Date:02/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/02/stories/2008120260121200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

A glimpse of breathtaking aerial stunts

Nivedita Ganguly

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

AWE-INSPIRING: Dhruv helicopters of ‘Sarang’ perform formation manoeuvres at Ramakrishna Beach in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Get ready for some jaw dropping manoeuvres by Sarang – the helicopter display team of the Indian Air Force at the Navy Day celebrations on December 4.

Stunts

The daredevils gave a glimpse of some of the breathtaking aerial stunts during the Navy Day rehearsals at the beach road on Monday.

The choppers zipped through the skies, crossing each other, almost touching but not touching, mesmerising the visitors with their stunning feats.

The Indian Air Force’s helicopter display team will, for the first time, participate in the Navy Day celebrations in Vizag. Sarang born in June 2003 is a four-chopper team. The team has enthralled audiences the world over, and recently performed in the Berlin Air Show that was co-partnered by India and during the 90th anniversary of Royal Air Force in UK this year.

The choppers are the Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) called ‘Dhruv’ produced indigenously by the Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Sarang’s symphony in the air is a statement of the capabilities of this twin-engine multi-role craft that can easily perform heli-borne assault in times of war and switch to air ambulance for casualty evacuations. It is also the only chopper in the country with the capability to fly backward and arguably the only four-helicopter display team in the world. The ‘Sarang’ helicopter is powered by French-made Turbo Mecca engines.