Kalam on wings of fire
On his return, when asked whether he was nervous, President Kalam quipped: "There was no time to be nervous."
"I went up. I went down. I took right and left turns," he said in his typical childlike manner. "I did every thing that Commander Rathore told me to do. He is a great teacher. I feel proud that our country has such great and good pilots."
Asked about the purpose of the entire exercise, he said, "I want to give a message to young Indians that they should join the Indian Air Force. They should be adventurous and feel proud of our defence forces. We have a great team of IAF pilots and after flying today I am proud to say that our country is in safe hands."
Before the President's plane took off, two other Sukhois demonstrated the aircraft's mid-air combat capabilities.
Since passing out of the Madras Institute of Technology where he specialized in aeronautical engineering, Kalam had been associated with avionics. In particular, he was deeply involved with the country's Light Combat Aircraft project. A year ago, he visited the Sukhoi design bureau in Moscow where he held discussions on a fifth-generation aircraft.
Image: The President all geared-up, wearing an oxygen mask before take-off.
Also See: Spreading cheer, Kalam in Kashmir