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25-796: Surya Kiran ( transl.  Rays of the Sun ) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force . The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and is a part of the No. 52 Squadron of the Indian Air Force. The team is based at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka and has performed numerous demonstrations. The squadron was initially composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft . The team

50-544: A complete aerobatic sequence for entertainment or competition. Aerobatic flying requires a broader set of piloting skills and exposes the aircraft to greater structural stress than for normal flight. In some countries, the pilot must wear a parachute when performing aerobatics. Aerobatic training enhances a pilot's ability to recover from unusual flight conditions, and thus is an element of many flight safety training programs for pilots. While many pilots fly aerobatics for recreation, some choose to fly in aerobatic competitions ,

75-473: A judged sport. In the early days of flying, some pilots used their aircraft as part of a flying circus to entertain. Maneuvers were flown for artistic reasons or to draw gasps from onlookers. In due course some of these maneuvers were found to allow aircraft to gain tactical advantage during aerial combat or dogfights between fighter aircraft. Aerobatic aircraft fall into two categories—specialist aerobatic, and aerobatic capable. Specialist designs such as

100-686: A selection process twice a year and are chosen to serve for a three-year period. Besides the pilots, the team has a Flight Commander , an administrator and technical officers tasked with the maintenance and servicing of the aircraft. On an average, the team performs about 30 shows a year, and flies three sorties a day during the training season and two a day whilst on aerobatics display. The modified planes use aerosols to create various flight designs and patterns. The aircraft fly at speeds ranging from 150 km/h (93 mph) to 600 km/h (370 mph) and can reach speeds of up to 1,100 km/h (680 mph) while performing manoeuvres. The maneuvers subject

125-632: Is due to the ability to limit blood pooling for positive g maneuvers, but it is generally accepted that +9 g for more than a few seconds will lead to loss of consciousness (also known as GLOC ). Aerobatics are most likely to be seen at public airshows in the form of stunt flying. Aerobatic competitions usually do not attract large crowds of spectators since the manoeuvers are flown at safe altitudes to avoid accidents. Air Force Administrative College College conducts following courses for in service officers: The College also conducts Meteorology branch related courses: This article about

150-659: The Farnborough Airshow in September 1957. Aerobatics are taught to military fighter pilots as a means of developing flying skills and for tactical use in combat. Many aerobatic manoeuvres were indeed developed in military conflicts, e.g. the Immelmann turn or Split S . Aerobatics and formation flying is not limited solely to fixed-wing aircraft; the British Army , Royal Navy , Spanish Air Force and

175-737: The ICC Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad . On 6 October 2024, the team performed in the 92nd anniversary celebrations of the Indian Air Force at Marina Beach in Chennai . Aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment, and sport. Additionally, some helicopters , such as

200-480: The Indian Air Force , among others, have helicopter display teams. All aerobatic manoeuvres demand training and practice to avoid accidents . Accidents due to aerobatic manoeuvres are very rare in competition aerobatics; most of them happen when performing formation flying or stunt flying at very low levels at airshows or air racing . Low-level aerobatics are extremely demanding and airshow pilots must demonstrate their ability before being allowed to gradually reduce

225-752: The King of Thailand . In November 2008, the team was invited to participate in the Zhuhai Airshow in China and the team displayed in Laos during its return. After resurrection in 2015, the team performed their first performance abroad in March 2021 for the 70th anniversary of the Sri Lankan Air Force, exactly 20 years after the team’s very first foreign tour. On 19 November 2023, the team performed during

250-534: The MBB Bo 105 , are capable of limited aerobatic manoeuvres . An example of a fully aerobatic helicopter, capable of performing loops and rolls, is the Westland Lynx . Most aerobatic manoeuvres involve rotation of the aircraft about its longitudinal (roll) axis or lateral (pitch) axis. Other maneuvers, such as a spin , displace the aircraft about its vertical (yaw) axis. Manoeuvres are often combined to form

275-727: The No. 52 Squadron of the Indian Air Force nicknamed the Sharks . After Aero India 2011, the Surya Kiran team was grounded because the Air Force faced a shortage of Kiran training aircraft. In February 2015, the Surya Kiran team was re-formed with the induction of the British BAe Hawk trainer aircraft under the command of then Wing Commander Ajit Kulkarni. The Surya Kiran team operated HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft from 1996 to 2011. In October 2015, an agreement

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300-940: The Pitts Special , the Extra 200 and 300 , and the Sukhoi Su-26 M and Sukhoi Su-29 aim for ultimate aerobatic performance. This comes at the expense of general purpose use such as touring, or ease of non aerobatic handling such as landing. At a more basic level, aerobatic capable aircraft, such as the Cessna 152 Aerobat or the R2160 Acrobin , can be dual purpose—equipped to carrying passengers and luggage, as well as being capable of basic aerobatic figures. Flight formation aerobatics are flown by teams of up to sixteen aircraft, although most teams fly between four and ten aircraft. Some are state funded to reflect pride in

