Surya Kiran
| Surya Kiran | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Country: |
 India
|
| Currently used aircraft type: | HAL Kiran |
| Sponsor: | Indian Air Force |
| Base airfield: | Bidar Air Force Station |
| Founding: | 1996 |
| Colours: | Red White |
Surya Kiran ("Sun Rays") is an aerobatic demonstration team for the Indian Air Force . The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was founded in 1996 to serve as the "Indian Air Force Ambassador", "showcasing the professionalism, caliber and zeal of the Indian Air Force". The team has since had numerous demonstrations in various parts of the country and abroad, and was one of the famous nine-aircraft aerobatic teams in the world. The squadron was composed of HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military training aircraft and is stationed at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka . The team was shut down in February 2011 due to a lack of jet trainers in the IAF after the grounding of the HPT-32 trainers. Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said Surya Kiran will return to activity with the BAE Hawk in 2015.
history
Formation aerobatics is not new to the IAF. As early as 1944, the IAF had an air show team and later a few aerobatic displays carried out by ad hoc teams on special occasions like the Air Force Day Parade and combat strength demonstrations.
During the IAF's golden anniversary year 1982, hand-picked pilots from different squadrons formed an aerobatic team for the IAF called "The Thunderbolts". They flew blue and white Hawker Hunter fighter-bombers. This team has been delighting audiences for about a decade, with its last public showing in 1989.
The experience gained with the Thunderbolts was used to create a four-aircraft aerobatic team in Bidar in 1990 on Kiran-II training aircraft. Although the team did not have any public displays, it ensured the preservation of aerobatic skills in the IAF.
In early 1996, serious planning began for AVIA-96, the first major air show and aviation trade fair in India. The organizers' original intention was to invite an overseas aerobatic team, but some senior IAF officers were confident that the world's fourth largest air force would be able to create its own team. This formed the rebirth of the team under the name "Surya Kiran". The Suryakiran (SKATE) flew their first six-aircraft formation on May 27, 1996. In 1998, with Wg Cdr AK Murgai as CO, the team expanded to a nine-aircraft display. Because the team was just two years old, it was no mean feat. The first public appearance with nine aircraft was during Independence Day (overflight over the Red Fort ) in 1998. The first full-fledged nine-aircraft aerobatic team was at Palam on October 8, 1998 in the sign of Air Force Day.
The team has performed over 500 demonstrations in 72 cities across the country from the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south and from Naliya, the westernmost airfield, from Srinagar, to Chabua, the easternmost airfield in the country. Srinagar, which is at an altitude of 5436 meters, is the highest airfield, up to Dal Lake . It has also occurred in the capital cities of Sri Lanka , Myanmar , Thailand and Singapore .
After the performance in Bengaluru in February 2011, the Surya Kirans were grounded because the Air Force has a serious shortage of training aircraft. In 2015 the flight operations of the Surya Kirans were completely stopped. A reactivation is planned with the introduction of the BAE Hawk , which is being built under license in India by the state-owned HAL.
plane
The Suryakiran operated 16 HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft. The Kiran MK II, painted in "Day-Glo Orange" and shades of white, is used by the IAF to train its fighter pilots in aerial combat maneuvers and the use of weapons. It was created by Dr. Gadge, the then chief designer of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, designed it in 1960 and produced it at HAL in Bangalore. The aircraft weighs about five tons and is powered by an Orpheus engine that generates 1906 kg of thrust. The plane reaches a maximum speed of 780 km per hour or Mach 0.7. The Kiran MK II can also be used armed with integrated cannons, 250 kg bombs and 68 mm missiles in the fight against insurgency.
One particular difficulty that the team faced was the side-by-side seating in the Kiran cockpits. The members flying to the left of the leader must fly from the right seat, while the left seat is usually the seat of the flying pilot. As a result, some planes have been modified to fly solo from the right seat. The two internal auxiliary tanks on Suryakiran Kiran Mk.2 aircraft have been modified to carry dye used to generate smoke. Diesel is used to produce white smoke and colored dye is mixed with diesel to produce colored smoke. Because of the smoke modification, additional tanks can only be used on the two external brackets. The IAF has ordered 20 BAE Systems Hawk Mk for the Surya Kiran, which are to be used exclusively for aerobatics.
Accidents
A Suryakiran aircraft crashed while practicing on March 18, 2006 near Bidar Air Base during a training session. Two team pilots, Wing Commander Dheeraj Bhatia and Squadron Leader Shailender Singh, were fatally injured. Another Surya Kiran aircraft crash occurred on January 21, 2009 when Wing Commander RS Dhaliwal VM (35) was fatally injured by the Indian Air Force when his aircraft crashed into the open field near the village of Bellura near Bidar Air Base. $ .
See also
Web links
- The Indian Armed Forces, Surya Kiran page
- The Ed Steenhoek list of Military Aerobatic Teams, Surya Kiran page
- Bharat-rakshak.com, Surya Kiran page ( Memento from May 21, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
- India's Suryakiran's Aerobatic Team To Perform At LIMA 2007 , Bernama.com, Malaysian National News Agency. November 27, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007. " KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) - The famous Indian Air Force aerobatics team, the" Suryakirans "or sun rays in Hindi, will be making its debut appearance in Malaysia next week at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2007. "
- Flying colors of courage
- [1]
photos
- Suryakiran at Aero India 2007
- Synchro-cross
- IAF picture gallery
- IAF Surya Kiran
- Picture in Samachar India
- SKAT duo - image form KenSekhon.ca gallery
- SKAT Airshow 2011
Videos
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b IAF to buy 20 more Hawk Jets for Jet Display Team . Indian Express. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
- ↑ a b AEROBATICS Flying colors of courage , The Tribune. March 31, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/surya-kiran-aerobatic-squadron-of-air-force-to-return-to-dare-devilry-739895
- ↑ Suryakiran page ( Memento of 21 May 2006 at the Internet Archive ) on Bharat Rakshak