[1] Located in a basin 1050 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and Kalpani rivers, respectively.

[5] The Risalpur Cantonment itself lies on high ground, some 30 feet above the surrounding area, with the oldest building dating from 1913 or 1914.

New training platforms such as the paradise point and KFC are also being included where mental exercises, MCP and various other activities are carried out.

[9] In 1925 the air fleet of base was tasked to carry out a survey of the about four hundred square miles area of Ravi's old river bed for finding ancient sites.

11 Squadron of Royal Air Force equipped with Westland Wapiti was stationed at the base in 1928,[11] that was also used in the operations in the tribal areas.

During the Second World War, an operational training squadron was stationed at Risalpur,[13] besides the base also conducted fighter conversion courses.

Flt Lt M Khyber Khan, and his student, Flight Cadet Akhtar, flew the first training sortie on 22 September 1947.

[17] That month, six Harvard aircraft from the Flying Training School of Ambala, that were allocated to Pakistan after partition, reached Risalpur.

[18] During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, the airfield was used to transport personnel and other equipment to the mountain terrain of Northern Areas.

[19] After fifty years of Jinnah's visit to the academy, a commemoration was held on 13 April 1997, where among other veterans, Asghar Khan also attended.

[20] On 13 April 1948, the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited Risalpur Flying Training School and raised its level to that of a college.

[21][22] At this ceremony, Jinnah took the General Salute at the parade and fighter aircraft from Peshawar Air base performed aerobatics.

[13] On 21 January 1967 President Ayub Khan elevated the status of the PAF College, Risalpur to that of an academy.

[18] Eight years after the college was upgraded to an academy in 1967, the T-6G (Harvard), which had rendered extensive service to the PAF since 1947, was replaced by the Mushshak (Saab Trainer).

Additionally, the academy has a fleet of Para Motor Gliders which are used to provide aerial experience to the cadets.

Apart from Aerospace and Avionics, the institute has three more departments: Industrial Engineering, Humanities & Science, and Professional Continuing Education.

[29] The Flying Instructors School (FIS) began operations on 14 April 1952 with the mission to develop instructional expertise at the Primary, Basic, and Fighter Conversion levels.

FIS trains instructors for the Pakistan Air Force, Army, and Navy, as well as for countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

The school is responsible for maintaining high teaching standards at the College of Flying Training and Fighter Conversion units.

Between 1990 and 1997, FIS collaborated with the UK's Central Flying School through reciprocal visits to improve training standards.

The PAF Academy trains officers of the PAF, and cadets and officers of the Pakistan Army, Navy and other countries including Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the UAE.

The annual Changing of the Guard ceremony at Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi on Pakistan Defence Day (6 September).

Some forty teams from major higher education institutes in Pakistan are invited to take part.