HAL Ajeet E-1083 is the most famous and most visible warbird in Bangalore. Located at the busy intersection at Cubbon Road, this aircraft was put up in 1997. Pic Courtesy : Rahul Devnath

Bangalore

Bangalore, the Capital city of Karnataka certainly takes the distinction of one of the most warbird rich cities in the country. Due to the prescence of HAL and other aeronautical establishments, it has a good legacy and history of aviation in its veins. Bangalore is the hotbed of the Indian Aviation Industry with the presence of various Aircraft Design Establishments like the National Aeronautical Laboratories (NAL), Aeronautical Development Authority (ADA), Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It also has its fair share of Indian Air Force Establishments in the region, being the Headquarters of Training Command at Yelahanka and also being home to the Air Force Technical College (AFTC) at Jallahali.  

Mangalore

In the temple town of Dharmasthala, near Mangalore, famous as the seat of the diety Lord Manjunatheswara, there is a small museum housing a HT-2 and  a DC-3 Dakota. The DC-3 [VT-CGQ] belonged to Birlas. It was flying till about 1995 then it was  donated here.

Bidar

Bidar is located at the border with   Andhra Pradesh and is much closer to Hyderabad and Dundigal than it is to Bangalore. Just about a 100 km distance from Hyderabad, Bidar has a full fledged Air Force Station flying the Kiran Mk Is and IA's as part of the curriculum of the Air Force Academy at Dundigal. It is also the homebase for the Suryakiran Aerobatic display team, flying the Kiran Mk II trainers.

This unmarked HAL HT-2 trainer is in Bidar Air Force Station, Homebase of the Suryakirans Formation Aerobatic Team. Pic Courtesy : Simon Watson

There is a HT-2 on display at the gate of the Air Force Station Bidar. The aircraft is unmarked with no serial on display.