Ashok Nirwan reports about the full-dress rehearsal of the 88th Indian Air Force Day parade
The 88th Indian Air Force Day will be celebrated today at the Hindon Airways campus adjacent to the country’s capital, New Delhi. On Tuesday, the Airbase saw a full-dress rehearsal for the parade, which showcased the courage and might of our air men and women.
The programme was inaugurated by the Milky Way Team by jumping from AN-32 to a height of 8,000 feet by parachute. Post this, the commanders started the parade ground to the tune of Saare Jahan Se Achcha Hindostan Hamara. Battle ships flew past. The state-of-the-art fighter Vimal Rafael from France joined the show for the first time. The audience could see the Rafael tearing the sky.
Next came the Chinook, post which, in the blink of an eye, five Apache helicopters were seen. The spectators at the parade ground were delighted to see the Chinook and the Apache, which is the world’s most dangerous combat helicopter. The Hercules C17 Globe Master Mirage 2000 and Jaguar represented the strength. The Swadeshi Tejas staged a long walk above the parade ground. Meanwhile, the audience heard a roar from the Rafael and the spectators were lifted from their seats and were forced to stare the bright sky at once.
Seeing the aerobatics of the indigenous aircraft Tejas certainly became a moment of pride. When the Tejas passed over the parade ground from 125 mph in slow motion, the spectators were stunned. At the end of the air show, which lasted for 40 minutes, the audience was stunned as the Suryakiran aerobatics team made a perfect 88 in the air, marking the 88th Air Force Day!