Ratan Tata soars to the sky again, this time on a F/A 18

Bangalore, Feb 9: Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata today flew themulti-role F/A 18 F Super Hornet fighter manufactured by the aviationgiant Boeing at the Aero India-2007, the Asia's biggest air show beingheld at Yelahanka Air Force Station on the outskirts of the city.

Mr Tata, a flying enthusiast and a holder of civilian pilot'slicence, flew the latest air fighter from the US as a co-pilot alongwith Boeing's test pilot Todd Nelson, less than 24 hours after flyingthe F-16 of Lockheed Martin another US major in manufacturing militaryplanes.

The twin engined F/A 18 E, which belongs to the US NavySquadron-122, based in Lemoore, California, pierced into the sky aftera perfect take off at 10 AM and returned nearly one hour later. MrTata, accompanied with company's top technical officials, arrived atthe tarmac in a battery powered buggy from the Boeing's chalet, wherehe had undergone a test-flying stint at the simulator set up in themake shift structure, last evening.

They drove straight to the aircraft, which stood on the tarmac ofthe sprawling air base and climbed into the cockpit wearing his G-suit.The officials and the pilot briefed Mr Tata about the flight before thenine-month-old jet fighter took an almost vertical take off and soaredinto the blue sky.

After landing, 69-year-old looked sprightly as he disembarked fromthe cockpit and swiftly came down the stepped ladder, specially broughtto help the Tata Group Chief to make an easy entry and exit.

Little later he again met the US officials who presented him witha miniature model of F/A 18 E Super Hornet. The jet fighter is in therace for Indian Air Force's proposed deal purchase 126 multi-rolecombat aircraft. The other competitors were MIG-35 of Russia, the F-16and Swedish Gripen.

"It was a terrific, terrific ride. I really enjoyed today's ride.

I really got the feel of this plane, both at high and low speeds.It was a short flight tough and we didn't try many maneuver. It wasdifferent from F-16. We did different things in F/A 18 E. We waitedaround the aerial. We spent a lot of time waiting to come in," Mr Tatasaid soon after getting off the airplane.

The 36-year-old Pilot was visibly happy and said he was impressedwith Mr Tata's smooth handling of the control. "He did a great job.

We talked the airplane and he was appreciative of the canopy andthe view he could get from the cockpit. He was at the control fornearly 30 minutes as we soared to a height of 10,000 feet and also flewat as low as 500 feet," he said.

Asked how Mr Tata performed at the controls, Nelson said, "he is good, he is good."

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