Surya Kiran
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| Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) | |
|---|---|
 The Surya Kiran team performing at Aero India, Bangalore. |
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| Active | 1996- Present |
| Country |  India |
| Branch | Indian Air Force |
| Role | Aerobatic Display |
| Size | 12 Aircraft - 9 in flying display. |
| Part of | 52 Squadron, IAF ("The Sharks") |
| Garrison/HQ | Bidar Air Force Station |
| Motto | सदैव सर्वोत्तम - "Sadeva Sarvottama" (Sanskrit: "Always the Best")[1] |
| Colors | "day-glo orange" and white. |
| Equipment | HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft. HJT-36 Sitara to be used in future |
| Decorations | Chief of Air Staff Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Wg Cdr JT Kurien |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 The Surya Kiran Team Patch |
Surya Kiran (Sanskrit: सूर्य किरण - Sun Rays) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force, 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 and abroad, and is today among the three renowned nine aircraft aerobatic teams in the world.
The squadron is primarily composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military trainer aircraft and are based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka.
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[edit] History
The genesis of the 'Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team' (SKAT) can be traced back to 1982, the golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force, when 'The Thunderbolts', a nine aircraft aerobatic team was formed. The team flew Hawker Hunter 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 HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 aircraft.
In early 1996, serious planning began for Aero India-96, the first major air show and aviation trade event ever hosted in India. The organizer's initial intentions was 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, a former Thunderbolts member as the first team leader. They gave their first display during the first Aero India in 1996. By 1997, the Kiran team had been expanded to 9 aircraft.
[edit] Aircraft
The Suryakirans operate 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 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.
A particular difficulty faced by the team was the side-by-side seating arrangement in the Kiran cockpits.[1] The members flying to the left of the leader had to fly from the right seat. However, the master seat of the aircraft was the left seat. Therefore, per force these pilots had to fly dual with another pilot sitting on the left seat to operate some of the controls like the undercarriage, flaps, radio set and the canopy.
With the ageing of Kiran aircraft, the HJT-36 Sitara aircraft has been developed as a replacement. The aircraft first flew in 2003, and is planned to be inducted into service by 2009. The first orders for the aircraft by the Indian Air Force was for 16 HJT-36 that will replace the HJT-16s of the Surya Kiran team.
[edit] Organization
The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006, and have and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron, Air force ("The Sharks").[1] The parent base for the SKAT is Air Force Station, Bidar. 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.1A and Mk.2 aircraft. The IAF's new Hawk Trainer Aircraft will also be based in Bidar.
The available maintenance and repair infrastructure at Bidar suffices the maintenance requirements of the Suryakiran team. The head of the maintenance organization at AFS Bidar is the Chief Engineering Officer, who is directly responsible to the Air Officer Commanding, AFS Bidar. The CEO selects the maintenance crew for the Suryakiran team.
[edit] 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 qualified pilots are selected. All pilots in the team are Qualified flying instructors (QFI's) with around 2000hrs of fighter flying experience and 1000 hrs 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 Sandeep Bansal (A2 QFI), a veteran Mirage 2000 pilot.
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.
[edit] 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-forces between +6 to –1.5.[2]
The team has performed at all Aero India's to date, as well as during the International Fleet Review in Mumbai in February 2001. It has also performed in various cities, right from South India, to Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir. The team performed abroad for the first time in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to mark 50th Anniversary Celebrations of their Air Force. In February 2004, it enthralled audiences at Asian Aerospace-2004 air show in Singapore. The team will also be making its debut appearance in Malaysia in December 2007 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2007, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia's Independence.[3] On December 11 – 12, 2007 The Indian Air Force Aerobatic Team "SURYA KIRAN" in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force will conduct a nine-aircraft Aerobatic display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King of Thailand.[4]
[edit] Trivia
- The present Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Bidar is Air Cmde Ramesh Rai VM.
- One of the most popular maneuvers is the "heart-in-the-sky" routine, where two aircraft cross each other and create a vertical heart while the third streaks across, drawing an arrow across the heart. This maneuver debuted in Aero India-2003, and was added as a Valentine's Day special. Due to its popularity, the team has continued to perform this manoeuvre.
[edit] Gallery
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 Heart In the Sky with a Red arrow through it and the Sun in between. |
 Closeup of a Surya Kiran HAL Kiran aircraft on the Tarmac at Bangalore during Aero India-2007. Note the two wing-mounted smoke generators. Photo by Premshree Pillai. |
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Suryakiran page on Bharat Rakshak
- ^ Indian Air Force webpage for the Surya Kirans
- ^ "India's Suryakirans Aerobatic Team To Perform At LIMA 2007", Bernama.com, Malaysian National News Agency, 27 November 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
- ^ "Celebrations Galore on the Auspicious occasion of His Majesty's 80th Birth Anniversary", Thaindian.com, Portal for Indians in Thailand, 5 December 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
[edit] External 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
[edit] News:
- "India's Suryakirans Aerobatic Team To Perform At LIMA 2007", Bernama.com, Malaysian National News Agency, 27 November 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-28. "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 colours of courage
[edit] Images:
- Suryakiran at Aero India 2007
- Synchro-cross
- IAF picture gallery
- IAF Surya Kiran
- Image in Samachar India
- SKAT duo - image form KenSekhon.ca gallery
[edit] Videos:
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