CHENNAI: A total of 72 aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force enthralled a huge crowd which gathered on the Marina on Sunday with acrobatic stunts as part of the spectacular airshow commemorating the 92nd IAF Day.
According to a defence source, over 15 lakh people witnessed the airshow.
Some of the aircraft that performed the aerobatic manoeuvres were Chetak helicopters, Tejas, Rafale and Jaguar jets and Harvard aircraft, among others. The aircraft performed vertical charlies, victory and barrel rolls, radius turns, red eye turns and loop tumbles.
One among the spectators, K Preethi of Tambaram said, “Both my kids loved the show, especially when the acrobat team called Surya Kiran performed those stunts. My kids were on their feet, shouting and cheering.”
One of the interesting aspects of the show was when a few pilots spoke to the audience from inside the cockpit through their connection with the ground commentary team. Some pilots who tried to speak in Tamil drew the loudest cheers from the crowd.
S Kiran (23), a college student, who came to the show with friends wearing uniform of an aviation college, said, “All of us are very much interested in aircraft and on how they work. We loved every minute of the show.”
An announcement made at the venue said the show could enter the Limca Book of Records with almost 15 lakh people watching it. The last time the airshow was held at the Marina was in 2003.