Queen Suthida becomes 1st sitting queen to fly Gripen solo
World
Queen Suthida of Thailand just became the first sitting queen ever to pilot a fighter jet solo.
On October 8, she took off in a JAS 39C Gripen at the Royal Thai Air Force base in Surat Thani, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn watching from the ground.
After landing, she was honored with a gold Gripen Order patch for her achievement.
Queen Suthida is certified pilot
Before becoming queen, Suthida worked as a flight attendant and started flying lessons back in 2010.
She has now racked up nearly 1,190 flying hours and is certified to fly civilian planes, often co-piloting with the king during royal trips.
Most recently, she flew the royal aircraft from Bangkok to Hokkaido for an international ice hockey championship event.