The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to perform a spectacular show in the skies of Guwahati on September 27.
The event will take place at the Lachit Ghat in Assam’s Guwahati on September 27 at 10 am.
The Suryakiran aerobatic team is popularly known as the Ambassadors of the IAF.
Currently, the team is at the Tezpur Air Force station. Notably, Wing Commander Rupam Bardoloi, hailing from Guwahati is also in the squadron.
Suryakiran is an aerobatics demonstration team of the IAF. The SKAT was formed in 1996 and is a part of the 52nd Squadron of the IAF.
The team is uniquely categorized because of being one of the few nine aircraft formation Aerobatic teams in the world.
The team has since performed numerous demonstrations usually with nine aircraft. The squadron was composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military trainer aircraft till 2011 and was based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka. The team was suspended in February 2011 and was re-established with Hawk Mk-132 aircraft in 2017.
British Aerospace designed the Hawk Mk132 and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited manufactures them in India.
On September 18, the team left the residence of Puri with a mesmerizing air show at Blue Flag Beach in the holy city. A fleet of nine aircraft hovered over the Puri skies performed the airshow.
As many as nine pilots performed some attractive formations like flying inverted, diving and climbing in an aerial ballet by the aircraft for over 25 minutes.
A sea of crowds thronged Blue Flag Beach to witness the daredevilry by the IAF team. Streaking through the blue skies with blazing contrails just 500 feet above the ground, the aerobatic team executed a series of loops, barrel rolls and other breathtaking aerial manoeuvres.
