Ratan Tata flew F-16 Falcon fighter jet at the age of 69 in Bengaluru, became 1st Indian to…

Ratan Tata, the legendary industrialist and philanthropist, passed away at 86 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after a brief illness. His remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark, continuing to inspire future generations. Known for his business brilliance and generosity, many are unaware of another unique accomplishment—he became the first Indian civilian to fly an F-16 Falcon fighter jet.

In 2007, at the age of 69, Tata co-piloted the advanced fighter jet during an airshow in Bangalore. The event, which saw him fly alongside Lockheed Martin’s test pilot Paul Hattendorf, garnered widespread attention. The F-16 Block 50, worth over Rs 400 crore, is capable of speeds exceeding 2,000 km/h. Tata spent 40 minutes in the air, even taking control of the jet mid-flight. His response to this thrilling experience was simply, “It was great,” despite showing signs of exhaustion.  It made him the oldest Indian to fly an F-16.

Nearly a decade after becoming the first Indian to co-pilot the F-16, Tata signed a groundbreaking agreement with Lockheed Martin to produce the F-16 Block 70 in India.

Later, in December 2019, Tata took to social media and shared a picture of him in the fighter jet at the Aero India show. “It’s not just the end of a year, but the end of a decade too,” he captioned his post on Instagram. Ratan Tata also called the moment one of his favourite moments from the decade.

“I look forward with excitement to the new decade ahead, which is a great time to be relevant, to stand for causes you believe in, to create something from scratch, make special connections, laugh, and write a little bit of history. Here’s one of my favourite moments from this decade, flying the F18 Super Hornet at the Bangalore Aero Show,” he wrote.

Ratan Tata dies at 86

Tata Group Chairman and industrialist Ratan Tata passed away on Wednesday night. He breathed his last at the age of 86 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. He was battling poor health for several days. Two days ago, he posted on social media to not pay attention to any kind of “rumours” about his health.