Not Just A Passenger, Rajnath Singh Also Controlled And Flew The LCA Tejas For Some Time: DRDO Chief

Rajnath Singh today (19 September) became the first Defence Minister to fly a sortie in India’s indigenously made aircraft LCA Tejas. The exercise was conducted at the HAL airport in Bengaluru.

The Defence Minister was joined in the Tejas cockpit by Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari - the Project Director of National Flight Test Centre, ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency).

After landing from the sortie, Singh waved at the awaiting media-persons.

Incidentally, Singh was not just a passenger in the Tejas aircraft and also controlled and flew it for a brief moment while mid air.

During a media interaction, Singh while sporting aviators heaped praise on the HAL made aircraft, calling his flying experience very smooth and comfortable. He added that the aircraft has reached export levels.

During the interaction DRDO Chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy informed the media that Singh also flew the aircraft for sometime.

When asked as to how he managed to do so, Singh nonchalantly informed that he faced absolutely no issues and followed the instructions of Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari.

The Air Vice Marshal earlier informed that he flew the aircraft close to the speed of Mach 1 but Singh could not make out any difference in the flight experience and only realised it when toked by Tiwari.