President makes a strong case for women fighter pilots
President Pratibha Patil, who on Wednesday became the first woman head of state to fly in a combat plane, has made out a strong case for the induction of women fighter pilots
into the Indian Air Force.
President Patil’s flight aboard a Sukhoi-30MKI, undertaken in a `G-Suit,’ the attire worn by fighter pilots, was expected to give a strong push to the demand for assigning a new role to women officers working in the IAF, particularly those who were already flying choppers and transport planes, and were rooting for being inducted as fighter pilots.
``The technical requirements and qualifications and situations which one has to face are the issues which experts and the govt will decide and consider. But let me tell you, I have full faith in our women. They have the capability and the ability...they have done exceedingly well...and I have no doubt about their capabilities,’’ she remarked, in what was being seen as a thumbs-up for the demand by female pilots to allow them to fly fighter jets.
Ms Patil is the second President, after her predecessor A P J Abdul Kalam, to fly in a fighter jet. Kalam was flown in a Sukhoi in 2006. Ms Patil said she had been preparing well for the event. ``I had been working out on a treadmill and doing yoga. I exercise regularly, so it was not very difficult,’’ she said, smiling.
Wing Commander S Sajan, who piloted her, maintained she was natural: ``She was very confident...she even recognised the Baramati air-strip,’’ he said after the 30-minute long sortie.
Flashing a victory sign after landing at the Lohegoan air force base here, the 74-year old President shook hands with Wing Commander Sajan and patted him for a smooth sortie in the combat jet plane.
Ms Patil, who also become the oldest woman to fly in a warplane, posed for photographs on the tarmac with the pilot, who has over 3200 hours of flying experience, top officers and the aircraft maintenance staff.
Shortly after landing, the President was driven to a rest house where she underwent a medical check up. A pre-flight medical test had given the President a green signal for undertaking the journey.
Before taking off, she was briefed about emergency exit procedures and various parameters of the flight in the Sukhoi-30 aircraft of city-based 30 squadron, the ‘Rhinos’.
A Sukhoi, India’s most advanced fighter plane, can carry eight tonnes of armaments and fly over 3,000 km with onboard fuel and can undertake an extended journey of up to 5,000 km with a single air-to-air refuelling.
into the Indian Air Force.
President Patil’s flight aboard a Sukhoi-30MKI, undertaken in a `G-Suit,’ the attire worn by fighter pilots, was expected to give a strong push to the demand for assigning a new role to women officers working in the IAF, particularly those who were already flying choppers and transport planes, and were rooting for being inducted as fighter pilots.
``The technical requirements and qualifications and situations which one has to face are the issues which experts and the govt will decide and consider. But let me tell you, I have full faith in our women. They have the capability and the ability...they have done exceedingly well...and I have no doubt about their capabilities,’’ she remarked, in what was being seen as a thumbs-up for the demand by female pilots to allow them to fly fighter jets.
Ms Patil is the second President, after her predecessor A P J Abdul Kalam, to fly in a fighter jet. Kalam was flown in a Sukhoi in 2006. Ms Patil said she had been preparing well for the event. ``I had been working out on a treadmill and doing yoga. I exercise regularly, so it was not very difficult,’’ she said, smiling.
Wing Commander S Sajan, who piloted her, maintained she was natural: ``She was very confident...she even recognised the Baramati air-strip,’’ he said after the 30-minute long sortie.
Flashing a victory sign after landing at the Lohegoan air force base here, the 74-year old President shook hands with Wing Commander Sajan and patted him for a smooth sortie in the combat jet plane.
Ms Patil, who also become the oldest woman to fly in a warplane, posed for photographs on the tarmac with the pilot, who has over 3200 hours of flying experience, top officers and the aircraft maintenance staff.
Shortly after landing, the President was driven to a rest house where she underwent a medical check up. A pre-flight medical test had given the President a green signal for undertaking the journey.
Before taking off, she was briefed about emergency exit procedures and various parameters of the flight in the Sukhoi-30 aircraft of city-based 30 squadron, the ‘Rhinos’.
A Sukhoi, India’s most advanced fighter plane, can carry eight tonnes of armaments and fly over 3,000 km with onboard fuel and can undertake an extended journey of up to 5,000 km with a single air-to-air refuelling.
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