Once in the crowd, now in the cockpit: Pilot from city flies Surya Kiran at Aero India 2025

Bengaluru: Wing Commander Arjun K Patel from Jayamahal, Bengaluru, will be among the nine Surya Kiran pilots showcasing their aerobatic skills at Aero India 2025 on Monday.

The 39-year-old, who joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2004, has logged over 2,100 hours of flying experience.

As part of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), he will take up the Surya Kiran-5 (left outer) position during the display.

Patel has flown some of the most formidable fighter jets, including the Soviet-origin MiG-21 and MiG-27, and has also mastered the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

Beyond aerobatics, he is a qualified flying instructor, an instrument rating instructor, and examiner, and is certified to perform single-aircraft low-level aerobatics on the Pilatus PC-7 and Tejas Mk 2.

A defence source said Patel’s passion for fighter aircraft was ignited by his parents, who took him to his first Aero India shows in 1998. Inspired by the experience, he pursued his dream of becoming a fighter pilot.

After completing his military training at NDA Khadakwasla, Patel was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) upon finishing his flying training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, near Hyderabad.

Following a rigorous selection process, he earned a spot in the elite SKAT, where only the best Formation Aerobatic Display pilots qualify.

Born in 1986 in Bengaluru, Patel studied at Presidency School, RT Nagar, and St Joseph's Pre-University College.