SURYA KIRA
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 and abroad, and is today among the 3 renowned nine-aircraft aerobatic teams in the world and ranks third after Red Arrows of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Canada's Snow Birds.
Besides the pilots, the team has a Flight Commander, an administrator and a Kiran qualified Technical Officer. The Flight Commander takes is in charge of operational planning. The administrator, apart from looking after administrative requirement 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 Chief Engineering Officer is the final word, whilst on detachments the Senior Engineering Officer of the team assumes this responsibility.
(History)At the Golden Jubilee of the Indian Air force saw the inception of nine Hunter aircraft performing feats in the air. Led by Wg Cdr PS Brar, they called themselves the ‘Thunderbolts’ and were painted deep blue with streaks of lightning passing all through. In 1996 the team was christened Suryakiran and reformed as a six aircraft team.
The Suryakiran operates 16 HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft. The HJT-16 is the basic armaments trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force, and is used for intermediate flight and weapons training.The aircraft used by the team are painted in a "day-glo orange" and white color scheme with the aging of Kiran aircraft, the HJT-36 Sitara aircraft has been developed as a replacement
The nine aircrafts take off in a victory formation of three and join up in close formation monoevuring between speed of 150 and 650 kmps with their wing tips a mere five meter apart The team has displayed at a number of places across India Some of the notable displays, which the team has undertaken, have been the Aero India 1996, Aero India 1998 and Aero India 2001.The team performed abroad for the first time at Colombo,Srilanka to mark 50th Anniversary Celebrations of their Air Force. Proud of the Indian Air Force and The nation!
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