Surya Kiran to perform in Kapurthala on Oct 15

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, October 11

It will be a memorable moment for students of Sainik School, Kapurthala, and residents of the town who will be able to enjoy a spectacular view of aerobatics, to be performed by the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on October 15. Even more exciting for cadets of the school is the fact that two of the pilots who will be manoeuvring the aircraft are passouts from their own campus.

This will be the first air show in Kapurthala and the team which will be flying from the Pathankot airbase is excited to perform for the young crowd and hopes to motivate them to join the defence forces. Led by Group Captain Prashant Grover, the team consists of nine highly proficient pilots of the the Indian Air Force. Two among them are Wing Commander Gurpreet Dhillon and Sq Ldr Navjot Singh, who are the alumni of Sainik School. They both take pride in being former Saikapians and attribute their success to their alma mater.

Wing Commander Gurpreet Singh Dhillon passed out from Sainik School in 2000 as school hockey team captain and also captain of Tilak house. He joined the NDA and got commissioned in 2004. He has flown MIG-21, Hawk MK 132 and Mirage for years. Being passionate about flying, he then joined the Surya Kiran team and continues to display his flying skills. He hails from Amritsar.

Another Saikapian Sqd Ldr Navjot Singh, fondly known as Navi among his Saikapian friends, belongs to Gurdaspur. While in school, he loved playing football and was the captain of the team. He was also the school captain. He joined the NDA in 2006 and got comissioned in 2010. He has flown Hawk Mark 132 and Sukhoi-30 MKI. Both Saikapians are qualified flying instructors and have trained a lot of young pilots before joining the Surya Kiran team.

The Surya Kiran team comprises of the best pilots of the nation, who will be displaying breathtaking aerobatic formations. The Surya Kiran, which means rays of the sun, has been a centre of attraction and hallmark of skill, valour and zeal inherent in the Indian Air Force. The aerobatic formations are proof of bombproof temperament and steel nerves possessed by each and every pilot of the IAF.

Col Vikas Mohan, principal, Sainik School, Kapurthala, who got the event arranged, said he had invited all Sahodaya Schools to view the event.