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| Sherdils | |
|---|---|
 Sherdils Aerobatics display team patch | |
| Active | 1972–present |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Branch | Pakistan Air Force & PAF Academy Asghar Khan |
| Role | Aerobatics display team |
| Size | 9 aircraft |
| Garrison/HQ | PAF Academy, Risalpur |
| Nickname(s) | Lion Hearts |
| Colors | Green, Red, White and Blue (2017–present) Red, White, and Blue (1972–2017) |
| Aircraft | K-8P Karakorum (2009–Present) Cessna T-37 Tweet (1972–2009) |
| Website | Sherdils |
Sherdils (Urdu: ﺸﻴر دﻝ; English: Lion Hearts) are an aerobatics display team of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The team is based out of the Pakistan Air Force Academy Asghar Khan, Risalpur, Pakistan. At present, it consists of nine Karakoram K-8P aircraft.
The Sherdils are not a full-time aerobatic team. The pilots are selected from the PAF Academy's Advanced Jet Training Squadron, where cadets and young fighter pilots go through jet aircraft training. The Sherdils are responsible for preparing and performing formation aerobatics at national and international events.
History
The team was officially formed on August 17, 1972, using T-37 aircraft by Sqn. Leader Bahar-ul-Haq, an academy instructor. The team was inspired by the Red Pelicans, the aerobatics team of RAF College, Cranwell, where Bahar had been on an exchange tour. It was decided to put up a brief show during graduation to demonstrate the professional skills of academy instructors. After several trials of candidate instructors, a team was formed under Wing Commander Imtiaz Bhatti, the Officer Commanding of the BFT wing at the time. Other formation members included Flight Lieutenant Aamer Ali Sharieff, Flight Lieutenant A Rahim Yusufzai, and Flight Lieutenant Niaz Nabi.
1974 – 2004 (Four-Ship T-37 aircraft) – The initial performance of the team was highly successful. Initially, the team had no name. They performed at air shows for foreign dignitaries, heads of state and military officers. The team flew as the ‘Sherdils’ for the first time on September 19, 1974. They are also known as the "Tweety Birds". The Sherdil Formation Aerobatics Display essentially remained the same (even with K-8Ps) until 2017: line astern to the diamond formation during a loop, then cloverleaf, steep turn, barrel roll, and finally, the bomb-burst. Attempts were made to increase the number of aircraft in the team, but engine thrust demands were too much for the outer formation members. A four-aircraft diamond has thus remained the basic formation of the Sherdils for almost three decades.
In October of 1978, the T-37 Sherdils team experienced an accident during their performance, resulting in the loss of one aircraft and its leader, Flight Lieutenant Alamdar. Other formation members at the time were Flight Lieutenant Shahid Nisar (No. 2 & Deputy Lead), Flight Lieutenant Irfan Masum (No. 3), and Flight Lieutenant Tasneem (No. 4 slot).
2004 (The 6-Ship T-37 aircraft) – In 2004, the number of aircraft in the main formation was increased to six under the leadership of Wing Commander Tariq Chaudhary, OC BFT Wing.
2004 (9-Ship T-37 aircraft): The team was expanded to 9 aircraft on October 2, 2004, under the leadership of Wing Commander Vaqar Ali Qureshi, OC No. 1 BFT Sqn. The limited power of the T-37's engines caused difficulty with maintaining formation, especially for aircraft on the outside of the formation. The instructor of the Basic Flying Training Wing, who was a member of the formation, worked on the problem. The pioneer 9 aircraft Sherdils team members were Wing Commander Vaqar (Leader), Flight Lieutenant Armughan (No. 2), Flight Lieutenant Nusrat (No. 3), Squadron leader Tariq Azeem (No. 4 slot/deputy leader), Sqn Leader Nasir (No. 5), Squadron Leader Sohail (No. 6), Squadron Leader Zahid (No. 7), Flight Lieutenant Hammad (No. 8), and Squadron Leader Tanveer (No. 9).
2009 (4-Ship K-8P aircraft) – In 2009, the Sherdils transitioned from the T-37s to the K-8P aircraft (jointly developed by Pakistan and China). A four-ship K-8P aircraft performed for the first time in November 2009 at PAF Academy Risalpur. The members of the Sherdils K-8P aircraft were Squadron Leader Ali Salman (Leader), No.2 Squadron Leader Nasir Zia (Right Wing), No.3 Squadron Leader Wajahat Syed (Left Wing), and No.4 Squadron Leader Khalid Matin (Slot Member).
