Saturday, April 02, 2022

Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team At The Dubai Airshow

The Indian Air Force's air display team performing at the Dubai Air Show, last year.
With a proper crop, these would make for some sublime wallpapers for the PC or mobile home-screen.
Surya Kiran - SKAT - Indian Air Force - IAF - 01
Surya Kiran - SKAT - Indian Air Force - IAF - 02
Surya Kiran - SKAT - Indian Air Force - IAF - 03
Surya Kiran - SKAT - Indian Air Force - IAF - 04
The Surya Kiran team, flying a British Aircraft, only partially fulfils objectives. A demonstration team entertains onlookers, performing maneuvers, that showcases capabilities of the aircraft. The Chinese Ba Yi Aerobatics Team fly the J-10, the Russian Knights entice with the Sukhoi Su-27, the Frecce Tricolori brings out the Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN's capability, while Canadian Snowbirds proudly demonstrate the vintage home-built CT-114 Tutors, whose manufacturer has long ceased to exist. A country's aircraft building prowess, these air shows serve to give platform to.
A better proposition, to have a Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team [SKAT] demoing the Light Combat Aircraft [LCA] Tejas. Over the past few years, it's manufacturer-designer HAL-ADA team are making it a point to showcase the aircraft in all major air-shows, seeking to evince interest of International Air Forces. At a certain point, few years ago, it also pitched it to meet USN's Undergraduate Jet Training System acquisition programme. However, the low-cost, low-capability requirement of the spec sheet, made the LCA an overkill, coupled with commonality that the eventual winner, the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk offered, given that the USAF already operates it. AustraliaEgypt & Sri Lanka have also received pitches, with it officially being in contention in Malaysia.
MiG-27M 'Flogger' Upgrade - Russia - MAKS 2019 - 01
Till the time a full-fledged team is formed, a HAL-owned Tejas airframe, painted in a suitably eye-catching scheme, giving public demonstrations would make for a much more visually appealing sight. The Blue Skies podcast has done a series, doing a deep-dive into the development of the Tejas. Has interviewed the who's-who of the flight test team, to give an in-depth view. Highly worthy of listening to gain a fine understanding.
Godspeed