Sarang display team

Sarang
Indian Air Force Helicopter Display Team
Sarang; Indian Air Force Helicopter Display Team
Active	October 2003 to Present
Country	India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Role	Aerobatic display team
Size	14 Officers ; 32 Airmen
Garrison/HQ	Sulur Air Force Station ; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Wg Cdr Hari Nair, Wg Cdr Shashank Misra, Wg Cdr M Benny Mathews, Wg Cdr Girish Komar
Insignia
Identification; symbol	File:Sarang-Patch.jpg
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	4 - HAL Dhruvs

Sarang (Sanskrit: सारंग, lit. 'peacock') is the helicopter air display team of the Indian Air Force that flies four modified HAL Dhruv helicopters, also known as Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The team was formed in October 2003 and their first performance was at the Asian Aerospace show, Singapore, in 2004.^[1] The name Sarang is symbolic; the peacock is the national bird of India. The unit was inducted as No. 151 Helicopter Unit in 2005 and was shifted from Yelahanka AFS, Bangalore to Sulur AFS, Coimbatore in 2009.^[2]

Performances

The first displays using the HAL Dhruv aircraft were at Aero India 2003 at Bangalore, led by Sqn Ldr Ajay Pathania. Later in 2003, the Sarang unit was formally organised as a three-helicopter display team. In 2004, the team started performing with four helicopters at the Singapore Air Show in 2004. The team performs regularly at Aero India, a biennial air show held at Yelahanka Air Force Station near Bangalore, and on Air Force Day, the anniversary of the Indian Air Force, at Hindon Air Force Base every 8 October. The unit also performed at Farnborough Airshow in 2008.

Incidents

In February 2007, the team had its first fatal accident when a Dhruv crashed at Yelahanka Air Force Station during a rehearsal before Aero India. Co-pilot Squadron Leader Priyesh Sharma was killed instantly and the pilot Wing Commander Vikas Jaitley received serious head injuries.^[3]