Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, DFC (6 December 1916 – 13 August 1982) was the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. He served in the IAF from 1939 until his retirement in 1973. He was the CAS at the time of Operation Chengiz Khan, the preemptive strikes that were carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Slated to study law in England, Lal instead joined the Air Force Volunteer Reserve at the outbreak of World War II. After serving as a navigation instructor, he trained as a pilot and joined the No. 7 Squadron IAF. He later commanded this squadron during the Burma Campaign and mentioned in dispatches as well as awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1945, he was absorbed into the permanent cadre of the Indian Air Force (IAF). After the Partition of India in 1947, he served as the Director of Planning and Training at Air HQ. In 1949, he attended the RAF Staff College, Andover. He led the Air Force team which brought King Tribhuvan to safety in 1950. Lal served as the Military Secretary to the Cabinet from 1953 to 1956 in the rank of air commodore. He became the first Indian to break the sound barrier in 1954. After commanding the Training Command, he was deputed to the Indian Airlines Corporation (IAC) for five years. He also served as the general manager of the Indian Airlines Corporation from 1957 to 1962. During this time, he fell out of favour with the Minister of Defence V. K. Krishna Menon and his services were terminated in 1962. With the outbreak of the Sino-Indian War, he was re-instated in service and took over as Air Officer Maintenance at Air HQ. After a short stint heading the Western Air Command, he served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. From 1966 to 1969, Lal served as the managing director and later chairman of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Lal took over as the seventh Chief of the Air Staff in 1969. Under his command, the IAF scored a decisive victory against Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh in December 1971. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan, the second and third highest civilian awards of India. After retiring from the IAF, Lal served as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Indian Airlines and later chairman of Air India. (en)
Pratap Chandra Lal (6 Desember 1916 – Agustus 1982) adalah dari Angkatan Udara India (Indian Air Force, IAF) pada Perang India-Pakistan 1971. Ia menjabat dalam IAF dari 1939 sampai ia pensiun pada 1973. Ia menjadi , dari , sebelum menjadi kepala IAF. Ia menjadi Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara pada masa , serangan yang dilakukan oleh Angkatan Udara Pakistan (Pakistan Air Force, PAF) yang menandai inisiasi formal dari pertikaian Perang India-Pakistan 1971. (in)
Pratap Chandra Lal (6 Desember 1916 – Agustus 1982) adalah dari Angkatan Udara India (Indian Air Force, IAF) pada Perang India-Pakistan 1971. Ia menjabat dalam IAF dari 1939 sampai ia pensiun pada 1973. Ia menjadi , dari , sebelum menjadi kepala IAF. Ia menjadi Kepala Staf Angkatan Udara pada masa , serangan yang dilakukan oleh Angkatan Udara Pakistan (Pakistan Air Force, PAF) yang menandai inisiasi formal dari pertikaian Perang India-Pakistan 1971. (in)
Air Chief Marshal Pratap Chandra Lal, DFC (6 December 1916 – 13 August 1982) was the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. He served in the IAF from 1939 until his retirement in 1973. He was the CAS at the time of Operation Chengiz Khan, the preemptive strikes that were carried out by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. (en)