Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits an exhibition stall set up on the sidelines of Aero India show in Bengaluru on Monday. Credit: PIB Photo

The five-day Aero India 2023 got off to a heady start at Yelahanka, though it skipped the traditional air shows that were scheduled twice daily in the earlier years.

The excitement of the crowd was palpable as the metal birds took to the sky at the inaugural fly-past.

Indigenous products such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Light Combat Aircraft TEJAS, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, HTT-40, Dornier Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) received the loudest cheers.

Many seemed enthused by the show put up by the Navy and Air Force, with the participation of fighter pilots from different countries.

The few glitches in the overall management of the event were quickly forgotten after the fly-past.

”It is so good to be here. People have many questions and there is a lot of stuff to see as well,” said Andy Johnston, back-seater in one of the navy fighter jets which was on static display.

“Initially, when we came, we were bored. But when we actually entered the exhibition and witnessed the air show, we felt very excited and proud,” said Aakash Kumar from Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, who was their with collegemates Abhit Sahu and Kelvin Nath.