Surya Kiran Surya Kiran ( Sanskrit : सूर्य किरण " Sūrya Kiraṇ " - " Sun Rays " ) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force . The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team ( SKAT ) was formed in 1996 to serve as the " Ambassadors of the Indian Air Force " and to " showcase the professionalism , the calibre and the mettle of the Indian Air Force " , The team has since performed numerous demonstrations in various parts of the country and abroad , and is today among the three renowned nine - aircraft public display aerobatic teams in the world ( the other two being the British Red Arrows and the Canadian Snowbirds ) . The squadron is primarily composed of the HAL HJT - 16 Kiran Mk . 2 military trainer aircraft and are based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka . Air Chief Marshall P . V . Naik said that Surya Kiran will upgrade to the BAE Hawk . History . The genesis of the ' Suryakiran Aerobatic Team ' ( SKAT ) can be traced back to 1982 , the golden jubilee year of the Indian Air Force , when ' The Thunderbolts ' , a nine aircraft aerobatic team was formed . The team flew Hawker Hunter aircraft ( Also flown by ' The Black Arrows ' of the Royal Air Force ) . The Thunderbolts gave their last public display in 1989 . In 1990 , the Hunters were phased out and replaced by HAL HJT - 16 Kiran Mk . 2 aircraft . In early 1996 , serious planning began for Aero India - 96 , the first major air show and aviation trade event ever hosted in India . The organisers ' initial intentions were to invite an aerobatic team from overseas . However , senior IAF officers were confident that the IAF would be able to field its own team . Thus , the Suryakiran team was formed in 1996 as a 6 - aircraft team , with Wg Cdr Kuldeep Malik VM , VSM , a former Thunderbolts member , as the first team leader . They gave their first display during the first Aero India in 1996 . By 1997 , the Suryakiran team had been expanded to 9 aircraft . The other Commanding Officers and Team Leaders of Suryakiran till date have been Wing Commander ( late ) AK Murgai VM , Wing Commander Amit Tiwari VM , Wing Commander S Prabahkaran VM , Wing Commander Sandeep Bansal VM , Wing Commander JT Kurien and Wing Commander Prajual Singh . AeroIndia 2011 ( February 9 , 2011 – 13 , 2011 ) was the last performance of SKAT using HJT - 16 Kiran Mk . 2 aircraft . As stated by Chief of Air Staff in October 2010 , the SKAT had started the conversion to the Hawk and this might take 2 to 3 years to complete . Aircraft . Suryakiran operates 16 HJT - 16 Kiran Mk . 2 trainer aircraft . The HJT - 16 MK . 2 is the basic armament trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force , and is used for intermediate flight and weapons training . The aircraft is also effective in reconnaissance and counter insurgency operations . The aircraft used by the team are painted in a " day - glo orange " and white colour scheme . A particular difficulty faced by the team was the side - by - side seating arrangement in the Kiran cockpits . The members flying to the left of the leader have to fly from the right seat , whereas the left seat is the master seat . Therefore some aircraft have been modified to fly solo from the right seat . In unmodified aircraft , the pilot flying on the left of the leader has to fly in two pilot configuration . The two inboard drop tanks of Suryakiran Kiran Mk . 2 aircraft have been modified to carry colour dye for generating smoke . Diesel is used for generating white smoke and coloured dye is mixed with diesel to generate coloured smoke . Because of the smoke modification , only the two outboard drop tanks can be used to carry fuel , which gives Suryakiran aircraft a maximum ferry range of 280 nm . For displays , Suryakiran aircraft fly only with two inboard drop tanks , which carry dye for smoke generation . The first public formation display was over Air Force Administrative College , Red Fields , Coimbatore during their Golden Jubilee in September 96 followed by Aero India 96 . In 2011 , all the aircraft of the team were re - deployed for pilot training duties due to the shortage of trainer aircraft and the SKAT was grounded . The IAF has ordered 20 more BAE Systems Hawk Mk . 