Group Captain Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini is the official military aviation artist of the Pakistan Air Force. Born in January 1951, he joined PAF College, Sargodha in 1963 and was commissioned as a pilot in March 1971 from PAF Academy, Risalpur. Later, he qualified as an Air Defence Weapons Controller, a capacity in which he continued to serve until his retirement in 2000.

In addition to four published volumes of his paintings, Hussaini’s artwork has been displayed in several art exhibitions. His paintings adorn the air force premises in Bangla Desh, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UK, USA and Zimbabwe. On the 40th anniversary of the PAF, the Government of Pakistan issued ten commemorative postage stamps, all bearing miniaturised prints of his aviation paintings.

In 1988, the Government of Pakistan conferred the President’s Pride of Performance Award on Hussaini. The American Society of Aviation Artists has honoured him with their fellowship.

The famous American aviation artist Keith Ferris was the first to recognise Hussaini’s extraordinary talent and became his friend and mentor. Alongwith Ferris and other aviation artists like Frank Wooton of UK and Paul Langley of France, Hussaini shares the outstanding ability of using the aerial points of view that are both unusual and dramatic, perspectives that impart a sense of speed and excitement on the scene. Although retired from active air force duty, Hussaini’s commitment to art as well as the PAF continues with undiminished vigour.