NEWS

Lockheed Martin will brief Ratan Tata
February 8, 2007, The Asian Age

Bangalore, Feb. 7: Industrialist Ratan Tata, who is all set to fly the F-16 fighter aircraft as a co-pilot on Thursday afternoon, will be given various briefings by American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin in the hours preceding the flight. He will also have to go through a few procedures ahead of the flight that is expected to take place at 1 pm on Thursday at Bangalore.

Lockheed Martin officials at the Aero India show said that this includes 30 to 45 minutes of equipment-fitting, 60 minutes of F-16 simulator familiarisation, 65 to 80 minutes of pre-flight and aircraft briefings (that include information on safety procedures), 70 minutes of pre-flight aircraft and cockpit familiarisation before the actual flight that is expected to last from 30 to 60 minutes. He will also be given a post-flight debriefing session that will last 60 minutes.

Lockheed Martin officials said that Mr Tata had already been through pre-flight medical tests to confirm his fitness. Coming soon after the deal for steel giant Corus that the Tata group recently clinched, Mr Ratan Tata’s flight has evoked much media attention. Perhaps that’s why Lockheed Martin is tightlipped over the event.

The Tatas have been the pioneers in civil aviation in the country since the 1930s.