Jaw dropping air spectacle enthralls 20, 000 spectators in IAF show

About 20,000 people gathered outside Maharaja Agrasen Airport in Hisar were thrilled to see the jaw dropping ‘aerobatics’ by the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force flying the striking red-and-white Hawk Mk-132 jets to showcase a series of jaw-dropping manoeuvres.

Organisers include Sapt Shakti Command Dot On Target Division and the district administration. The DOT division’s group officer commanding Major-General Amit Talwar, Brigadier Amit Priyavarta, Colonel Sudhir Nohowar, Colonel Sameer Sharma, Colonel Jayant and the Deputy Commissioner Anish Yadav were among the key persons who organised the event.

Residents witnessed a breathtaking spectacle in the skies as the skies came alive when the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team performed.

The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team, better known as the “Ambassadors of the Indian Air Force,” is renowned for its precision, skill and teamwork. This elite team’s air performances include the graceful loop and the thrilling barrel roll to the gravity-defying inverted flying and the crowd-favourite DNA manoeuvre, shape of Tejas fighter jet, heart-shape and diamond in sky and hide and seek. Anushman and Garima Saini, school students who were in awe after watching the air spectacle commented that performance was a testament to the pilots’ unmatched expertise and coordination. One of the pilots Jasdeep Singh surprised the audience when he announced from the cockpit in Haryanavi “Bhule to nahi the Haryana aalo, seedhi jahaj to bahut uda li, ab mudhhi kar ke dekhe”.

SKAT was established in 1996. The team holds the coveted title of being the only nine-aircraft aerobatic team in Asia, and is one of the elite few aerobatic teams in the world. Theteam had so far performed over 700 displays across India, while also representing the professionalism of the IAF at international air shows in countries such as China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, and the UAE.

The Suryakiran team consists of 9 Hawk Mk 132 aircraft licence manufactured in India by HAL flying in extremely close proximity at a distance of less than five metres. There are 13 pilots in the team which comprises the Team Leader Su-30 MKI pilot Group Captain Ajay Dasarathi, Deputy Leader was Group Captain Sidhesh Kartik besides other pilots include Squadron Leader Jasdeep Singh, Squadron Leader Rahul Singh, Squadron Leader Sanjesh Singh, Squadron Leader Ankit Vashisth, Squadron Leader Vishnu, Squadron Leader Diwakar Sharma, Squadron Leader Gaurav Patel, Squadron Leader Edward Prince, Squadron Leader Lalit Verma, Wing Commander Rajesh Kajla, Wing Commander Tejeshwar Singh.

Their technical team was led by Wing Commander Abhimanyu Tyagi, Squadron Leader Sandeep Dhayal and Flight Lieutenant Manil Sharma. Flight Lieutenant Kanwal Sandhu was the team’s commentator and administrator while Squadron Leader Sudharshan was doctor. All members live by the team’s motto “Sadaiva Sarvottam” meaning always the best.