New Delhi: The crowd gathered at Rajpath for Republic Day parade on Sunday left their seats and stood in the chairs to witness aerial formations by Indian Air Force fighter jets and choppers.
As the parade started, people kept their eyes on five Mi-17 V 5 helicopters of 155 Helicopter Unit showering flower petals. Three helicopters flew in an inverted Y formation carrying national ensign and respective service ensigns. The formation showered flower petals to greet the spectators who in turn stood in the chair to catch those petals.
As the mechanised contingent was crossing by, the diamond formation of Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv led by Lieutenant Colonel V.K. Bakshi of 301 Army Aviation Squadron (Special operations) made the spectators take out their phone to get pictures clicked.
At the end of the parade when it was announced that Indian Air Force would present a stupendous flay-past and asked everyone to turn their eyes skywards, the spectators, including parents with their kids, placed their small kids on their shoulders and stood in the chairs holding their breath.
The first came Trishul formation. The grand finale and the most keenly awaited part of the parade, the Fly Past, had the ‘Trishul’ formation by three ALH helicopters.
It is for the first time a ‘Tri-service Formation’ took part in the Republic Day Parade. It was followed by the ‘Vic’ formation of Chinook helicopters, used for airlifting diverse loads to remote locations.
Apache helicopters, Dornier aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, Netra, an Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft and the ‘Globe’ formation comprising three C-17 Globemasters kept the spectators standing in the chairs.
Five Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft and five MiG-29 Upgrade Air Superiority Fighters in ‘Arrowhead’ formation enthralled the audience before the exhilarating Trishul manoeuvre by Su-30 MKIs.
The parade culminated with an Su-30 MKI splitting the sky with a breathtaking ‘Vertical Charlie’ aerobatic manoeuvre. The awesome sight with the sky roaring with the fighter aircraft and vanishing into the endless sky was witnessed with exhuberance as a huge applaud followed.
