Air display in Prayagraj: IAF aircrafts on practice runs mesmerise locals, visitors
The aircraft were visible from Arail Ghat, Sangam, Jhunsi side of Sangam and Shastri Bridge where passersby and locals stopped spellbound to view the spectacle.
City residents and visitors at Sangam and surrounding areas were bedazzled by array of Indian Air Force aircrafts including fighter jets and choppers as they soared past over the holy confluence of Ganga and the Yamuna with deafening sound on Wednesday afternoon.
The sorties were part of the practice run by the aircraft for the scheduled air display on October 8 to commemorate the 91st anniversary of IAF.
The impressive display of fighter jets like SU-30, Rafale to light combat aircraft Tejas besides C-130J Super Hercules as well as the well-known team of Sarang, the helicopter air display team of the IAF that flies four modified HAL Dhruv helicopters left the onlookers completely mesmerised.
The aircraft were visible from Arail Ghat, Sangam, Jhunsi side of Sangam and Shastri Bridge where passersby and locals stopped spellbound to view the spectacle.
To make this air display possible, a whopping over 100 aircrafts including Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi, MIG-29, C-103 besides Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chinook, Apache, and Mi 17 would be taking off from various air bases of Central Air Command including Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Gwalior and Prayagraj among others and then take part in the coordinated air display—a complex process requiring to-the-second precision, for which these practice runs are taking place.
“These aircraft, including the fighters and choppers, will continue to do their practice sessions everyday which will give the locals an idea of the might of IAF. Finally, the people will be able to watch the full-dress rehearsal of the air show on October 6 and the air display on October 8,” said defence PRO, Gp Capt Samir Gangakhedkar.
Grand Air Force Day Debut by C-295
The recently inducted C-295 transport plane will make its debut at the Air Force Day on October 8 over Sangam. This new military transport aircraft joined the 11 Squadron in September 2023, and will replace the old Avros-748 planes used by the IAF. The first tranche of 16 C-295 will be made in Seville, Spain, with the second one expected to arrive in May 2024. The remaining 14 aircraft will come one per month until August 2025. To boost India’s defence manufacturing, the other 40 C-295 from the IAF order will be made and assembled in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in India for which a Final Assembly Line (FAL) is being set up in Vadodara.
Last air display of MiG-21
The legendary MiG-21 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will fly for the last time in any air-display. The process of gradually retiring these Russian-made jets from the air force has already commenced. The MiG-21 was introduced into the IAF in the 1960s. Currently, only three operational MiG-21 squadrons exist within the IAF, and all of them are scheduled to be phased out by early 2025. The air display would witness a formal send-off to these fighter aircrafts over Sangam with their last ever flight in an air display. These aircraft have demonstrated their effectiveness in several of India’s past wars. During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the MiG-21s (Type 77 variant) played a significant role in tilting the war in India’s favour. The MiG-21 was also a key asset for the IAF in the 1965 war and the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.
Vintage aircrafts to take part
In addition to its new fighter and transport aircraft, the IAF will also be showcasing its vintage aircraft at the parade including Tiger Moth HU-512 and Harvard Trainer HT-291. The two vintage aircraft which have been fully restored will operate in the Luv and Kush formations over the Sangam area in Prayagraj. The Harvard trainer part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Vintage Flight, one of only a handful such units that fly vintage military aeroplanes, anywhere in the world.