SURYAKIRANS
HISTORY ~
Formation Aerobatics has been a part of Indian Air Force aviation history ever since its nativity. Paucity of space prevents the exhaustive details of all those who have performed in Display Formation flying. The roots would trace down to even before 1964, when four Mysteres crowds over Delhi on Republic Day.
1982, 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. They performed through out the country and were subsequently commanded by Wg Cdr DK Dhige, Wg Cdr B Mukherjee and Wg Cdr TS Randhawa respectively.
The Hunters were eventually phased out and the indigenously manufactured Kiran MK Iis were tasked to stay in formation.Wg Cdr AR Nigam led the new team in 1990. Wg Cdr KK Vijay Kumar replaced him as the Team Leader and perfected a four aircraft team. In 1966 the team was christened ‘SURYAKIRAN’ and upgraded to a 6ac status under the command of Wg Cdr K Malik. 1997 saw late Wg Cdr Anil Murgai leading nine Kirank Mk Iis in formation and soon after, Wg Cdr A Tiwari included a two ac synchronised medley to complete the show to what it is today. Evolution does not stop here and new profiles with add-one are tried out frequently.
The nine aircraft take off in VICs of three and join up in close formation, manoeuvering between speeds of 150 and 650 Kmph with their wing tips a mere 5 metres apart. The various profiles undertaken are a series of dynamic combinations resulting in constantly changing formations. This subjects the pilots to alternating ‘g’ forces between +6 to –1.5. perfection comes only with practice and that is the reason why the team looks at each and every manoeuvre in detail on the ground. It is then flown and finally debriefed with the help of video recordings. Thus emerges the 15-20 min of aerial choreography of the pilots.
To perform all these hair raising manoeuvres requires tremendous concentration, grit and determination tot take the aircraft to the extremes of it’s envelope.
The team has successfully enthralled crowds from Srinagar down to Trivandrum and even beyond to Sri Lanka. On the romatic note the arrow through the heart carved out by Synchro pair virtually pierces the audience and is truly the icing on the cake.
So, if you want to feel the rush of dizzying excitement and the ‘josh’ of patriotic fervour, you have to see the team in action. For any enquires, brochures, stickers or request for displays, the team can be contacted at: Air Force Station Bidar Karnataka – 585401 Tele : 08482-26281/Extn 290
COMPOSITION ~
The team has a total of 13 pilots of whom only 9 are flying at any given time. The pilots are selected from the fighter stream of the IAF. Presently there are pilots with experience on the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG-23 and MiG-27. All are experienced QFIs with about 1000 hrs of experience on the Kiran itself. Besides the pilots the team has an administrator of Adm Branch and a Kiran qualified technical officer. The administrator, other than looking after administrative requirement of the team, also does the job of commentator during public displays. The Technical Officer, the ‘Spanner’, who, along with fifty accomplished technicians has the onerous task of maintaining and servicing the Team’s aircraft. What with three sorties a day during the training season and usually two a day whilst on display, it is a very demanding job. But between all the grease, diesel and grime a flash of that cocky smile is what comaraderie and Team spirit is all about!
The Members of Suryakirans so far have been ~
Wg Cdr Kuldip Malik VM, VSM (Team Leader)
Sqn Ldr BK Khorana
Sqn Ldr S Prabhakaran
Sqn Ldr AR Gore
Sqn Ldr KK Obheroi
Sqn Ldr N Kanitkar
Sqn Ldr PK Vohra
Sqn Ldr Tanmay Sharma
Sqn Ldr KP Kumar
Sqn Ldr KK Dubey
Sqn Ldr V Rangabhashayam
Wg Cdr(late) AK Murgai (Team Leader)
Sqn Ldr Sandeep Dang
Sqn Ldr Sandeep Bansal
Sqn Ldr Akshay Subbaramu
Sqn Ldr Vimal Bhatt
Sqn Ldr T Manesh Gopal
Sqn Ldr Vikram Rawat
Wg Cdr Amit Tiwari (Team Leader)
Sqn Ldr JT Kurein
Sqn Ldr Anil Gulrajani
Sqn Ldr Saneep Chhabra
Sqn Ldr Prabhat Kumar
Sqn Ldr Rajdeep Gill
Sqn Ldr Sanjay Khajuria
Sqn Ldr Sanjiv Sethi
DISPLAYS UNDERTAKEN ~
The Suryakiran Team exploits the potential of the Kiran Mk II ac to its limits. Formation flying with 2 ac is comparatively an easy task on this machine. 9ac Formation Aerobatics however, is an altogether different ballgame! Maintaining position requires excellent reflexes, anticipation and a whole lot of determination. Those are the qualities that bind the team together to produce the orchestrated manoeuvres which the audience witnesses.
