Bathed in the rays of the afternoon sun, SARANG 1 flown by Wg Cdr G. Komar, CO of the Sarang Helicopter Display Team accompanied by Flt Lt Dhanveer fly past to the helicopter dispersal area at the end of the combined display with the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team on Day 2 of Aero India 2021.

The drop-dead gorgeous paint scheme of the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team makes it stand out among all aerobatic teams. Sqn Ldr Navjot Singh taxiis out as Surya Kiran 8 towards Rwy 09 in the morning for a formation take off at Aero India 2021.

Feeling the rafale of the Snecma M88 turbofans on an extremely hot day as the aircraft taxiis by to fly before the Hon'ble President of India and Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The honor of leading the Rafale detachment during its maiden participation at Aero India 2021 went to Gp Capt Neeraj Jhamb "Jammy" of No. 17 Sqn. "Golden Arrows", shown heading out. This gorgeous and potent multi-role combat aircraft is a game-changer for the IAF, long awaited by the Indian public.

Bison on static display at Aero India 2021 on a scorchingly hot afternoon. This airframe is the last upgraded MiG-21 Bison that was handed over by HAL to the IAF at the end of 2020, marking the successful completion of the MiG-21 upgrade project. Earning itself the sobriquet "Falcon Slayer", the Bison of Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a PAF F-16C on 27 Feb 2019 before being shot down in turn. Though the numbers in IAF service are dwindling, its presence at the airshow was still eye-catching.

Attractive white bird taxiing past at Aero India 2021. This is the new civilian Do-228 made at HAL Kanpur. With a view to promote Govt's UDAN regional connectivity policy, the Hindi title "Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik", translated as "Let the common citizen of the country fly" is displayed on the nose. The Hindi inscription at the rear translates as "Made in India", in keeping with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of self-reliant India. Intended to carry 19 passengers, the aircraft has an AUW of 6200 kg and is equipped with five-bladed propellers for noise reduction and better performance.

The legendary steed that flies on. Inducted into the IAF in 1962, these helicopters have been the backbone of SAR. Chetak flying over the active at Aero India 2021.

Helicopter from 112HU flying over the active at Aero India 2021.

Like a ray of light in the morning, this Tejas from No. 18 Sqn. takes to the air at 140 kts in the hands of the Gp Capt Manish Tolani, CO of the "Flying Bullets". As display pilot for the Tejas during Aero India 2021, "Tolly" put the aircraft through its paces, demonstrating its manoeuvrability in an excellent flying display. Three extended slats can be seen.

Showcased at Aero India 2021, Indian Coast Guard's new ALH Mark III helicopters come loaded with sensors and are intended for coastal security. This version has a pair of Shakti (Safran Ardiden 1H1) engines with 12% higher power than the TM-333-2B2 on the ALH Mk. I and II. It has a full glass cockpit, surveillance radar, SAR homer system, electro-optic pod, high intensity searchlight, Automatic Identification System (AIS) and automatic deployable emergency locator transmitter (ADELT) among its features.