By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil has been undergoing a fitness regime for the past two-three months for her maiden flight in Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter jet Sukhoi Su-30MKI on Nov 25.
The IAF is leaving nothing to chance in the the run up to the flight from Lohegaon air base in Pune.
“The process (for her fitness) has been going on for the last two-three months. The president has been examined by her physicians and doctors from CME (Centre for Medical Examination, IAF). At present all the parameters are normal,” IAF Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik told reporters here.
A final fitness test will be done on 74-year-old Patil before the scheduled flight as well.
“Before she gets into the aircraft an examination will be done and if she is fit then only will she fly,” said Naik.
Patil, who is the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces, will make history by becoming the first woman to fly in an IAF fighter plane.
“My president, who happens to be my supreme commander, is flying in an IAF plane, it is a matter of pride for us. It is a way of showing solidarity with the IAF,” Naik added.
The IAF is hunting for a G-suit (anti-gravity suit) for Patil. The G-suit helps the pilot withstand high gravitational pressure during the flight as it prevents excessive blood from flowing to the brain.
Patil is following in the footsteps of her predecessor A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Patil, who is India’s first female president, will also become the first woman to fly in an IAF fighter plane. The air force currently has 784 women officers working in different branches, but presently they are barred from the fighter stream.
“We have lady pilots in the IAF. I think it will take some time before they (females) are taken in the fighter stream,” added Naik.
Earlier Kalam, the father of the Indian missile programme, had taken a ride in a submarine in 2006 and followed it up with a sortie in a Sukhoi the same year. He too made his debut flight on a fighter from Lohegaon air base in Pune.