IAF's Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) showcases aerobatic skills during the inauguration of the 15th edition of Aero India 2025 at Yelahanka Airbase, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Monday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: From roaring jets and skydiving daredevils to the lightning-like Surya Kirans, the 15th Aero India, considered the largest till date, opened on Monday at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru.
The five-day biennial premier show will be open for public on February 13 and 14.
With over 900 exhibitors, the largest Aero India show till date, opened at the Yelahanka Air Force Station with jaw-dropping inaugural show aerial maneouvres setting the tone for the rest of the show.
Beginning with the IAF’s skydiving team jumping off the AN-32, followed by three Mi-17 helicopters ‘Dhwaj’ which carried the Indian national flag, the Indian Air Force flag, and the Aero India flag, the Asia’s biggest air show had everyone cheering, clapping and capturing every second on their phones.
An AN-32 flanked by two Dorniers, piloted by a women trio, sliced the air in a Drona formation. This was followed by indigenous LCA Mk1A that flew in a ‘finger four’ formation, Indian Navy platforms, and a C130J flanked by two C295 in a ‘Saarthi’ formation that looked majestic.
An all-women fighter pilot crew comprising one Rafale and two Su-30MKI planes put up an impressive performance, forming the ‘Shakti formation’, which was followed by a three-member team flying Su-30MKI shortly afterward in a ‘Trishul’ formation.
After the inauguration, HAL’s Hindustan Turbo Trainer- 40 performed the horizontal figure of 8, drawing the audience’s attention. Flying at over 700 km/h, HAL’s iconic HJT-36, Intermediate Jet Trainer also displayed its capabilities by performing a loop and a left wing-over manoeuvre used for simulated weapon release.
Moving at speeds over 900 km/h were the Su-30 MKI twin-seat twin-engine multirole jets that wowed the audience with the loop-tumble-yaw super manoeuvre, one of the only few planes that can pull off the complex move. It also “sliced” the skies, performing successive rolls, shocking the audience. The display also featured a silent, low altitude flyby and a flying backwards manoeuvre.
Surya Kiran team performed loops, victory ‘V’ formation, a helix formation and the famous heart, ending with tricolour smoke.
Deafening practice sessions continued much after the inaugural aerial display, with the HAL Tejas thundering through the skies in multiple manoeuvres. In a possible first instance across the world, both the Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 and the United States’ F-35 participated in flypast manoeuvres in the afternoon, much to the awe of onlookers.