Pune: Seventy-four-year-old A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Thursday flew in a Sukhoi-30 fighter plane, becoming the first President to make a sortie in a combat aircraft.

"It was a dream of mine since 1958, when I became an engineer, to fly in a fighter aircraft," Mr. Kalam said after a 36-minute flight during which he took the controls for three minutes.

Wing Commander Ajay Rathore, commanding officer of the SU-30 squadron, piloted the jet as it soared to a height of 25,000 feet (about 7.5 km). Mr. Kalam was allowed to turn the Sukhoi to the left and then to the right when he had the controls.

Clad in a G-suit, a beaming Mr. Kalam emerged from the jet and shook hands with senior IAF officers at the Lohegaon Air Base. Mr. Kalam, who became the first President to make a sortie in a submarine in February, said: "It was a beautiful experience."

Asked if he felt nervous when the jet reached speeds up to 1,200 km an hour, he said: "No, not at all, because I had a good captain with me."

Mr. Kalam said Wing Commander Rathore gave him "training last night" for the flight. He enthusiastically narrated how the Sukhoi banked left and right and went up and down before landing.

"Adventure is essential"

The President, whose application was rejected by the Air Force, exhorted the youth to take up career in the armed forces. "Adventure is essential for our youth. The Air Force gives a lot of opportunity for the young to take up challenges. It is a high technology area," the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces told reporters.

"I wanted to be a pilot since my childhood. Today, I was with my friend and teacher Wing Commander Ajay Rathore, who taught me successfully how to pilot the plane as well as [handle] warfare controls of the fighter," he said.

"I tried to understand various functions of the aircraft developed by Indian scientists," Mr. Kalam said, adding that he had asked Wing Commander Rathore to "tell me what my Indian scientists have done in these exercises".

Two Sukhois accompanied Mr. Kalam's jet during the flight, and the President was shown how to locate a target in the air and on the ground with the help of radar, Air Commodore M. Banerjee told reporters.

Mr. Kalam later watched a mock fight, involving 10 Sukhois and three Jaguars, and mid-air refuelling by two SU-30s.

On his arrival at the base, Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, Air Marshal P.K. Mehta, and Air Commodore M. Banerjee received the President. The `Air Warriors' of the base presented a ceremonial guard of honour to the President.

— PTI

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