Ratan Tata flies F-16 in aero show

READY TO TAKE OFF: Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata will fly a fighter jet at the Aero India Show in Bangalore.

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New Delhi: Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata is flying high—in a fighter aircraft and at near supersonic speed.

After taking over the $12.1 billion Anglo-Dutch steel-maker Corus, the 69-year-old tycoon flew a F-16 fighter jet at the Aero India Show in Bangalore on Thursday.

Tata was in the co-pilot's seat in the F-16, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, but was given full control of the flight for sometime.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Director Communications, Joe Stout said the company had approached Tata for the flight, as he was a respected industry leader and a pilot.

"We met him during Tata’s visit to the US. We had offered him to fly F-16 simulator but his tight schedule prevented him from doing so. When we brought F-16 here for this air show we approached him and he agreed," Stout said.

Tata, who wore a G-suit for the flight, was found to be fit for it despite his age. "Basic physical fitness tests were carried out on him, including his blood pressure, vision, colour blindness and heart condition," he said.

Asked if Tata was too old to be in the F-16, Stout said, "I don't think so. Only thing is you have to meet the basic physical requirements," he said.

The F-16 can go up to 9gs (highest gravitational measurement) and can acquire a speed of over Mach-2, which denotes that it goes up to twice the speed of sound.

Tata, who holds a pilot's licence, had said the thought of the F-16 flight "excites me very much." The Tatas are not new to aviation. Ratan Tata's predecessor JRD Tata is celebrated as father of India's civil aviation.

Tata himself flies the Falcon 200 owned by group company, Indian Hotels.

In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN had said that aviation is his first love and only passion. "The idea of flying an F-16 excites me. I am a trained pilot for both planes and helicopters," he said in the interview.

The F-16 Ratan flew belongs to Bloc 50 of the US Air Force. F-16, also known as Fighting Falcon, is in the race for Indian Air Force's mega plans of acquiring 126 multi-role combat aircraft. Lockheed has been lobbying hard to sell its jet to India.