Air Force Station Bidar
| Bidar Air Force Station | |
|---|---|
| Disbanded | 52 Squadron (The Sharks) aka Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team on 30 June 2011 |
| Country |
 India
|
| Branch |
 Indian Air Force
|
| Type | Flying Training Establishment |
| Role | Intermediate Jet Fighter Training (Kiran) and Advanced Jet Fighter Training (Hawk) - Flying, Ground and Technical |
| Part of | Training Command |
| Garrison/HQ | AF Stn Bidar |
| Colors | Navy blue, sky blue & white |
| Equipment | Fighter Aircraft |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Trainer | Hawk Mk 132 since November 2007, Kiran MkII till July 2012 |
Air Force Station, Bidar is one of the Premier Flying Training establishments of the Indian Air Force. It was established during World War II, has been a training centre for budding pilots of the IAF since 1963. The air base had trainer aircraft like HT2 and various variants of Kiran aircraft for nearly four decades. Now it has been remodelled and refurbished for the arrival of the Hawks. The runway has been extended to 9,000 feet and new facilities for aircraft and engine maintenance and testing are built.
It is home for the second biggest training centre in the country. Graduates from the Air Force Academy come here to learn the skills and techniques to become a next generation fighter pilot before being assigned to one of the combat units of the world’s fourth-largest air force. Around 60-90 sorties per day are flown from the base thereby generating the highest amount of single-engine flying hours in the country from this air base.
Once the home base for 52nd Squadron, the station now houses the three Hawk Operational Training Squadrons (HOTS-A Aggressors, HOTS-B Bravehearts and HOTS-C Cheetahs). In addition the Weapon System Operators' School also functions here. A fourth Squadron is ready to be raised shortly. In a phased manner, 66 Hawk aircraft are to be added to the AFS Bidar.
Bidar is located in Karnataka, India, away from the bigger hubs and is excellent for airspace and weather. Being located on the Deccan Plateau provides protection from the tropical conditions that are experienced on the coast. Flying conditions are invariably good all year round and the climate is relatively mild – except from mid-March to mid-May – so the training base don’t lose many sorties to bad weather which is important as the trainees aren’t instrument rated so they cannot fly in poor conditions.
The Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) flew its first 6 aircraft formation sortie on 27 May 96 at AFS Bidar. Unlike most teams, which fly either frontline fighter aircraft or advanced jet trainers, SKAT flies an indigenous basic jet trainer, the Kiran MK II.
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Wikipedia