Ranchi, Nov. 21: The Surya Kiran Formation Aerobatic Team (SKAT) will be performing feats for the first time in Ranchi on December 1.

It has already performed all over the country, from the Dal Lake in the north to Trivandrum in the south and from Jorhat in the East to Nallaya in the west.

It has participated in all the five Aero-India International air shows in Bangalore held in 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Sri Lankan Air Force, it performed feats in Colombo in March 2001.

In 2004, it flew the Indian tricolour in the skies of Myanmar and Thailand, while on way to Singapore.

The impressive displays during Asian Aerospace 2004 at Singapore generated tremendous amount of goodwill for India and the Indian Air Force.

The team pilots are selected twice a year for a three-year tour of duty, from the fighter branch of IAF. Wing Commander Sandeep Bansal is its commander and this is his second tenure with the team. He is a fully operational Mirage pilot and an A2 flying instructor.

Others, like the deputy leader Wing Commander S. Sadashivpeeth, who flies first lie astern to the leader is a Jaguar pilot. Squadron Leader J. Cruz, a MIG-29 pilot, is Syncro 2. Squadron Leader Rahul Lilani, who flies on leader’s right is a MIG - 23 BN pilot.

The left and right outers are Sqn Ldr Abhijit Tokekar and Sqn Ldr Sandeep Singh, both are MIG-21 pilots.

The duration of the display routine varies from about 10 minutes to 20 minutes depending upon the location of the display site. The first of the routine includes urns, wingovers, loo-ps and barrel rolls in various nine aircraft formations.

During the second half, the formation splits into two groups to carry out a variety of manoeuvres like splits, level and rolling crosses, inverted runs, heart loop, et al.