In Photos: Aero India 2009

Aero India 2009 was held at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bangalore. This gallery recorded what the camera saw over those days: the fighters in the air, the transports and tankers on the ground, and a line up of aircraft that looked thinner than in other years. Several captions in the original gallery called the static display aircraft fillers, because the apron looked quite empty.

Fighters in the air and on the ground

• An Indian Air Force Su-30 MKI, including one flying in the Indian flag colour scheme.
• A United States Air Force F-16 taxiing to its stand.
• An F/A-18 taxiing in after its air display.
• A Luftwaffe Eurofighter, seen both taking off and taxiing back in.
• A MiG 35 landing after its display.
• The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) performing what the original caption called a display without much zeal.
• IAF MiG 29, MiG 27 and MiG 21 fighters in the air, and a Dassault Mirage 2000 on static show.
• A Jaguar trainer flying for the IAF.
• A BAe Hawk flying for the IAF, and another Hawk on static display.

Transports, tankers and special mission aircraft

• A Boeing C-17 Globemaster.
• A Lockheed C-130 Hercules in USAF colours.
• A KC-135 tanker in USAF colours.
• The Omega Tanker.
• A Luftwaffe air to air refueller based on the Airbus A310.
• An Antonov An-12.
• An IAI modified Gulfstream G550 Eitam.
• The IAF VIP transport, an Embraer EMB 135.

Helicopters and display teams

• An HJT-16 Kiran of the Surya Kiran team, the IAF fixed wing jet aerobatic team that has since been disbanded.
• HAL Advanced Light Helicopters, including one from the IAF Sarang team, the rotary wing aerobatic group.
• An IAF Mi 35 helicopter.

Vintage aircraft

• A HAL built Pushpak.
• A Harvard Mk IV that once flew for the IAF.
• A DH-82 Tiger Moth Mk II.

Two wide shots in the gallery summed up the mood of the show: a sparse line up of airplanes, and an apron that looked almost empty.