IAF’s Sarang Team upgrades signature manoeuvres from four to five helicopters

Some members of the Sarang team interacted with the media on Wednesday ahead of the performance in Pune. Squadron Leader Nishank Awasthi, a Mi17 V5 and ALH pilot who flies at Position 4 in Sarang, said, “We started as an Advanced Light helicopter (ALH) evaluation flight in 2003. In 2004 it was rechristened as Sarang. The name Sarang, which is a Sanskrit word for peacock, signifies the grace and elegance of our displays. We have performed all around the world and across India. One of the major landmarks for us was in the Dubai airshow when we performed with the Suryakiran team — one of a kind integrated display.”

The Sarang team, regarded as the brand ambassadors of the Indian Air Force, has earned acclaim through its rich legacy of spectacular performances in India and abroad. The team has carried out more than 1,200 displays across over 390 venues worldwide, enthralling audiences with professionalism, precision and skill.

Captain of Sarang 5, Squadron Leader Ajeet Singh, a Chetak and ALH pilot said, “As you know, we were a four-helicopter team and now we have five. Till two to three months ago, we were settling down with the five-helicopter profile. We will now be performing some signature maneuvers with all five helicopters. So now the diamond formation will have all five helicopters. Our crossover maneuver earlier had four helicopters used to cross each other with pinpoint accuracy and now there will be five. We also have a Sarang heart maneuver, where Sarang 1 and Sarag 2 draw a heart in the sky and it is then pierced by another helicopter. The concluding signature maneuver of the Sarang split used to have four helicopters and it will now have five. All these five helicopter maneuvers have been added over the last few months.”

Squadron leader Nidarshana Sharma, a Mi17 V5 and ALH pilot, who flies as the copilot for Sarang 1, said, “The selection process is two-fold. First is, you have to volunteer for the team after which your flying skills are tested, whether or not you can fly in close quarters with other aircraft. Then there is a written exam too. The second part of the process is, the whole team has to select you. The training is very rigorous and so is the evaluation at every stage. Every maneuver that we perform, is recorded, played before us. We undergo detailed debriefs.” During the interaction, Squadron Leader Ujwal Singh, a Mi17 V5, Chetak and ALH pilot who is the safety officer and Lieutenant Colonel Varun, Sarang Team Engineering Officer shared details of the training, safety standards, preparedness and technical aspects of the displays.

The team operates the indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. An all-weather, multi-mission capable helicopter, the ALH Dhruv reflects India’s growing aerospace capability and embodies the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Sarang flies the highly manoeuvrable ALH Mk I variant, proudly showcasing indigenous aviation excellence on the national stage.