BENGALURU: The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, known for stealing a million hearts at Aero India in Bengaluru, will now be the showstopper at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat on Sunday afternoon before India takes on Australia in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The nine-aircraft team formed in 1996 will enthrall over 1,32,000 spectators at the stadium. “The team is all set to showcase its zeal and even take away the thunder with the aerial aerobatic display where the final match of ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 will be held,” said a pilot.
According to the BCCI, the aerobatic display will be held from 1.35pm to 1.50pm soon after the national anthem. It is for the first time the pilots are performing for a closed gathering.
“The thrill is not just the display, but the close synchronised formations that are done. The existing formations have been modified in such a manner that they will be visible to the audience sitting at the stadium as their visual bubble will be small compared to ones who see it at the air shows or from the runways. The team has specially trained in Bidar and at the location (stadium) for this adjusted for the visuals of the audience,” an IAF officer said.
All the sorties the Surya Kiran team is known for, including the barrel roll maneuver, victory formation and the missing man formation, will be showcased along with its signature -- tricolour and heart formations.