Students take joy ride on microlight aircraft

Vadodara, Feb 14 (PTI) A group of 19 students, eightof them girls, today took joy ride sorties on a microlightaircraft near here.

The memorable experience was provided to them by themembers of the Indian Air Force''s expedition, X�India 2011''which had halted at the IAF station at Harni.

The students were selected from local schools.

Talking to PTI, Group Captain M G Mehta, PublicRelations Office of Defence, said "the purpose behind it wasto motivate the youth to join the defence services."

The microlight aircraft flown by IAF personnelembarked on a 15-day adventure odyssey, ''X-India 2011, fromUdhampur on February 7.

The expedition has been conducted to demonstrate theadventure culture of defence services and also to motivate theyouth to join the services, Pratima Singh, an EducationOfficer at IAF station at Harni, said.

The expedition, during its journey, has landed atairbases of Bathinda, Nal, Jodhpur and Vadodara. Now it willland at Pune, Belgaum, Yelahanka and Sulur.