Sarang is an aerobatic air display team of the Indian Air Force. Formally established as the No. 151 Helicopter Unit in 2005, the unit flies five modified HAL Dhruv helicopters and is based out of Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Etymology

The name of the unit Sarang means peacock in Sanskrit.

Aircraft

The team operates a set of HAL Dhruv Mk-I helicopters built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). , the team utilizes five HAL Dhruv helicopters painted in a special peacock livery and equipped with specialised canisters to produce white smoke during displays. The unit currently operates the following aircraft:

  • HAL Dhruv Mk-I (5)

The team performed using four helicopters in tandem before moving to a five helicopter display in 2023.

Service

thumb|The team uses modified [[HAL Dhruv helicopters painted in a special peacock livery.]]

The first public performance of the team was displayed at the Asian Aerospace show at Singapore in 2004.

Apart from aerobatic display, the team is also engaged in disaster management and recovery. The team was involved in rescuing stranded people during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. The team was also engaged in dropping food packets, relief materials and rescuing stranded people during various natural calamities such as the 2015 Chennai floods, 2018 Kerala floods, and the aftermath of tropical cyclones such as Cyclone Ockhi in 2017 and Cyclone Michaung in 2023. Vikas Jettley also succumbed to the injuries in 2011 after being in a comatose state for four years.

On 27 February 2010, a helicopter with the Sarang team crash landed in Jaisalmer district while the team was rehearsing for an air show as a part of the 2010 edition of Exercise Vayushakti. The pilots made a controlled crash landing of the helicopter due to a sudden power loss. However, the team performed in the airshow as planned on 28 February.

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File:Sarang solo.jpg|Sarang team uses modified HAL Dhruv

File:IAF Sarang Display Team at Egypt International Airshow.jpg|The team uses multiple helicopters in tandem for air displays

File:Sarang.JPG|Canisters are used to produce white smoke during air displays

</gallery>

See also

  • Surya Kiran
  • Sagar Pawan

References