Zeenews Bureau
Pune: Minutes after creating history by becoming the first woman ever to fly a Sukhoi-30 MKI, a proud and beaming President Pratibha Patil said women were capable of doing anything with success.
“Technical requirements, qualifications etc for flying is a thing for the experts and Government to mull over, but I have full faith in the capability of women of this country. Whatever work they have done till today, they have excelled in it,” she said on being asked her opinion on the controversy about IAF not being in a mood to allow women to fly combat jets.
Flashing a victory sign after landing at the Lohegoan
air force base here, the 74-year old President shook hands
with the pilot Wing Commander S Sajan of the two-seater Sukhoi
and patted him for a smooth sortie in the combat jet plane.
Shortly after landing, the President was driven to a
rest house where she underwent a medical check up.
“I usually do yoga and workout on treadmill. The IAF people told me what all precautions to take. Otherwise also I am very careful in my daily routine. I was confident I would make it,” she said.
“Not even my near and dear ones were afraid- they were excited,” she said.
On her experience of being a co-pilot in a fighter jet, she said it was a ‘very good experience.’ “I wanted to see how well our pilots could fly these highly advanced machines and tell our forces that the whole country is with them,” she said.
“The pilot told me how the plane is manoeuvred and I flew the plane under his instructions. I have all the admiration for these men. Their machines and their training is very sophisticated,” she said.
She also said she wouldn’t mind flying again.
Patil said she was extremely proud of the defence forces who were capable of protecting the country’s skies, land and waters.
“I am reassured that the IAF has all the strength to keep Indian skies blue,” she added.
Patil is the second President to fly in a fighter
aircraft after A P J Abdul Kalam who was flown at speeds a few
notches below supersonic levels for 30 minutes without sharp
manoeuvres also from the Lohegaon airbase.
Patil, who was seated in the co-pilot`s seat in the
aircraft, had donned a `G-suit` worn by fighter pilots to
counter the gravitational effects due to high speed
manoeuvres.
A Sukhoi, India`s most advanced fighter plane, can carry
eight tonnes of armaments and fly over 3000 kms with onboard
fuel and can undertake an extended journey of upto 5000 kms
with a single air-to-air refuelling.
-PTI inputs
