Nine red-and-white Hawk Mk132 jets of the Indian Air Force Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team in formation against a blue sky

Mysuru Dasara Air Show: Surya Kiran Beats the Rain on Day Two

by Tamika Johnson | Oct 20, 2026 | Militärische Luftfahrt, Nachricht | 0 comments

Rain had the last word on Sunday. On Monday, 19 October 2026, the Indische Luftwaffe’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team came back to Mysuru and flew the show the city had been waiting for.

The team’s red-and-white BAE Hawk Mk132 jets arrived over the Torchlight Parade Grounds at Bannimantap at 11 am, flying in from Yelahanka in Bengaluru, and worked through 18 vertical and horizontal manoeuvres until 11.20 am, Star of Mysore reported. PTI, carried by ThePrint, said the roughly 20-minute display played to a massive crowd, finally giving the Mysuru Dasara air show its full programme.

It was a very different picture from the day before, when cloud and overnight rain limited the team to three basic horizontal passes, according to The Times of India and Deccan Herald.

Kurzinfo

Team: Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), Indian Air Force, based at Bidar
Flugzeug: BAE Hawk Mk132, licence-built by HAL
Venue: Torchlight Parade Grounds, Bannimantap, Mysuru
18 October: Three horizontal manoeuvres before the weather stopped the show
19 October: About 18 manoeuvres in a display of around 20 minutes
Operating base: Yelahanka, Bengaluru
Team: 18 officers, including 13 pilots
Nächste: IAF display at Namo Ghat, Varanasi, from 22 October

A Rain-Shortened First Act

The gates at Bannimantap opened at 9 am on Sunday, 18 October. The display was scheduled for 10.30 am but did not start until about 11.15 am because of the weather, The Times of India reported.

Deccan Herald counted three horizontal manoeuvres, including the Arrow, flown by nine Hawk Mk132s trailing saffron, white and green smoke. After about ten minutes the team stopped, the paper said, for the safety of the pilots and aircraft.

“We were very happy to be here for the auspicious occasion of Mysuru Dasara and were looking forward to performing before the crowd. Unfortunately, the weather forced us to limit the display to three manoeuvres. We regret not being able to complete the full performance.”

Wing Commander Abhimanyu Tyagi — Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, speaking to The Times of India on 18 October

Star of Mysore had billed Sunday as a full-dress rehearsal open to spectators, with the main public display on Monday. Ahead of the show, nine Hawks had already flown a mapping sortie over the city so the pilots could learn the local landmarks and the display area.

DNA, Heart and Valkyrie

Monday brought better weather and the full routine. The Times of India listed the DNA, heart, Valkyrie and Arrow formations among the figures flown. Star of Mysore’s preview had promised loops, barrel rolls, inverted flight and close formation with the jets less than five metres apart.

The coloured smoke comes from a modification by the IAF’s 11 Base Repair Depot in Nashik. According to The Times of India, the Hawks needed only 15 minutes to reach Mysuru from Yelahanka, cruising at around 600 km/h.

Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team BAE Hawk Mk132 jets flying in line astern trailing white smoke — Surya Kiran Hawk Mk132s in line astern at Aero India 2023. This is the same team and type that flew in Mysuru, not a photo from the Dasara show. Photo: Ashwin Kumar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

“We carried out nearly 18 manoeuvres today, and the weather was pleasant. Mysuru has been a wonderful audience,” Tyagi told The Times of India after the show. He also called the team one of only four in the world able to fly nine-aircraft displays, and the only one in Asia.

The team has 18 officers: 13 pilots, three engineering officers, a commentator and a medical officer. Group Captain Ajay Dasarathi is its leader and commanding officer.

ANI’s live stream of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team display over Mysuru during Dasara.

From Kirans to Hawks

Surya Kiran was formed in 1996 at Bidar and first flew the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk2 trainer. After Aero India 2011 the team was grounded because the IAF was short of Kirans. It was re-formed in February 2015 on the Hawk Mk132, which Hindustan Aeronautics Limited builds under licence.

