President Draupadi Murmu on Saturday undertook a 30-minute sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet from Tezpur Airforce Station in Assam. The Sukhoi jet took off at 11:08 am and landed at 11:38 am. Before President Draupadi Murmu, the country’s 12th President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil had flown in Sukhoi in 2009.
Pratibha Patil made two world records by flying in Sukhoi. First- The first female President of any country to fly in Sukhoi. Second – the oldest woman of any country who took this flight. Let us tell you that Pratibha Patil was 74 years old then. His name is also recorded in the Guinness Book.
At the same time, before former President Pratibha Patil, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has flown from Sukhoi on June 8, 2006 while being the President. He was the first President of the country to do so. Pratibha Patil took off in a Sukhoi after him. Now Draupadi Murmu has become the third President to do so.
Let us tell you that on November 25, 2009, Pratibha Patil flew at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour at an altitude of 10,000 feet with Wing Commander A Sajan from the Lohegaon base of Pune Air Force for about half an hour. After flying the Sukhoi 30 MKI, President Pratibha Patil, dressed in army uniform, also took a ride on a T-90 battle tank.
