Hindon: The 85th Air Force Day was marked by a scintillating air display by various aircraft, both vintage and modern, that combined air prowess with classic aerobatic showmanship. It was held at the Air Force Station, Hindon (Ghaziabad) on a day when the weather decided to play a bit of a spoilsport with grey skies and a hint of settled smog.

The air display began with flag-bearing sky divers of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) 14-member team, Akash Ganga, which jumped fearlessly from the AN-32 aircraft from 8,000 feet and landed on steady ground after dazzling all with their numerous midair formations.
There were a series of drills on the ground by air force personnel, ‘Akash’, that included daredevil acts of throwing and catching rifles midair, with razor-sharp bayonets jutting out all the while. The 5.5 kg, 303 rifles seemed like mere toys in the hands of the air warriors as they performed numerous manoeuvres to the deafening applause from the crowd.