Bangalore: Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Group, this morning took off for a sortie as a co pilot in the Boeing Corporation''s multi-role combat aircraft F-18 Super Hornet, from the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bangalore.

The US company is anxious to sell its F-18 to the Indian Air Force, which will order 126 multi-role combat aircraft to replace its Russian MiG-21s.

Yesterday, 69-year-old Tata took part in an hour-long sortie as a co-pilot in the multi-role light combat aircraft F-16, also designed and produced by Boeing. After the sortie he told domain-b''s Pooja Sarup, "It has been an exhilarating day."
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During this morning''s sortie, Tata piloted the fifth-generation strike fighter at the international air-show and also participated in manoeuvres within prescribed limits.