Click to play videoPune: President Pratibha Patil swapped her saree for a G-suit and flew into history on Wednesday when she became the oldest woman to fly in a Sukhoi 30 fighter jet.
After her approximately 40 minute sortie in an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi 30 MKI the President said she is confident that Indian armed forces are more than capable of defending the borders.
President Patil also pitched hard for women pilots in the IAF.
"Earlier we did not have any women force in defence forces. Now we have them in various fields. This is a continuous process. Let us see that a proper decision will be taken on women flying fighter planes," she said.
The President's jet was commanded by Wing Commander S Sajan and took off smoothly in the slightly chilly, but sunny early winter morning from the Lohegaon Air Force base on the outskirts of Maharashtra 's IT and academic capital at around 1055 hrs IST
During the approximately 40 minute sortie, the aircraft flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet at a speed of around 800 kmph or 0.9 Mach, but did not achieve the supersonic levels of around 1,100 kmph, an IAF spokesman said.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
 |
 |
 |
|
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.