[Santoshbhat]

Uploading a few pictures clicked by me

[quattroa4]

Originally Posted by globemaster

There are 2 different tickets that allow access to different areas of the air force base.

INR 600: This is only for the air display and is at one side of the main podium. Its basically empty grounds on the side of the runway. However this location has its own advantages. The aircrafts line up for takeoff at this end of the runway and also touch down at this end. The entry to this zone was through gate 8-9 in Aero-India 2019.

INR 1800: This is called the general visitor ticket and allows access to the exhibition halls, the tarmac area where the planes are parked and one can also see the aerial display from this location. This zone is on the other side of the main podium. The above pictures are taken from this zone and probably with an INR 1800 ticket. In Areo-India 2019 the entry to this zone was through gate 5 (Extra info: the parking lot of Gate 5 was gutted in the fire that destroyed 300 cars)

Now, this was the arrangement for most of the visitors. Then there are of-course some lucky ones (with friends/relatives in MOD and HAL and some business visitors) who get passes to the podium area and everything else.

The arrangement mostly remains the same so it can be expected to see a similar arrangement in 2021. Hope this helps.

There is another way , get the business class tickets and go on business days .You will find very limited people and you have access to everything on display and let me tell you it's worth watching the stalls, though the tickets are a bit expensive at 2750 Rs per person but still worth it .

[deepfreak15]

Usually we travel far and wide to strike something off our bucket list. This time I realized an item on my bucket list was happening in my own back yard. For someone living in North Bangalore the venue for the Bangalore Air show (AeroIndia 2019) was too close to avoid. The show was from the 21st to the 24th of Feb so I had to decide which day to visit. I was well advised by multiple people to avoid the weekend slots as it would be too crowded and so I decided to visit on the second day of the show which was on a Thursday. Only downside was the ticket price was on the higher side. Bookmyshow was the sole retailer for the air show tickets and they did not make it easy. They did try their best to make the ticket selection as vague as possible. They advertised the Rs600/- ticket as ”flyby viewing only” – This was self-explanatory however, the Business ticket Rs2700/- Was advertised as “Exhibition Area only”. Now I was confused, I wanted to view the exhibits and watch the flyby. Eventually a fellow Bhpian and aviation enthusiast VellVector told me to just book the pricier ticket and I would be able to do both. As soon as I booked the ticket there was a list of forbidden items printed on the ticket- the regulars like Cigarettes, sharp items and then Cameras, Backpacks etc! Really? No Cameras at an airshow? Also to make matters worse you could only book one ticket at a time and you had to enter your name and attach a proof of ID, when my wife booked her ticket the app prepopulated her login ID (which was no where close to her name) and printed that out as her name! So what was supposed to be the easiest thing to do turned out to be a bit challenging. Eventually the ticket sellers admitted this was a common problem and assured entry would not be blocked if the ID proof matched the ticket holder at the venue.
I normally take Uber when travelling within the city but because of the ambiguity with regards to what I could carry inside I decided to drive down to the venue, in case I had to keep some stuff back (My camera bag is a backpack). Traffic was choc a block but I was mentally prepared and didn’t notice it that much. They had different parking slots for each kind of ticket and I ended up in the infamous Parking lot for Gate 5. On that day I could not but help notice that they had managed to clear a large area and were really organized. They even ensured there were portable loos everywhere! But looking back now I know a lot of people will not share the same sentiment.
Surprisingly the checks were not that stringent at the entry, yes there was the regular baggage scan and pat down by the armed forces but the ticket validation was done by the Bookmyshow agents and they seemed pretty relaxed. And oh yes, almost everything on the banned list was allowed in!

This being my first Airshow/Exhibition I was excited and did not want to miss any of action. In hindsight I should have spent more time in the stalls for the exhibits. I ended up rushing through a couple of halls when I should have taken the time and tried to comprehend what all was on display. I’ve already made a mental note for the next time in a couple of years. There were some really cool stuff like thermal goggles, infra red goggles, all kinds of missiles and both civilian and military aviation components on display.

