Thai Queen Suthida flies solo in a JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet
Queen Suthida piloted a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen alone on 8 October from the Wing 7 air base in Surat Thani, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn watching from the ground.
First solo flight
Queen Suthida of Thailand flew a single-seat JAS 39C Gripen fighter on her own on 8 October, according to a statement from the Thai government cited by HotNews.ro. She took off from the base of Wing 7 of the Royal Thai Air Force in Surat Thani, in southern Thailand, after completing her military training. Official communication described her as the first reigning queen to pilot a fighter aircraft alone. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, watched the flight from the ground, and images released by the Royal Household showed the take-off and landing. A video of the flight drew considerable interest on social media.
- Adaptation course begins between June and July 2026
- Solo flight from Wing 7 base in Surat Thani
- King presents flowers and the Gripen Order golden patch
Training programme
The adaptation course, which the Royal Thai Air Force designates as type 20, began between June and July 2026 and included 20 simulator missions. Before the Gripen, her preparation included flights in the Pilatus PC-9 turboprop and the L-39 Albatros jet trainer. She then flew a two-seat JAS 39D Gripen with an instructor for about 10 hours. The solo flight of 41 minutes was the final stage of the course, and the programme followed the standard Gripen pilot training of the Royal Thai Air Force. The Bureau of the Royal Household said the training lasted several weeks and included simulator sessions and practical flights.
Flying experience
HotNews.ro puts her logged flight time at more than 1,188 hours on several aircraft types, while Rai and Tgcom24 describe it as over a thousand hours. She holds qualifications for several light and commercial aircraft, including the Boeing 737-400 and 737-800, according to the Romanian report. Rai reports that she worked as a flight attendant before joining the royal family and has been a pilot since 2010. She has repeatedly served as copilot on state visits, flying these airliners.
- Flight with instructor, JAS 39D
- 10 hours
- Total flight hours (over, HotNews.ro)
- 1188 hours
Ceremony and the Gripen fleet
After landing, the king presented her with flowers and the 'Gripen Order' golden patch, a distinction awarded to pilots who have flown the JAS 39 Gripen. Tgcom24 described the award as a gold medal, while Rai called it the 'Gripen Order Golden Patch'. Thailand bought 12 Gripen C/D fighters from Sweden. According to HotNews.ro, those aircraft were used in combat during the border conflict with Cambodia in July and December 2025.