2010 (9-Ship K-8P aircraft) – By the Spring of 2010, the Sherdils had transitioned from 4-aircraft to 7-aircraft. This new configuration performed at an air display for the closing ceremony of Exercise High-Mark 2010, at Thal, under the leadership of Wing Commander Syed Ali Zaidi. Soon after, the number of aircraft was increased to 9, and the team performed at the graduation ceremony in May 2010. In October 2010, led by Squadron Leader Khalid Matin, the 9-aircraft Sherdils performed at an air display for a graduation ceremony at Risalpur.
On November 16, 2010, the Sherdils team performed at the 8th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
In 2011, the team prepared for the Turkish Air Show at Izmir, but the plan was canceled before they departured from Risalpur. Since then, the Sherdil Aerobatics Team (using K-8P Jets) has been performing air displays at graduation ceremonies of the PAF Academy Risalpur, 23rd March Pakistan Day Parades, various 14th August Pakistan Independence Day celebrations at Sea-View Karachi, and in other national and international events.
Sherdil Team Modernization
2017 to current (New Livery and Aerobatics Sequence) – In 2017, under Wing Commander Khalid Matin (Officer Commanding AJTS), a new livery of Sherdils aircraft was introduced. Significant improvements in smoke appearance and persistence were also made. The overall appearance of Sherdil Air Displays was enhanced by adding commentary and music for the audience. To improve the aesthetics of the Sherdil Aerobatics Display sequence, a newly choreographed and designed Aerobatics display sequence was adopted with the addition of more thrilling maneuvers and sequential smoke management techniques.
The New sequence of Sherdil Aerobatics Display is as follows:
- A 9-aircraft fly-by in "Spirit Formation.".
- The initial run-in was by a 9-aircraft approaching from the front of the audience, followed by a 7-aircraft Loop and a 2-aircraft "Shaheen Break" by No.8 & 9.
- After completing the loop, the 7-aircraft conducts a linear Bomb Blast and spreads out in multitudes of directions while crossing over the audience.
- 7g steep-turn by No.9 followed by a continuous Aileron Rolls pass by No.8.
- 6-aircraft Barrel-Roll in Arrowhead Formation.
- Tail-Slide by No.7
- Twister Pass by 5-aircraft with a 6th aircraft performing Twisters around the 5.
- 3-aircraft "Shaheen Break" by No.7, 8 & 9.
- Air Display ends with a 6-aircraft Formation Loop followed by a vertically downwards Bomb-Burst vertically downwards to exit the venue in 6 different directions.
Sherdils Aircraft Paint Scheme – To improve the appearance of display aircraft, the T-37s were initially painted red. However, maintaining these aircraft, without the expensive polyurethane coating, became challenging. As a result, the team switched back to an all-metal finish, with only the nose, wing tips, and tail painted in day-glow orange. In 1980, six ex-USAF T-37s, coated in all-white polyurethane, were added to the fleet. A sunburst paint scheme was implemented, featuring red rays on a white background. Later, the aircraft were repainted red, with the rays in white. Similarly, the K-8P jets were given an overall white color scheme adorned with red and blue stripes.
Experimental Livery – On August 14, 2017, the team publicly revealed a new livery of Sherdil jets (designed by Wg Cdr Khalid Matin) at an Air Display held in Islamabad, Pakistan for the country's 70th Independence Day celebrations. The fuselage was all-white with a green stripe running from nose to tail, culminating into an all-green vertical stabilizer with a large crescent and star on the tail. Because of the aerobatics and rolling maneuvers/inverted passes, a large crescent and star was painted on the underside of the aircraft.
New Livery for Sherdil Jets – The Sherdil's jets retained its livery (white, blue, and red stripes), and the new pattern was applied only to the underside. This livery continues to the present.
See also
References
- "'Pull-up' to 'Bomb-Burst': The Sherdils' Ride". Hilal. September 2017.
- "Pakistan's Sherdils team flies at air show". global.chinadaily.com.cn. 18 November 2010.
- Rehman, Zia Ur (25 March 2021). "Sherdils – the flagship aerobatic team of PAF, shows off its skills to an enthralled crowd, at the Pakistan Day parade".
External links
Media related to Sherdils at Wikimedia Commons
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