I got carried away and started clicking pictures of models when I realized I was here to capture the real deal. So posting this here just for representational purposes



I've always seen this in movies but was pretty eerie to see myself lined up in the cross hairs.


Landing gear on display by its manufacturer


Pretty soon I started wondering what I was actually doing here. I was standing in a huge tent with aviation components on display/sale. But hey wait oooh shiny stuff


And then there was stuff like this. It felt like I was at a home expo but with a little more exciting stuff on sale


Like right! Do I need a triple store or a double?


I was tempted to ask if they came in another colour but the guys at the display looked like the "Don't mess with me" type



I've always wondered why agents of destruction look so gorgeous. For eg I'm yet to come across any life saving equipment that took my breath away!











This is exactly what I need for my garage





The most beautiful controversy



They also had some real equipment on display outside


The viewing area outside where you could stand/sit and watch the live show. There was absolutely no shade but I was so engrossed I stood in the midday sun from 2pm to 5pm rooted to one spot. Now I know what meat feels like in a tandoor



This big boy kicked off the show! The pilot put on such a show that it beggared belief! He made the plane move in ways it should not be possible to.




Same with this turboprop plane




Jaguar (not the kind we normally discuss in this forum)


The most talked about plane at the moment


Note how they spelt out "21" with deadly ink


Homegrown attack chopper!

[deepfreak15]

ALH (MKIV) RUDRA


Another bird in the news off late Mi -17


Great way to deliver vehicles in Bangalore's traffic


Armed forces showing us how its done! Back at you Tom Cruise!




Helicopters and synchronised flying? You have to see them to believe how incredibly good they are! My camera with a kit lens had a tough time trying to keep focus on multiple moving objects so kindly excuse the quality.





















A few more planes on display on the tarmac
The SAAB was open for people to sit inside but the line was too long decided to give it a skip. Instead there was a Starbucks next to it and had to stand in that line courtesy the Mrs.




Boeing C17 Globemaster courtesy the USAF



Its party trick? It can land in 450 meters. Must have pretty good brakes!


Best view in the house


As Indian as it can get!




If looks could kill! The deadly S30 MK1






And then this is when things went wrong for me. He took off in a flash and I just could not keep up! After he landed I managed to close my mouth shut and start breathing again. That's when I noticed I had the wrong shutter speed

[deepfreak15]

Completely oblivious to the controversy it has stirred up, was just here to do its business. I'm sure every Indian is excited to see the Rafale in our arsenal












Airborne Early Warning and Control system








And one of the most prolific fighters of all time -F16









In conclusion: There have been irreplaceable losses to both life and property from the time leading, during and after the Air show. My heart goes out to the families impacted especially those of our brave Airmen.

That said, for me the whole event was an amazing display of the capabilities and achievements we have made as a country and the fact that other countries have noticed and made the journey to be part of this event. I left with a sense of Pride and a touch of sadness for the sacrifices that were and will be made to keep us safe!

[directinjection]

Thank you for the pictures deepfreak - you gave us a virtual tour of AI!

One minor correction. What you are calling Jaguar in post no. 18 is actually a MiG 27! The two planes have similar shapes and the resultant confusion is not uncommon! Below are pics of Jaguar and MiG 27 respectively.

Cheers!

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by directinjection

One minor correction. What you are calling Jaguar in post no. 18 is actually a MiG 27! !

Actually that is a major correction . I will be the first to admit that my knowledge on planes was almost zero till the day after the airshow. After sorting through the pictures I took I started reading up on them. Thanks for the correction and education! I actually did manage to take a picture of the Jag on display.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by deepfreak15

Actually that is a major correction . I will be the first to admit that my knowledge on planes was almost zero till the day after the airshow. After sorting through the pictures I took I started reading up on them. Thanks for the correction and education! I actually did manage to take a picture of the Jag on display.

