Air Force Day celebrations win heart through ‘Saarang’ display

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force on Saturday celebrated its 84th anniversary at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. And theVayu Sena, knows how to put on a show for its birthday.

Part of the programme was a bravura display of ‘aerobatic’ skill offered by a team of helicopters called ‘Saarang.’ There are four choppers in the team, and they broke formation majestically as A R Rahman’s ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam,’ played in the background. One of them rose at a perpendicular angle to the ground, and – in a heart-stopping twist – turned around to swoop nose-first towards the ground.

The Saarang team is well-known for its aerobatic performances. But in June 2013, the team was in the news for something other than their magnificent display flying. After receiving an emergency summons, they abandoned their practice sessions at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana, to rush to disaster-hit Uttarakhand, where they performed 140 sorties and rescued people stranded by floods.