Deccan Herald credits the team with more than 800 displays. The team is a squadron in its own right, No. 52 Squadron.

HAL HJT-16 Kiran trainers of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team taking off together at Yelahanka in 2005 — Surya Kiran’s original mount: orange-and-white HJT-16 Kiran trainers taking off at Yelahanka in February 2005, six years before the team was grounded. Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

One familiar IAF team was missing from Mysuru. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had asked for both Surya Kiran and the Sarang Helicopter Display Team, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh replied that Sarang was already committed elsewhere, Star of Mysore reported.

“Owing to already approved commitments of the Sarang Display Team during the relevant period, it would not be feasible to deploy the team for the Mysuru Dasara festival this year.”

Rajnath Singh — Defence Minister of India, in a letter to the Karnataka Chief Minister, as quoted by Star of Mysore

Next Stop: Varanasi

Both teams will share a sky later this week. The IAF is marking its 94th anniversary with an aerial display over Namo Ghat on the Ganga in Varanasi. Reports agree that the shows begin on 22 October and peak on 25 October with the Air Force Day Aerial Display, titled “Wings Over Ganges”. The Times of India reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend. The intermediate dates differ between reports.

ANI and The Times of India list Surya Kiran and Sarang alongside the Tejas, Die LCH Prachand, Il-76, Il-78, C-295 and An-32, frontline Su-30MKI Und Rafale fighters, and aircraft from the Indian Navy and Indian Army. To cut the bird-strike risk, Varanasi has shut meat and fish shops within 20 to 30 km of Namo Ghat, Hindustan Times reported.

For Mysuru, the wait paid off. One washed-out morning, one clear one, and 18 manoeuvres in tricolour smoke over Bannimantap.

Sources: Star of Mysore, Deccan Herald, The Times of India, PTI via ThePrint, Hindustan Times, ANI via The News Mill, Wikipedia (Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team), MILAVIA

Häufig gestellte Fragen

How many manoeuvres did Surya Kiran fly at the 2026 Mysuru Dasara air show?

On 19 October 2026 the Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team flew about 18 vertical and horizontal manoeuvres over the Torchlight Parade Grounds at Bannimantap in a display of around 20 minutes. The day before, rain and low cloud limited the team to three horizontal manoeuvres.

Why was the first Surya Kiran show at Mysuru Dasara cut short?

On 18 October 2026 overnight rain and cloud delayed the display to about 11.15 am. The team flew three horizontal manoeuvres, including the Arrow, for about ten minutes, then stopped for the safety of the pilots and aircraft. It returned the next day and flew the full routine.

What aircraft does the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team fly?

Surya Kiran flies the BAE Hawk Mk132 advanced jet trainer, built under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The team flies nine aircraft in its full display and was re-formed on the Hawk in February 2015. Before that it flew HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk2 trainers from 1996 until 2011.

Where is the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team based?

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team is based at Bidar in Karnataka and forms No. 52 Squadron of the Indian Air Force. For the 2026 Mysuru Dasara show its Hawk Mk132 jets operated from Yelahanka in Bengaluru, about 15 minutes' flying time from Mysuru.

How many pilots are in the Surya Kiran team?

The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team has 18 officers: 13 pilots, three engineering officers, a commentator and a medical officer, according to The Times of India. Nine pilots fly in the full display. Group Captain Ajay Dasarathi is the team leader and commanding officer.

Why did the Sarang team miss the 2026 Mysuru Dasara?

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar that the Sarang Helicopter Display Team already had approved commitments during the festival period, so it could not be deployed to Mysuru. Only Surya Kiran flew at the 2026 Dasara air show.

When is the Indian Air Force air show in Varanasi?

The Indian Air Force display over Namo Ghat in Varanasi begins on 22 October 2026, with the main Air Force Day Aerial Display, titled Wings Over Ganges, on 25 October. It marks the IAF's 94th anniversary and features Surya Kiran, Sarang, Tejas, Rafale and Su-30MKI aircraft.