Air Show 2007

First of all the word Air Force Ignites me. It rushes me Adrenalin..

since I am in Bangalore, and lucky that India Air show was happening in Feb 2007.

I had just came back from my hometown (Rajkot, Gujarat) and sunday was the last day of this show. We decided on saturday to go on sunday to watch air show. dhimant and ashish had went to forum to buy gifts for their fiancee so we told them tickets are available in forum buy it from there. But tickets were over. soon we went to find tickets to Canara Bank in Indiranagar branch but bank gets closed on saturday early, so it seemed we may not be able to make it. But then someone had told you can get it from the show directly so next morning we got up early and immediatly moved to Yehlanka Air Base.

Luckily we got the tickets but dhimant did not carry his camera as in newspaper they had written cameras are not allowed but most public had bought. As i wanted to have pic with air craft behind me that wish is still unfullfilled.

The show started with the parachutters of IAF jumping from Helicopters. A burning flame which emitted colourful smoke so the parachutters can identify the location where they need to ground themselves. The parachutters were in different colours mostly orange, white and green resembling the TriColor of India. Three parachutters having colors of tricolor did a maneovre like each one on top of another to display the tricolour which was well applauded by the crowd.

The show then started with sorties carried out by f-16 jets by leaving for take off and waving
to the crowd by the pilot. The f-16 jet carried out various manovres. It was followed by other jets like the Gripen jet which looked bit strange but did impressive roll overs. After while the Mig-29 came but I was mistaken to be it Sukhoi-30 MKI until the commentator announced it.

It was a hot day as people were sitting in full sun on chairs to have a good view of this jets rather than sitting the shade covered place quite behind. The excitement was catching up and people were cheering up all the maneovres carried out by various jets. It was time for helicopters to show their capability, why should they be behind the jets. it started with Military helicopters showing their strength by carrying jeeps and other big vehicles tied to it. Those vehicles were then ground and from the choppers came the NSG commandos from the rope and drove the vehicles in few seconds. The heavy helicopter Chinook showed its prowness by moving horizontally straight from its side(a normal heli would have to take right turn to move right), impressive. But most wonderful show among choppers was carried out by Sarang Team of ALH(Advance Light Helicopters) Dhruv which kept the spirits high by performing the aerobatics. A team of dhruv choppers with smokes coming out from them performed breath taking maneovrs like three from one side and other three from the opposite side performing scissor act and u feel they will crash into each other while some dhruvs pulled their nose vertically upwards upto some point and then coming down in speed, a sight which beholds you.

while the choppers left after peforming, we all were looking on the right side whats next? India's indigenously build LCA came from the left side with one wing painted in orange, another in green and body in white. It was flying upside down, when the commentator announced its LCA people shouted at their top most voice to see the indian bird dominating the skies. LCA showed its skills by flying low, vertical and other aerial maneovres. It was then the turn of lethal SU-30MKI which is the India's best Advance Figher jet in its arsenal. The su-30mki performed various maneovres like the famous cobra which can pull itself up like cobra while flying which raised eye brows for those who saw it first time. It could also move like free falling object as if you feel this has lost control but it is in control. I was also impressed by very heavy american transport aircraft which had many wheels. It could take off in a short runway considering its size! It could also move in reverse direction!!!

well just few hours remaining , my friend R was eating my head to go for home as he wanted to watch the cricket match between india and srilanka which was being played in my home town Rajkot. he wanted to see the panaromic view of our city from tv which watching the match. I told him, you have not seen the city before? but then gave to his demand and left for home as I had seen this performance last time. we reached home in 40 mins by taking short cuts also less traffic helped us reach early. well he just went directly to sleep instead of watching the match as his head started paining and irony is indian lost the match! anyways i will still describe the end part of the show heard from friends.

After watching the action all day, came the dessert. India's premier aerobatic team SuryaKiran performed the various aerobatics like diamond formation. Releasing tricolour smoke they perfomed in a group creating various themes in the skies like the famous valentine theme where they created a heart which was piereced by another suryakiran flight and public was enthralled and won the hearts of everyone over there . Without them performing it would have been incomplete event :-)

Well can't forget this exicted day as being an Avaition enthusiast, but got tired and thirsty at the end of it, but it was a worthful day by any means but only one regret, had we bought the camera it would have been much better to take the snaps of those flying beauties.