Flight Lieutenant Ramesh Chandra Ghildiyal was born on 4 September 1944 and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 24 December 1964. He trained as a fighter pilot and progressed to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1969. During his flying career, he served in operational helicopter duties and accumulated extensive flying experience, including missions involving casualty evacuation, relief work and logistical support.
Ghildiyal later developed a strong interest in specialised flight-testing. He undertook the Flight Inspection course during 1971–72 and subsequently qualified for experimental test-pilot training in France. After completing the course with a high merit position, he joined the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, where he became involved in the evaluation and testing of aircraft and aviation systems.
On 28 September 1976, Ghildiyal was taking part in a flight trial involving a Kiran HJT-16 trainer aircraft. The aircraft developed a structural failure during the test and became uncontrollable. The aircraft crashed, killing Ghildiyal and Squadron Leader Deepak Yadav, who was also part of the test flight. The accident brought an end to Ghildiyal's career while he was carrying out a specialised and demanding flying assignment.
Flight Lieutenant Ramesh Chandra Ghildiyal's service reflected a progression from operational flying to the technically demanding field of experimental flight testing. His death while performing test-flying duties was later recognised by the Government of India with the posthumous award of the **Shaurya Chakra**. His name remains associated with the early generation of Indian military flight-testing and the risks undertaken by test pilots in evaluating aircraft under demanding conditions.