325-412: The armed forces while others are commercially sponsored. Coloured smoke trails may be emitted to emphasise the patterns flown and/or the colours of a national flag. Aerobatic maneuvers flown in a jet-powered aircraft are limited in scope as they cannot take advantage of the gyroscopic forces that a propeller driven aircraft can exploit. Jet-powered aircraft also tend to fly much faster, which increases

350-442: The golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force in 1982, select fighter pilots from various squadrons were assigned to the No. 20 Squadron ( Lightnings ) to form an aerobatic team called The Thunderbolts . Flying nine blue and white colored Hunter aircraft, the team performed aerobatic displays till 1989. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and was based at Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka . The team and

375-647: The 50th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lankan Air Force in March 2001. The team has performed over 500 displays in more than 72 cities across India. The team has performed at an altitude of 5,436 ft (1,657 m) in Srinagar and over the seas which is challenging due to the water affecting depth perception. The team has also performed in various countries like China , Myanmar , Thailand , Malaysia , Laos and Singapore . The team has performed at multiple Aero India shows. In February 2004,

400-729: The Olympic games, and are governed by the FAI Aerobatics Commission (CIVA) Competitions start at Primary, or Graduate level (in UK "Beginners") and proceed in complexity through Sportsman (in UK "Standard"), Intermediate and Advanced, with Unlimited being the top competition level. Experienced aerobatic pilots have been measured to pull ±5 g for short periods while unlimited pilots can perform more extreme maneuvers and experience higher g levels -possibly up to +8/−6 g. The limits for positive g are higher than for negative g and this

425-434: The aircraft. Due to safety concerns, the smoke is not a result of combustion but is produced by the vaporization of fog oil into a fine aerosol , achieved either by injecting the oil into the hot engine exhaust or by the use of a dedicated device that can be fitted in any position on the aircraft. The first military aerobatic team to use smoke at will during displays was Fleet Air Arm 702 Squadron " The Black Cats " at

450-574: The command of Wing Commander A. K. Murgai, the team expanded to a nine-aircraft formation which was displayed in public for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations in Red Fort . The team became the first Air Force unit to be awarded the Chief of Air Staff Unit Citation, which it received on 8 October 2004. Effective 1 May 2006, the team was accorded a separate squadron, becoming

475-463: The height at which they may fly their show. In the EU, flying aerobatics requires special training and a rating. In Canada, no licence is required to perform aerobatics, but to carry passengers during aerobatics a pilot must have at least 10 hours dual flight instruction of aerobatic manoeuvres, or 20 hours of total aerobatic experience. Aerobatic flying competitions are a worldwide phenomenon, rather like

500-499: The pilots to alternating g-forces between +6 and –1.5. The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display with six aircraft for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996. In August 1998, the nine-aircraft formation was displayed in public for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi . The team gave its first performance abroad during

525-416: The size of the figures and the length of time the pilot has to withstand increased g-forces. Jet aerobatic teams often fly in formations, which further restricts the maneuvers that can be safely flown. Aerobatics done at low levels and for an audience is called "stunt flying". To enhance the show effect of aerobatic manoeuvres, smoke is sometimes generated; the smoke allows viewers to see the path travelled by

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550-821: The team performed at the Asian Aerospace air show in Singapore. The team performed in Malaysia in December 2007 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia's Independence. In December 2007, the team in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force conducted a nine-aircraft display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej ,

575-630: Was initially composed of HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft . The team was formed under Wing Commander Kuldeep Malik who had been a member of the Thunderbolts on the eve of Aero India 1996, the first aerospace defense exhibition. The team initially flew four aircraft before moving to six aircraft formation in May 1996. The Surya Kiran team performed their first public display for the golden jubilee celebrations of Air Force Administrative College at Coimbatore on 15 September 1996. In 1998, under

600-548: Was signed for the purchase of twenty BAE Systems Hawk Mk.132 aircraft fitted with smoke canisters dedicated to the aerobatics display role. The team has been utilizing the Hawk aircraft since 2015. The aircraft are painted in bright "day-glo" orange and white colour scheme . The inboard drop tanks of the aircraft are modified to carry color dye mixed with diesel fuel for generating colored smoke. The team has 13 pilots on roster of which nine fly at any given time. The pilots undergo

625-481: Was suspended in February 2011 and was re-established with BAE Hawk Mk.132 aircraft in 2015. In the late 1940s, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had a display flight squadron which carried out aerobatic displays on special occasions. The team flew Hawker Hunter aircraft and was led by Marshal Arjan Singh . The team led a flypast of more than hundred aircraft on the occasion of India's Independence day in 1947. During

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