Aero India 2021: Teams practised for two months

Surya Kiran, IAF’s aircraft aerobatics team, was as much at ease as Sarang, the helicopter flying display team, as they performed a jugalbandi of sorts, leaving jaws dropping and mouths agape. There was a sombre note to Team Surya Kiran’s manoeuvres as their nine aircraft wove a symphony in the sky with four helicopters of Sarang. After all it was this venue that one of their wing commanders was killed during a rehearsal.
In a candid interaction with TOI, Group Captain Anoop Singh VM, Commanding Officer and Team Leader of Surya Kiran, and Sarang’s Wing commander Girish Komar explained how the integration plan rolled out.
“We got the message from one of our superiors whether we can perform together. As per my knowledge, no one in the world has tried this ever before with 13 fliers, both planes and choppers, hitting the sky at the same time. We were keen to take up the task. Members of both display teams brainstormed a lot before we said yes. We practised for at least two months and here we are. We wanted to know the public reaction and decide the future of the integration,” explained Anoop.
He admitted the 2019 tragedy that claimed the life of Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi shattered them. “But we stood with each other and said the show must go on,” he said.
Girish said: “This is really challenging and thrilling. Surya Kiran flies at an average speed of 450-700km during flying display while Sarang’s average speed is 140-160km. We needed a lot of co-ordination and practice before execution.”