From CK Nayak
VIENNA:In a rare show of respect and strength, two fighter aircrafts escorted the special Air India One in which President Pratibha Devisingh Patil was flying on her first visit to Austria the moment her plane entered its skylines.
Fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft which is designed primarily to attack ground targets. The hallmarks of a fighter aircraft are its small size, speed and maneuverability.
It was a scene to be believed when the two light green coloured aircrafts were flying on both sides of the Presidential special flight. The jets were flying close to the Air India plane but were keeping safe distance going up and coming down as per flight norms.
Both disappeared the moment President’s flight landed at the Vienna airport. The moment the aircrafts were sighted the crew announced their presence and purpose and it created quite a sensation.
Not only eager journalists, even the crew members and staff accompanying the President started clicking pictures from the plane window. Such menacing planes were largely introduced since World War I.