The late business tycoon Ratan Tata was a man of many parts. Among his many passions was a certain knack for the “need for speed”, and it was proven when he once soared over Bengaluru in an F-16 fighter jet, an experience that remains one of the most iconic chapters of his life in aviation.
It was February 2007, during the Aero India Show in Bengaluru, when the then 69-year-old Tata Group chairman accepted an unusual invitation from US defence major Lockheed Martin.
Tom ‘Maverick’ Cruise, known for his larger-than-life stunts and equal passion for everything that moves fast, is currently 63 years old. Tata was six years older. Let that sink in for a second.
The Billionaire Who Loved The Sky
Known for his passion for flying, and licensed to pilot both jets and helicopters, Ratan Tata was invited to co-pilot an F-16 Fighting Falcon, one of the world’s fastest and most agile combat aircraft.
Under the supervision of a Lockheed Martin pilot, Tata took partial control during the half-hour sortie. The duo climbed and dived over the Devanahalli skies, even flying as low as 500 feet above the terrain. For a man who had spent much of his life in boardrooms, this was a rush of a very different kind.
‘It’s Just Unbelievable’
Recalling the flight, Tata described the experience with unfiltered excitement. ‘You end up feeling very timid. We did a few things when the commander took over and did some roles, and all of it was very exciting. We went down to around 500 ft of the deck, and it flew around the topography, and it’s just unbelievable because you just climb over a hill and come down, turn on your side or turn over. It’s just unbelievable,” he said.
The Lockheed Martin pilot who accompanied him was equally impressed by the industrialist’s composure. ‘He was absolutely thrilled. The highlight was when we flew at low altitudes, around 500 feet, at 600 knots. You get a real sense of how fast this aircraft can move,’ the pilot said.
A Sky-High Week For Tata
As if one supersonic flight wasn’t enough, Tata returned to the air the very next day, this time aboard Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet. Bigger, heavier, and designed for aircraft carrier operations, the F-18 marked the second fighter jet he co-piloted within 48 hours.
Upon landing, Lockheed Martin officials greeted him with a scaled replica of the F-16, a gesture symbolising not just the flight, but the company’s ongoing bid for a lucrative Indian Air Force contract.
A Legacy Beyond Boardrooms
Tata’s aerial exploits reflected the same fearless curiosity that shaped his business career. For him, flying was not merely a hobby; it was a lifelong fascination with machines, motion, and mastery.
Ratan Tata passed away in Mumbai on October 9, 2024, at the age of 86. Yet stories like his daring flight over Bengaluru’s skies continue to soar, much like the man himself, always pushing limits, always looking upward.