The team in its present from is tasked to carry out 30 displays in a calendar year. The regular displays include Air Force Day Celebrations at Palam, and the graduation parades of the Air Force Academy and the National Defence Academy, where the future Officers of the services are trained.
Enlisted under are the displays undertaken by the team after it was formally named "Suryakirans".
AFAC Golden Jubilee Coimbatore Sep 66
Air Force Day Palam Oct 96
Aero India 96 Yelahanka Dec 96
Vijay Diwas Bidar Dec 96
AFA CGP AFA Dec 96
SAC Display Trifandrum Feb 97
FPD Pokharan Feb 97
NDA POP NDA May 97
AFA CGP AFA Jun 97
Golden Jubilee Flypast Red Fort Aug 97
Air Force Day Palam Oct 97
Golden Jubilee Ambala Oct 97
NDA POP NDA Dec 97
AFA CGP AFA Dec 97
Golden Jubilee Vizag Dec 97
Republic Day Parade Chennai Jan 98
Golden Jubilee Cochin Feb 98
FPD Pokharan Mar 98
Golden Jubilee Licknow Mar 98
Golden Jubilee Mumbai Apr 98
HQ SWAC Inauguration Gandhinagar May 98
NDA POP NDA Jun 98
AFA CGP AFA Jun 98
Independence Day Flypast Red Fort Aug 98
Air Force Day Palam Oct 98
Air Force Day Celebration Avantipur Oct 98
Air Force Day Celebration Srinagar Oct 98
Air Force Day Celebration Dal Lake Oct 98
Air Force Day Celebration Jodhpur Oct 98
Aero India 98 Yehlanka Dec 98
AFA CGP AFA Dec 98
NDA Golden Jubilee NDA Feb 99
FPD Pokharan Mar 99
HQ SAC Display Trivandrum Apr 99
NDA POP NDA Jun 99
Air Force Day Celebration Palam Oct 99
Air Force Day Celebration Jodhpur Oct 99
Air Force Day Celebration Nagpur Oct 99
AFA CGP AFA Dec 99
Barnes School Anniversary Deolali Jan 2000
NDA POP NDA May 2000
AFA CGP AFA Jun 2000
Kargil Diwas Chennai Jul 2000
AFS Bidar Bidar Sep 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Gwalior Sep 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Hindan Sep 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Palam Oct 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Chandigarh Oct 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Ambala Oct 2000
Air Force Day Celebration Agra Oct 2000
AFAC & 35 Sqn Colours Bareilly Oct 2000
AFS Bidar Bidar Nov 2000
AFS Sulur Sulur Nov 2000
NAS Venduruthy Kochi Nov 2000
AFS Pune Pune Nov 2000
NDA POP NDA Nov 2000
NAS Dega Vizag Dec 2000
AFA CGP AFA Dec 2000
Aero India 2001 Yehlanka Feb 01
International Fleet Review Mumbai Feb 01
50 Anniversary SLAF Colombo Mar 01
AFS Pune Pune May 01
AFA CGP AFA Jun 01
The team has displayed at a number of places across India. From the exhilarating chill of the Dal Lake, Srinagar where the tricolour was proudly streaked, to the sultry beaches of Trivendrum the Team has done more than sixty displays. 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. In all these displays the aim has always been the same… perfect and professional flying, which is the epitome of the IAF’s ethics, and to ensure that the people watching are proud. Proud of the Indian Air Force and …. The nation!
