All set to go

President Pratibha Patil spends most of her first day in the city going over last minute tips and updates ahead of her maiden Sukhoi voyage

President Pratibha Patil, currently in the city on a three-day visit, has her hands full with last-minute updates and tips for her maiden Sukhoi flight today.

The President has been given considerable briefings about the do's and don'ts during her sortie in the Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft. She has been regularly warned about not touching the handle on the rear cockpit where she will be seated. The reason; it's an ejection handle that is to be used only in case of an emergency.

A senior IAF officer told MiD DAY, "The IAF officers have given the President a detailed briefing about the Sukhoi aircraft. They have also shown her video clips on how the rear cockpit where she will be seated looks.

She has also received briefing as to how she can board and adjust to the G-forces that she will experience when the aircraft travels in supersonic speed."

Fit and fine
Even though, the President is in the city, she has been advised to take complete rest before the flight and has also been advised not to remain on an empty stomach before the sortie.

The Su-30 MKI, in which the President will take a sortie, is an advanced fourth generation, state-of-the art fighter aircraft of Russian origin. It has a tri-plane configuration along with a fully digital fly-by-wire control system and thrust vectored nozzles.

Clear sky
The weather department has forecast a clear sky for today. "A clear sky is important for the fighter aircraft as clouds can disturb visibility and also affect the instruments," the IAF source said.

Medha Khole, deputy director of India Meteorology Department said, "We have given information to the Protocol office of the district collector informing that the weather on the whole will be fairly clear".

The President with her entourage arrived yesterday afternoon from Goa and proceeded to Raj Bhavan, where she will stay for three days.