Aero Show 2011: Living life on the edge everyday says Suryakiran team

Members of the Suryakiran team, Indian Air Force's elite aerobatics squad, today highlighted the attributes that went into the making of a Suryakiran pilot.

"To be a Suryakiran pilot you need to have the courage of a bull fighter, the steady nerves of a surgeon and the spirit of a braveheart", said wing commander Prajual Singh, team leader and commanding officer of the squad, performing at the ongoing Aero India show.

"Most of us are in the team because we love the thrill and the sheer adventure it offers", Singh said.

The team has mesmerismed onlookers with their risky, crisp and stunning mid-air complex manoeuvres at the show.

"Knowledge of the aircraft, maturity to take the right decision and discipline are the three basic traits required", said Singh, whose team's mid-air stunts like criss-crossing in the skies, rolling the metal bird on its belly and looping around, has come in for accolades.

"Alertness and precision required for conducting an aerobatic display, requires continuous practice", said wing commander Deepak Setia. "It is only practice that makes us perfect", said Singh echoing Setia's views.

The rigorous practice includes flying two sorties a day every day and more than an hour in the cockpit, apart from daily briefings before and after the sortie. It also includes a medical fitness test daily.

The team members admit they live life on the edge everyday, but no one is really complaining. Every member has a tenure of three years in the team.

The team, which flies nine aircraft in various formations, says once selected to be a part of the elite team, the new member had to go through 60 sorties of 25 flying hours to graduate from one aircraft formation to two, three and later nine aircraft formation.

Any of the IAF pilots keen to be a member of the team were required to apply and were put through a series of tests, before being selected. The team currently has 13 members, nine of which peform at any given time.

Though the current team loves Kiran Mk.2 trainer aircraft they perform in, the team said the IJT trainer is also something they would like try their hands on.

The crux is understanding the limits of the aircraft when performing mid-air manoeuvres, a member said.

Display at different regions and climatic conditions demands different kind of practice and training, Singh said.

The Suryakiran team, which were conferred squadron status in 2006, and presently have the designation of 52 Squadron, Air force ("The Sharks"), perform at nearly 30 shows a year.

"We are the best" choruses the team when asked to rank the top ranked team in the aerobatic space.