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Surya Kiran

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Surya Kiran also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...

- Sun Rays) is an aerobatics

Aerobatics

Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...

demonstration team of the Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

, successors to the Thunderbolts. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 to serve as the "Ambassadors of the Indian Air Force" and to "showcase the professionalism, the calibre and the mettle of the Indian Air Force". The team has since performed numerous demonstrations in various parts of the country

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

and abroad, and is today among the three renowned nine-aircraft public display aerobatic teams in the world (the other two being the British Red Arrows

Red Arrows

The Red Arrows, officially known as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, is the aerobatics display team of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Scampton, but due to move to RAF Waddington in 2011...

and the Canadian Snowbirds

Snowbirds

Officially known as the Royal Canadian Air Force's 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team whose purpose is to "demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel". The squadron is based at...

).

The squadron is primarily composed of the HAL

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited based in Bangalore, India, is one of Asia's largest aerospace companies. Under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence, this state-owned company is mainly involved in aerospace industry, which includes manufacturing and assembling aircraft, navigation and...

HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2

HAL Kiran

-See also:-See also:...

military trainer aircraft and are based at the Bidar

Bidar

Bidar is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District....

Air Force Station in Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

. Air Chief Marshall P.V. Naik said that Surya Kiran will upgrade to the BAE Hawk.

History

The genesis of the 'Suryakiran Aerobatic Team' (SKAT) can be traced back to 1982, the golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...

, when 'The Thunderbolts', a nine aircraft aerobatic team was formed. The team flew Hawker Hunter

Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...

aircraft (Also flown by 'The Black Arrows' of the Royal Air Force). The Thunderbolts gave their last public display in 1989. In 1990, the Hunters were phased out and replaced by HAL

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2

HAL Kiran

-See also:-See also:...

aircraft.

In early 1996, serious planning began for Aero India

Aero India

Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition held in Bangalore, India at the Yelahanka Air Force Station. It is organized by Defence Exhibition Organisation, the Ministry of Defence and is held in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation , the Indian Air Force...

-96, the first major air show

Air show

An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....

and aviation trade event ever hosted in India. The organisers' initial intentions were to invite an aerobatic team from overseas. However, senior IAF officers were confident that the IAF would be able to field its own team. Thus, the Suryakiran team was formed in 1996 as a 6-aircraft team, with Wg Cdr Kuldeep Malik VM, VSM, a former Thunderbolts member, as the first team leader. They gave their first display during the first Aero India

Aero India

in 1996. By 1997, the Suryakiran team had been expanded to 9 aircraft. The other Commanding Officers and Team Leaders of Suryakiran till date have been Wing Commander (late) AK Murgai VM, Wing Commander Amit Tiwari VM, Wing Commander S Prabahkaran VM, Wing Commander Sandeep Bansal VM, Wing Commander JT Kurien and Wing Commander Prajual Singh.

AeroIndia 2011 (February 9, 2011–13, 2011) was the last performance of SKAT using HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2

HAL Kiran

-See also:-See also:...

aircraft. As stated by Chief of Air Staff in October 2010, the SKAT had started the conversion to the Hawk and this might take 2 to 3 years to complete.

Aircraft

Suryakiran operates 16 HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2

HAL Kiran

-See also:-See also:...

trainer aircraft. The HJT-16 MK.2 is the basic armament trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force, and is used for intermediate flight and weapons training. The aircraft is also effective in reconnaissance and counter insurgency operations. The aircraft used by the team are painted in a "day-glo orange" and white colour scheme

Color scheme

In color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in design for a range of media. For example, the use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web design....

.

A particular difficulty faced by the team was the side-by-side seating arrangement in the Kiran cockpits. The members flying to the left of the leader have to fly from the right seat, whereas the left seat

Left seat

The left seat in the cockpit of an aircraft is the seat normally used by the captain or pilot in command. The co-pilot then sits in the right seat. This is not a formal rule or law, however, only a tradition...

is the master seat. Therefore some aircraft have been modified to fly solo from the right seat. In unmodified aircraft, the pilot flying on the left of the leader has to fly in two pilot configuration.

The two inboard drop tanks of Suryakiran Kiran Mk.2 aircraft have been modified to carry colour dye for generating smoke. Diesel is used for generating white smoke and coloured dye is mixed with diesel to generate coloured smoke. Because of the smoke modification, only the two outboard drop tanks can be used to carry fuel, which gives Suryakiran aircraft a maximum ferry range of 280 nm. For displays, Suryakiran aircraft fly only with two inboard drop tanks, which carry dye for smoke generation.

Organization

The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006, and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron, Air force ("The Sharks"). The parent base for the SKAT is Air Force Station, Bidar

Bidar

Bidar is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District....

