THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For squadron leader P Allen George, it was an exhilarating feeling when he flew his Hawk Mk132 aircraft along with eight other fighter pilots at the aerobatic display of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) at Shankhumukham Beach. A native of Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam, Allen was the only Malayali pilot in the Surya Kiran team.
This was the first time Allen had done stunts on his home turf, and that too in front of his mother. Even though it was a bit cloudy and the presence of birds was a cause of concern, the Surya Kiran team put on quite a spectacle. After the aerobatic show, Allen was beaming when he met the reporters.
“When the aerobatic exercise was scheduled four months ago, I think I was the happiest of the lot. Who wouldn’t love to perform on their home turf, and that too in front of one’s mother? I have over 12 years of service in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Now, it’s one-and-a-half years since I joined the Surya Kiran team. The tenure here is for three years,” said Allen, who is a mechanical engineer graduate from Nagpur NIT.
A massive crowd had thronged the beach to witness the aerobatic stunts on Sunday morning. Surya Kiran team, popularly known as the Ambassadors of the IAF, has the distinction of being amongst a handful of nine aircraft formation aerobatic teams in the world.
The team was forced in 1996 and has been personifying the motto of the IAF - Touch the sky with glory - ever since. The team, led by group captain G S Dhillon, has completed more than 600 displays across the length and breadth of India and in foreign countries.