The Queen of Thailand took her first solo flight as a fighter jet pilot on Thursday, after logging nearly 1,200 hours of flight time in various aircraft, including airliners.
Queen Suthida piloted a Saab JAS 39 Gripen in a 41 minute sortie, as King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched from the ground.
Footage released by the Thai royal household shows Queen Suthida, who the Thai Bureau of the Royal Household say had received training to a Thai Royal Air Force standard, taking off from an airbase in southern Thailand.
Landing after the flight, Queen Suthida was presented with a bouquet from the king a flight suit patch earned by pilots who have flown the jet.
