AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 7 – Panorama CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 273 of 332 "Suryakiran" - Rays of the Sun (in Sanskrit), is the formation Aerobatic Team of the IAF Air base in Bidar. Raised in 1996 on the Kiran Mk II ac, the team enthralled spectators in India and abroad till 2011. In 2015 the team was resurrected on the Hawk Mk 132 aircraft. Since resurrection, the team has slowly yet steadily built up from a 4ac formation to the current graceful 9ac composite formation followed by the heart stopping synchro manoeuvring. In just over 4 years, the team has come a long way and determined to live up to the legacy of the Suryakiran name. The team currently is procuring and integrating the smoke pods so as to live up to its erstwhile glory and trail the tricolour over the skies throughout the world. The team currently has 13 pilots and is led by Gp Capt Anoop Singh. All of the pilots are Qualified Flying Instructors and belong to the fighter stream of the IAF and are specially selected. They all have a high level of experience and proficiency on various frontline fighter aircraft. The Suryakiran team has carried out over 600 display all around the country and represented the country in various countries in South East Asia and China.