Dasara Air Show uncertain?

Sarang team to miss display due to packed schedule; Surya Kiran team yet to confirm

Mysuru: Even as the State Government has written to the Defence Ministry seeking an Air Show for this year’s Dasara, the event remains highly uncertain, with the Sarang Helicopter Display Team’s schedule already packed.

Highly placed IAF sources told Star of Mysore that the Sarang team is unlikely to take part in the Dasara Air Show this year as its schedule has already been finalised and is packed. The proposal for this year’s Dasara Air Show has come at short notice, leaving little time to make arrangements involving personnel, support teams, helicopters and logistics, the sources said.

Though there has been no official communication from the IAF or the State Government on the matter, Mysuru DC G. Lakshmikanth Reddy said, a proposal had already been sent and the administration was awaiting confirmation.

During a Dasara progress review meeting held last Thursday in Bengaluru under the chairmanship of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the CM said, talks would be held with the Union Defence Minister on the possibility of organising an Air Show.

During Dasara 2025, five Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) of the elite Sarang Helicopter Display Team performed an air show at the Torchlight Parade Grounds in Bannimantap, enthralling thousands of spectators. The helicopters left trails of red and white smoke as they soared in tight formations, performing loops, steep dives and criss-cross manoeuvres, captivating the crowds. Even the IAF’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) captivated the spectators with a spectacular air display.