Thailand’s Queen made her first solo flight in a Gripen fighter jet on Thursday in the southern province of Surat Thani, the Bangkok Post reported.

Before the flight, the Queen received the King at Wing 7 airbase in the province’s Phun Phin district at 10 am. A briefing on the flight plan followed.

The royal couple then went to the parking bay of the single-seat JAS 39 C Gripen, a Swedish-made fighter built by Saab. The Queen inspected the aircraft herself before taking it to Runway 22 for takeoff.

After she landed, the King presented her with a bouquet and the Gripen Order Golden Patch.

The Queen first qualified as a pilot on May 13, 2010, flying a Cessna T-41D of Fleet 604 at Wing 6 in Bangkok. She has since logged 1,188.48 flying hours on a range of aircraft, including the Cessna T-41, CT-4E Airtrainer, Pilatus PC-9, Mooney M20M and Piper PA-34 Seneca. Most of her time, about 480 hours, has been on the Boeing 737-400 and 737-800. She has also flown 10.13 hours in a twin-seat Saab JAS 39D Gripen.

The Queen has also served as co-pilot to the King on domestic and international flights for royal duties. Last April, the couple landed a royal aircraft at Paro Airport in Bhutan, which is regarded as one of the world’s most challenging airports for pilots because of its mountain terrain.

Source: Bangkok Post