Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Queen Suthida Makes First Solo Flight in Gripen Fighter Jet
Queen Suthida of Thailand flew a fighter jet all by herself for the first time.
She flew a single-seat Gripen at an air base in Surat Thani on Thursday, October 8.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched her flight.
After she landed, he gave her flowers and a special flying patch.
She practiced in a simulator and had flown a two-seat Gripen before.
She has also flown several other kinds of planes.
Reports said she became Thailand's first female Gripen pilot.
Many people online praised her achievement.
Queen Suthida flew a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen solo on Thursday, October 8, at an air base in Surat Thani, Thailand.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched the flight and presented her with a bouquet and a Gripen Order Golden Patch afterward.
Reports say she prepared with weeks of simulator training and about 10 hours in a two-seat Gripen.
She has logged 1,188.48 flight hours, with experience in aircraft including Cessna, Pilatus, Piper, Boeing 737 and Gripen models.
Reports described her as Thailand's first female Gripen pilot; her flight also drew praise on social media.
- Who
- Queen Suthida flew the jet; King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched.
- What
- Suthida completed her first solo flight in a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen.
- When
- Thursday, October 8; the year is not specified consistently in the articles.
- Where
- An air base in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand; one report identifies it as Wing 7.
- Why
- The flight marked a milestone in Suthida's aviation career.
Reported milestone
Claims not independently confirmed
First female Gripen pilot
Reported milestone
Reports said the flight made Suthida Thailand's first female Gripen pilot.
Claims not independently confirmed
The articles provide no counterclaim or independent verification of that distinction.
First and only queen to pilot a fighter jet
Reported milestone
A social media post cited in one article described her as the first and only queen in the world to pilot a fighter jet.
Claims not independently confirmed
That description is attributed to local social media reports and is not independently established in the articles.
- Aircraft
- Single-seat JAS 39C Gripen
- Flight location
- Air base in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand; identified as Wing 7 in one report
- Flight experience
- 1,188.48 hours, according to the Bangkok Post
- Preparation
- Weeks of simulator training and about 10 hours in a two-seat Gripen, according to media reports
- Aircraft experience
- Cessna, Pilatus, Piper, Boeing 737 and Gripen aircraft
- Recognition
- The King presented her with a bouquet and a Gripen Order Golden Patch
- Gripen purchase
- Thailand signed a deal for three Gripen E jets and one Gripen F, worth around $556 million, with deliveries due by 2030
