Surya Kiran team paints Patna skies in tricolour, win hearts with heart formation
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Patna: Amid the roar of jet engines and gasps of an enthused audience, the nine-aircraft
Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team
(SKAT) of
Indian Air Force
(IAF) painted the Patna skies in tricolour on Wednesday on the occasion of
Shaurya Diwas
, celebrated in honour of 1857 hero Babu
Veer Kunwar Singh
.
After leaving trails of saffron, white and green on the skyline above JP Ganga Path, the aerobatics team also painted the skies with a huge "heart and cupid" formation, symbolising their respect for Veer Kunwar Singh — who defeated the British in 1857 at the age of 80 years — and love for the residents.
The IAF's Akash Ganga skydiving team, however, did not perform on the day due to some technical glitches, said BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudi, who was present on the occasion.
Each of the manoeuvres showcased by the highly-skilled aerobatics team received resounding applause from the excited audience comprising people from all age groups and sections of society. The team impressed the gathering with awe-inspiring formation sets, including most famous 360-degree movement display by the planes, sudden diving and moving in different directions, reassembling in one row from different directions, and the disciplined and perfect synchronisation of the jets for 'A' formation.
It was a splendid moment when the SKAT jets left the tricolour trails behind up in the sky amid cheers of the audience and a patriotic fervour. And when the nine fighter jets formed the heart shape around the end of the air show, they truly won the hearts of the residents, many also witnessing the splendour from the rooftops of their building in nearby areas.
Kanwal Jeet Sandhu from SKAT, who was doing a live commentary of the performances, explained the aerobatic displays and manoeuvrings of the fighter jets in easily comprehensible terms for the audience. She was soon joined by BJP MP Rudi.
Wing Commander Arjun Patel, who is part of the SKAT, said the aerobatics team, unique in the world and only one of its kind in Asia, was known as the "ambassador of IAF". "The air shows were organised in various cities across the country in order to display the might of the IAF, and also encourage and motivate youngsters to join the armed forces," he said, expressing happiness on witnessing the huge over-joyed Patna crowd. "We were equally excited to perform in front of such an enthusiastic and appreciative gathering."
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