Thai Queen Suthida flies a Gripen fighter jet solo for the first time

Thailand’s Queen Suthida has flown a Gripen fighter jet alone for the first time.

She took off in a single-seat aircraft from a military airbase in Surat Thani province on Oct.

8, while King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched.

The royal household released footage of the flight the next day.

Suthida had trained in a simulator and spent about 10 hours flying in a two-seat Gripen beforehand.

She began flying in 2010 and has logged nearly 1,190 hours, and she often serves as co-pilot on royal trips.

The flight made her Thailand’s first female Gripen pilot, according to reports.

Thailand operates Gripen fighter jets and has ordered four more, with deliveries due by 2030.