132 aircraft for the Surya Kiran which are solely to be used for aerobatics display purposes . This will also help to give a modern feel to the team . Organization . The Surya Kiran team were conferred squadron status in 2006 , and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron , Air force ( " " The Sharks " " ) . The parent base for the SKAT is Bidar Air Force Station . The AOC of AFS Bidar serves as the guardian for the Squadron when it is at base or touring . AFS Bidar is one of the main training bases for IAF pilots , and operates numerous Kiran Mk . 2 aircraft and the IAF ' s new Hawk Trainer Aircraft . The available maintenance and repair infrastructure at Bidar suffices the maintenance requirements of the Suryakiran team . The team has four engineering officers who lead a team of air warriors posted to the unit . Personnel . The team has a total of 13 pilots of whom only 9 are flying at any given time . Pilots are selected twice a year for a three - year tour of duty . Only Fighter aircraft qualified pilots are selected . All pilots in the team are Qualified flying instructors ( QFI ' s ) with about 2 , 000 hours of fighter flying experience and 1 , 000 hours on the Kiran aircraft . The Team is headed by a Commanding Officer who is also the leader of the formation during display sorties . The Team Leader has the opportunity of selecting his future team pilots after subjecting them to grueling flight trials and tests . The present Team CO is Wg Cdr Prajual Singh , a Mig 29 pilot . Besides the pilots , the team has a Flight Commander , an Administrator and qualified Technical Officers . The Flight Commander is in charge of operational planning . The Administrator , apart from looking after administrative requirements of the Team , also provides the commentary during public displays . The Senior Engineering Officer ( the SEO or ‘ Spanner ’ ) , along with fifty technicians , has the task of maintaining and servicing the Team ’ s aircraft . In all technical aspects , the decision of the Senior Engineering Officer is the final word . Performance . On an average , the team performs over 30 shows a year , and flies three sorties a day during the training season and two a day whilst on aerobatics display . The nine aircraft take off in groups of three and join up in close formation , maneuvering between speeds of 150 to 650 km / h with their wing tips less than 5 metres apart . The maneuvers subject the pilots to alternating g - forces between + 6 to – 1 . 5 . The team has performed at all Aero India ' s to date , as well as during the International Fleet Review in Mumbai in February 2001 . It has also performed in various cities , right from South India , to Dal Lake in Srinagar , Kashmir . The team , under the leadership of Wing Commander Amit Tiwari , performed abroad for the first time in Colombo , Sri Lanka , to mark the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Sri Lankan Air Force . In February 2004 , Suryakiran led by Wing Commander S Prabahkaran enthralled audiences at the Asian Aerospace - 2004 air show in Singapore . The Team , under the command of Wing Commander S Bansal , made its debut in Malaysia in December 2007 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition ( LIMA ) 2007 from 04 Dec to 08 Dec , on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia ' s Independence . Whilst in Malaysia , the team also displayed at Subang airfield of Kuala Lumpur on 29 Nov 07 . On December 11 – 12 , 2007 The Indian Air Force Aerobatic Team " SURYA KIRAN " in coordination with the Royal Thai Air Force conducted a nine - aircraft Aerobatic display to commemorate the 80th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King of Thailand . This display was witnessed by the Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force . In November 2008 , the team was invited to participate in the Zhuhai Airshow , China . Suryakiran were the only foreign participants in this airshow . The Team displayed on all five days of the airshow . Their displays were highly appreciated by everyone . On the return from China , the team displayed in Laos as well . Accidents . A Suryakiran aircraft crashed while practicing on March 18 , 2006 near the Air Force Station , Bidar during a training sortie killing Wing Commander Dheeraj Bhatia and Squadron Leader Shailender Singh . Another crash of Surya Kiran aircraft happened on January 21 , 2009 . Wing Commander R . S . Dhaliwal VM ( 35 ) of the Indian Air Force was killed when the aircraft crashed in an open field at Bellura village close to the Air Force Station at 8 : 45 am on a routine practice sortie . . $