Kalam on wings of fire
The Sukhoi-30 MKI with its special payload took off at 10.30 am even as hundreds of Indian Air Force officers and some three dozen journalists watched. Kalam co-piloted the plane with Wing Commander Ajay Rathore, commanding officer of the Lightning Squadron based at Lohegaon.
The President had called on Commander Rathore on May 18 when he was given instructions on what he needs to do as co-pilot and how to operate a fighter plane.
Last night when he arrived in Pune, he was again briefed and given a demonstration about how the flight would go.
This morning half a dozen IAF pilots accompanied Kalam to the aircraft and gave him further instructions before takeoff.
Image: Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter planes lined up at the Lohegaon Air Force base.
Photograph: T S Ashok/Rashtrapati Bhavan
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