind the United States, Russia, and China.
Q) Which historical aircraft formed the very first flight squadron (No. 1 Squadron) of the fledgling Indian Air Force in 1933?
A) Westland Wapiti
B) Hawker Hurricane
C) Supermarine Spitfire
D) de Havilland Vampire
Answer: A) Westland Wapiti
Explanation: The IAF started its operational journey with just four biplane aircraft called the Westland Wapiti, which formed Flight 'A' of the No. 1 Squadron at Karachi.
Q) What is the name of the world-famous nine-aircraft aerobatic demonstration team of the Indian Air Force, currently flying Hawk Mk.132 advanced jet trainers?
A) Sarang
B) Suryakiran
C) Sagar Pawan
D) Thunderbolts
Answer: B) Suryakiran
Explanation: The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) is an elite formation aerobatics unit of the IAF formed in 1996, performing spectacular maneuvers during public celebrations like Air Force Day.
Q) Who served as the first overall Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force immediately after Indian independence, remaining in office until 1950?
A) Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
B) Air Marshal Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman
C) Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee
D) Marshal Arjan Singh
Answer: A) Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
Explanation: Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst was a British Royal Air Force officer who was invited to take the helm and successfully structure the newly independent Royal Indian Air Force from 1947 to 1950.
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