Ratan Tata not only had the passion to take the business forward, but was also adept at flying fighter planes. Ratan Tata was a licensed pilot. As long as his health remained good, he continued flying as a pilot. Most people might not know that Indian billionaire and former chairman of Tata Sons Ratan Tata was the first Indian citizen to fly the F-16 Falcon fighter aircraft. In 2007, at the age of 69, he surprised everyone by flying the F-16 Falcon fighter jet. In fact, at an airshow in Bengaluru, Tata served as co-pilot of the F-16, which was flown by Paul Hattendorf, a test pilot for aircraft maker Lockheed Martin.
spent about 40 minutes in the air
The F-16 Block 50 fighter jet flown by Ratan Tata is worth more than Rs 400 crore. This jet can reach a speed of more than 2,000 km/h. Tata spent about 40 minutes in the air and even took over the controls mid-flight. He was obviously tired at the time of landing, he said about this flight – It was great. Let us tell you, almost a decade after becoming the first Indian to become the co-pilot of F-16, Tata has signed an important agreement with Lockheed Martin to produce F-16 Block 70 in India.
He also had hobbies
Apart from flying planes, Ratan Tata was also fond of scuba diving. Ratan Tata, who never drank alcohol and was a non-smoker, deliberately decided to remain unmarried. He had his German Shepherds, Tito and Tango, with him in his home in Mumbai, and his love for them was always immense. Ratan Tata once said- My love for dogs as pets has always been strong and will continue as long as I live.
Image Credit: India-Tv.