New Delhi: Rajiv Gandhi's smooth landing into politics from a career as a pilot— like Orissa's late chief minister Biju Patnaik's before him—led many politicians of different shades take to the skies to hone their flying skills as a hobby, launch their own airline service or even make forays into commercial flying.
BJP MP from Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, 51, did the opposite of Gandhi by starting out as a politician and then venturing into flying. "I began flying in 2010 when I got a private pilot license. Then I got a Commercial Pilot License from the Patna Flying Club.
I fly A-320 commercial planes for an airline as an honorary pilot," Rudy, who was civil aviation minister in the NDA government, told ET.
Rahul Gandhi is also said to have learnt flying skills, according to sources, but chose his father's second profession. Several of the young Turks in politics have flown planes and choppers as a hobby.
Former union minister Sachin Pilot, a part of the Rahul Gandhi circle, once said that he learnt flying as he was often teased by friends that he had "pilot" as a surname but could not fly a plane. Jay Panda, 50, BJD MP from Kendrapara, flies his own chopper.
NCP leader Praful Patel also flies planesthough not the big commercial ones.
Rajiv Chandrasekhar, the business tycoon turned MP from Karnataka, also flies his own plane.
Read news in full 24/05/14 Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi/Economic Times
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