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Thailand’s Queen Suthida takes to the skies for solo flight in fighter jet
Thailand’s Queen Suthida first became a pilot in 2010. Since then, she has accumulated 1,188.48 hours of flight time across various aircraft.
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Thailand’s Queen Suthida made history with her first solo flight in a Gripen fighter jet in Surat Thani on Thursday, October 8. Reportedly, the queen was greeted by the king with a bouquet and the Gripen Order Golden Patch after she completed her flight.
The queen first became a pilot in May 2010, reported the Bangkok Post. Since then, she has flown several aircraft and accumulated 1,188.48 flying hours.
According to the Royal News Organisation, here are her flight hours for various aircrafts:
Cessna T-41: 315.33 hours
Pilatus PC-9: 105.59 hours
CT-4E Airtrainer: 38.35 hours
Piper PA-34 Seneca: 137.50 hours
Mooney M-20M: 98.40 hours
Her feat prompted various reactions on social media, with many celebrating her success. One X user wrote, “The Queen of Thailand flew a fighter solo today, becoming the first and only queen in the world to pilot a fighter jet”, while sharing a video of the queen in an aircraft.
Who is Queen Suthida?
Born on June 3, 1978, in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana graduated from Assumption University in Bangkok with a bachelor's degree in communication arts, according to a profile by the Thai government’s public relations department.
Soon after graduating, she began her career as a flight attendant for JAL Airlines, where she worked from 2000 to 2003. Later, she joined Thai Airways International from 2003 to 2008. After that, she joined the Royal Guard Unit under Royal Security Command as an operations staff officer.
In 2017, she rose to the position of Deputy Chief Aide-de-Camp to King Maha Vajiralongkorn under the Royal Aide-de-Camp Department (Rank of Special General). Then she became Deputy Commander of the Royal Security Command (Rank of Special General).
Marriage to the king:
King Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed Queen Suthida as the country's queen in 2019 ahead of his official coronation in the same year. Before Queen Suthida, Vajiralongkorn had three previous marriages.
During the wedding, Queen Suthida prostrated herself before the king. She presented the king with a tray of flowers and joss sticks. In turn, she received traditional gifts that are associated with royal power.
The time she flew with the king:
Earlier this year, in March, the royal couple stunned the world after visuals of them flying an aircraft together surfaced online. The photos and videos captured the king and queen flying to Laos during a state visit. At the time, the video created a stir on social media.
