Hyderabad: Air Marshal Jayarao Jayakumar (retd), a former Vice Chief of Air Staff, is a true blue Hyderabadi. He grew up in West Marredpally and schooled at Mahbub College.
Born in 1936, he joined the Joint Services Wing at Clement town in Dehradun the precursor to the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, Pune when he was 16 and was selected the best all round cadet. He joined the IAF College at Jodhpur where he won the Dasgupta Trophy for being the most promising pupil pilot, while still in his teens.
Adding to his list of many firsts, he was the first in the IAF to be awarded an A & D grading. He was the commanding officer of 29 Squadron at Jodhpur, which was adjudged as the best squadron. He headed the Pathankot-based 18 Wing.
He was also posted at Bangkok as the military naval & air attaché.
“As Commandant of the College of Air Warfare, he developed the framework for computerised wargaming to validate the Air Force plans,” said a member of the IAF Association.
After a stint at the Central Air Command at Allahabad command he became Vice Chief of Air Staff. He retired in April 1994, after serving 38 years, and settled in Hyderabad.
