PUNE: Seventy-five-year old Indian President Pratibha Patil entered the Guinness Book of World records, when she became the first woman president in both India and the world to fly in the Russian built Su-30 MKI Sukhoi fighter aircraft. She also became the second Indian president to fly in the plane, the first being former President APJ Abdul Kalam in June 2006
Soon after her arrival at the IAF airbase in Pune on Wednesday morning, and after reviewing a guard of honor, Patil underwent a mandatory fitness check and briefing before donning a fire-resistant flying overalls and G-suit.
After being certified medically fit to fly the fighter aircraft Patil sat in the rear of the aircraft with Wing Commander S. Sajan in command. She was airborne for 30 minutes. The sortie is seen as making a case for the induction of women fighter pilots in the air force.
The Sukhoi-30 MKI is stationed with the Rhino squadron that celebrates its 40th birthday this month. The aircraft, capable of a maximum speed of 2120 kph, reached a speed of about 800 kph.
An IAF official said the flying experience for the president was a familiarization sortie where the emphasis had been on making her comfortable with flying in the frontline fighter aircraft.
“Since it was a familiarization flight, the pilot made every attempt to position the aircraft so that the president could view key sites on the ground,” an official said.
The president’s plane was escorted by two other Sukhoi-30 MKIs to enhance the experience of movement in the flying environment.
Patil on disembarking from the aircraft said that she was delighted and thrilled with the experience of flying in the aircraft. “I shall remember this for a very long time,” she added.