Attachment 1853959

As I had mentioned, it's common to confuse the two planes. Being optimized for ground attack, both the planes have drooping noses to improve ground visibility for the pilot. The absence of radar in the nose also helps. Both planes have normal-nose variants also which are radar equipped - you need a bigger nose to house the radar. Here are their images, first the MiG 23 (from which the 27 is derived) and then the Jaguar:

[cp171185]

Interesting fact:

Mig-21Bis which shot downed PAF F-16 was part of Aero India 2019


https://idrw.org/mig-21bis-which-sho...ro-india-2019/

[skanchan95]

Originally Posted by cp171185

Interesting fact:

Mig-21Bis which shot downed PAF F-16 was part of Aero India 2019


https://idrw.org/mig-21bis-which-sho...ro-india-2019/

The article is hopelessly inaccurate.

MiG-21 Bisons, not bis, that took part in the air skirmish that day. The only IAF sqdn flying the MiG-21bis today is No.26 Sqdn. Though one can argue that the Bison is an upgraded bis, there is huge difference between them both externally and internally.

Assuming that Wg Cdr Abhinandan shot down that F-16 and himself got shot down, the serial number of the his downed MiG-21 Bison was CU2328. At Aero india and as per the picture in the article, the static display MiG-21 Bison was CU2789. Unless of course, his wingman fired shot the F-16 down, and If 2789 was flown by his wingman, then it could be true.

The article even states the PL-12 to be a WVR missile. In reality it is a BVR and Active Radar Homing air to air missile like the AIM-120 and R-77.

EDIT: looking at the pic again, CU2789 has intake cover that has the crest of No. 51 squadron "Sword Arms". So the squadron's MiG-21(s?) did take part in Aero India, just that it was not Wg Cdr Abhinandans's ill-fated MiG-21.

Originally Posted by directinjection

As I had mentioned, it's common to confuse the two planes. Being optimized for ground attack, both the planes have drooping noses to improve ground visibility for the pilot. The absence of radar in the nose also helps. Both planes have normal-nose variants also which are radar equipped - you need a bigger nose to house the radar. Here are their images, first the MiG 23 (from which the 27 is derived) and then the Jaguar:

Once the DARIN III upgrades to the Jaguar fleet get implemented, there will be little or no difference between the Jaguar IM and IS. The IS will lose its chisel nose/LRMTS window and will get a radar and nose like the IM.

[cp171185]

Originally Posted by skanchan95

The article is hopelessly inaccurate.

Thanks for the clarification

[soumobakshi]

Adding a few images from my end, i was lucky to have attended on the last day; a day after the unfortunate Fire Tragedy.

The last image reflects the Aftermath from the Fire incident that engulfed about 270 odd cars.

[GKMahajan]

Wow! What a thread!

By the way, I work for a company that makes some parts for aero/space/etc. So, I had visited with TWO Business tickets. I visited on the first and third day. I have taken a few photos. However, the photos which are up here are well taken, so I skip!

I think I will be visiting the December 2019 show too. Heres hoping that I can make it.

One thought has come to my mind - maybe - just maybe - we TBHPians can schedule it so that we are there together.... That way, we might even be able to discuss things that cannot be discussed here!

Oh by the way - my later father had been a scientist with DRDO. He had worked in the field of Electronics and Radar Technology in the Guided Missiles Section. My general visit to the Expo brought back many many memories!

Regards,

Girish Mahajan

[skanchan95]

Was an IAF Jaguar part of the flying display? Can anyone confirm? I saw a picture on the internet stating that this particular Jaguar was a part of the flying display:


If true, interesting thing to know would be that this is probably the first time a DARIN III Jaguar flew at an air show. Also note the shape of the nose and the serial number - it is radar equipped and the serial number is JS163. JS163 was formerly a radar-less, chisel nosed DARIN I Jaguar IS and was the 28th Jaguar IS manufactured by HAL.

As stated in my earlier post, with the DARIN III upgrades for the Jaguar fleet getting implemented, there will be almost no difference between a Jaguar IS & a Jaguar IM. Only way to know would be through the serial number (JSXXX series - Jaguar IS, JMXXX series- Jaguar IM).

[Dieseltuned]

Reviving an old thread. Aero India 2023 has been announced in Bangalore from 13th to 17th Feb 2023.

https://aeroindia.gov.in/

The website still does not display tickets for general public. Hope that comes up soon. Planning to visit this time and fulfill a long standing dream.