Tuesday will mark a new record for the Surya Kiran Aerobatics team of the Indian Air Force as it will be the 500th public display for the team since its formation in 1996.
On Sunday, the team was busy rehearsing for the upcoming display schedule during Aero India 2017, which will see pilots performing daredevil stunts in their new BAE Hawk aircraft. “Aero India is always a favourite venue for us as we love to perform before a domestic audience. Our team is always thrilled to perform here,” said Wing Commander Ajit Kulkarni, Commanding Officer of the Surya Kiran team.
Speaking to The Hindu about the new aircraft and its capabilities, he said the new Hawks were capable of flying at much faster speeds than the Kiran Mk II aircraft, which was used by the team in 2011.
While the Kiran Mk II was capable of maximum speed of up to 450 kmph, the new and more agile Hawk aircraft are pushed up to 650 kmph by the pilots during their formation flying and aerobatics displays. In close formation flying, the wing tips will be only 4-5 metres apart and the planes will be hurtling through the air at a minimum speed of 222 kmph. For the team, the journey since inception of the Hawks in 2015 has been an uphill one with only three members of the original Surya Kiran team being part of the new team. “Three more Squadron Leaders joined us in 2015 and last year we have recruited five more. We plan to increase the number of aircraft to nine by the end of this year,” Wing Commander Kulkarni said.
No smoke trails this year
The Surya Kiran team will be performing with six aircraft this year at Aero India, but spectators will have to watch them with eagle eyes as the planes will not have smoke installations. The Hawk aircraft being used by the team are yet to be kitted for burning smoke oil, according to sources.
As a result, though the team will be performing some of their signature moves, it may be difficult to spot them in the sky as they will be moving at speeds far exceeding the previous Kiran Mk II aircraft’s maximum speeds without the tell tale trail of smoke.
The Hawks, which were pulled out of active service in 2015 and given to the team, will have to undergo airframe modifications to incorporate the smoke machines. This is reportedly being carried out by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) but has not been completed yet.
According to experts, smoke trails, besides being aesthetically pleasing, also play an important role in the safety procedures of the pilots as it helps them locate team members in the sky besides providing visual cues of the movement of the aircraft during manoeuvres.
