Thailand's Queen Suthida has flown a fighter jet on her own. On October 8, she took off in a single-seat Gripen jet in Surat Thani. The flight lasted 41 minutes. King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched from the base. After she landed, he gave her flowers and a special badge. The palace calls her Thailand's first female Gripen pilot.
The queen, 48, followed the standard course for Thai Gripen pilots. She studied 45 subjects, flew 20 simulator sessions, and then trained in a two-seat jet. Earlier in life, she worked as a flight attendant. She has more than 1,188 flying hours and flies as the king's co-pilot on royal trips. In September, she sat in the co-pilot's seat when the royal plane landed in Hanoi.