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French aces to participate in Vayu Shakti 2000

Ranvir Nayar in Paris

A team of ace pilots from France is likely to participate in the Vayu Shakti 2000 air show that is being organised by the Indian Air Force early next year to celebrate the advent of the new millenium. The exhibition is slated to be held at the Tilpatt Air Force Station near New Delhi and will have aerobatics from the entire range of IAF aircraft, including fighter jets, trainers, transport aircraft and helicopters.

The show is also being organised as a pointer to the shape of things to come for the IAF in the new millenium. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis told rediff.com in Paris that a team of French pilots will be going to Singapore early next year to participate in the Air Show there and were keen to stop over in India and get an opportunity to display their Alpha Advanced Jet Trainers.

Tipnis, who is visiting France on a 10-day official visit, said that if the displays planned by the French AJTs coincide with the Vayu Shakti 2000, they would participate in that show. ''However, if the timing does not coincide, even then we would like to have a display of their AJTs, along with our own pilots in the Ajeet Jet Trainers. It would be a good experience for both the air forces as well as the people to watch the two participate and operate in consonance.''

This is for the first time that the Alpha Jet Trainers will be performing over Indian skies and the French aircraft manufacturer, Dassault, hopes to use the display as an opportunity to make a strong case for its trainers, which are among those being considered by the IAF for induction.

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