. The AOC of AFS Bidar serves as the guardian for the Squadron when it is at base or touring. AFS Bidar is one of the main training bases for IAF pilots, and operates numerous Kiran Mk.2 aircraft and the IAF's new Hawk Trainer Aircraft.

The available maintenance and repair infrastructure at Bidar suffices the maintenance requirements of the Suryakiran team. The team has four engineering officers who lead a team of air warriors posted to the unit.

Personnel

The team has a total of 13 pilots of whom only 9 are flying at any given time. Pilots are selected twice a year for a three-year tour of duty. Only Fighter aircraft

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

qualified pilots are selected. All pilots in the team are Qualified flying instructors (QFI's) with about 2,000 hours of fighter flying experience and 1,000 hours on the Kiran aircraft. The Team is headed by a Commanding Officer who is also the leader of the formation during display sorties. The Team Leader has the opportunity of selecting his future team pilots after subjecting them to grueling flight trials and tests. The present Team CO is Wg Cdr Prajual Singh, a Mig 29 pilot.

Besides the pilots, the team has a Flight Commander, an Administrator and qualified Technical Officers. The Flight Commander is in charge of operational planning. The Administrator, apart from looking after administrative requirements of the Team, also provides the commentary during public displays. The Senior Engineering Officer (the SEO or ‘Spanner’), along with fifty technicians, has the task of maintaining and servicing the Team’s aircraft. In all technical aspects, the decision of the Senior Engineering Officer is the final word.

Team Composition

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Wg Cdr Prajual Singh (PAJ) (No 1) Team Leader and Commanding Officer

Wg Cdr Debashish Roy-Choudhury (DOC) (No 4) Deputy Leader and Flight Commander

Wg Cdr Ajit Kulkarni (KULS) (No 2)

Sqn Ldr Vikram Mehra (VICKY) (No 3)

Sqn Ldr Ashwin Thakare (ASH) (No 6)

Wg Cdr Deepak Setia (SETIA) (No 7)

Sqn Ldr K Ramji Yadov (RAMJI) (No 8) Synchro 2

Sqn Ldr Brijesh Paul (POLLY) (No 9) Synchro Leader

Sqn Ldr Akhilesh Singh (AXE) (No 5)

Sqn Ldr Gurpreet Singh Sudan (SUD) (Right Standby)

Sqn Ldr Venu Nambisan (VENU) (Administrator / Commentator)

Sqn Ldr Digvijay Singh (DIGI) (Senior Engineering Officer)

Sqn Ldr Dinesh Yadav (DINESH) (Engineer Officer)

Performance

On an average, the team performs over 30 shows a year, and flies three sorties a day during the training season and two a day whilst on aerobatics display. The nine aircraft take off in groups of three and join up in close formation, maneuvering between speeds of 150 to 650 km/h with their wing tips less than 5 metres apart. The maneuvers subject the pilots to alternating g-force

G-force

The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...

s between +6 to –1.5.

The team has performed at all Aero India's to date, as well as during the International Fleet Review in Mumbai

Mumbai

Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

in February 2001. It has also performed in various cities, right from South India, to Dal Lake

Dal Lake

Dal Lake is a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The urban lake, which is the second largest in the state, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is nicknamed the "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar's Jewel"...

in Srinagar

Srinagar

Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...

, Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...

. The team, under the leadership of Wing Commander Amit Tiwari, performed abroad for the first time in Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

, to mark the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Sri Lankan Air Force. In February 2004, Suryakiran led by Wing Commander S Prabahkaran enthralled audiences at the Asian Aerospace-2004 air show in Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

. The Team, under the command of Wing Commander S Bansal, made its debut in Malaysia in December 2007 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2007 from 04 Dec to 08 Dec, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia's Independence. Whilst in Malaysia, the team also displayed at Subang airfield of Kuala Lumpur on 29 Nov 07.
On December 11 – 12, 2007 The Indian Air Force Aerobatic Team "SURYA KIRAN" in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force conducted a nine-aircraft Aerobatic display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King of Thailand. This display was witnessed by the Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force. In November 2008, the team was invited to participate in the Zhuhai Airshow, China. Suryakiran were the only foreign participants in this airshow. The Team displayed on all five days of the airshow. Their displays were highly appreciated by everyone.On the return from China, the team displayed in Laos as well.

Accidents

A Suryakiran aircraft crashed while practicing on January 21, 2009. Wing Commander R.S. Dhaliwal VM (35) of the Indian Air Force was killed when the aircraft crashed in an open field at Bellura village close to the Air Force Station at 8:45 am on a routine practice sortie. ^$.

Another crash of Surya Kiran aircraft happened on March 18, 2006 near the Air Force Station, Bidar during a training sortie killing Wing Commander Dheeraj Bhatia and Squadron Leader Shailender Singh.

External links

News

Flying colours of courage

$http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/22/stories/2009012261051100.htm

Images

Videos

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