The Surya Kiran team painted the sky with the colours of the national flag, prompting applause and salutes from the crowd below. The Indian Air Force’s renowned Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team is among the very few nine-aircraft aerobatics teams in the world, and the only one in Asia.
The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) ‘Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team’ (SKAT) painted the skies above the Namkum Army Ground in Jharkhand’s Ranchi with vibrant streaks of saffron, white and green, leaving thousands of spectators spellbound on the final day of an air show on Sunday (April 20).
Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Sanjay Seth, senior defence and administrative officials were present at the event. Sanjay Seth commended the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team for their performance at the air show held in Ranchi. The event, attended by residents and officials, featured close formation flying and a display of the Indian tricolour in the sky. Speaking to media, Mos Defence Seth said, “Miraculous, unbelievable, unimaginable. First of all, I would like to salute the brave pilots of Surya Kiran… Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, our defence sector has become innovative, self-reliant, and stronger. People here were saluting our pride and honour, the Indian tricolour in the sky.”
IAF’s air show was a ‘milestone’: Sanjay Seth
“This air show was a milestone. We hope that we get to see another such amazing sight in September. Yesterday we missed three planes because they were damaged due to a hailstorm the day before yesterday… This is the new India. The new India roars. It does not turn its back, does not lower its eyes, does not spread its hands. This is PM Narendra Modi’s new India, which looks into the eyes of the strongest nations of the world,” he added.
IAF’s air show in Ranchi
The two-day air show began on Saturday (April 19) in Ranchi, aimed at instilling passion among children and the youth to fly high. A large number of people, school students and tourists gathered at the army ground here since early morning on Sunday to experience the air show.
The air show drew a large number of spectators, who watched as the fighter jets flew in synchronised patterns, maintaining a height as low as 100 feet during some phases. The spectators were mesmerised to witness swooping, spinning, and slicing of jets through the sky and Surya Kiran pilots exhibiting various patterns, barrel rolls, and heart-shaped formations.
On Saturday, only six aircraft participated in the air show, while three jets were partially damaged due to rain and hailstorms in Ranchi on Friday (April 18).
What is Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team?
The SKAT, formed in 1996, has performed over 700 such shows across India and the world, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Singapore and the UAE. Known for its motto ‘Sadaiva Sarvottam’ (Always the Best), the team’s air show is part of the IAF’s outreach programme to inspire the youth and raise awareness about the forces.
This one-of-a-kind team has carried out several displays in India. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, popularly known as SKAT, inherits the motto “Sadaiva Sarvottam” with ease, aptly describing the adage “Always the Best”.
The Air Show was organised as part of the IAF’s outreach programme and to spread awareness about the Armed Forces and to inspire the youth of the country to join the Armed Forces. Such an event will also be organised in Bihar’s Patna on April 22-23.
