Birthday gift: 100-year-old from Andhra Pradesh becomes co-pilot for a day

BENGALURU: In her 30-year-long career as a flight instructor, Saturday would remain unforgettable for Audrey Maben. It’s not because of a new flying adventure, but the experience of having an ebullient 100-year-old as co-flyer for the day.
The centenarian, who took to the Bengaluru skies was Ramudu Rongala from Nidadavole town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.Born on January 9, 1921, the freedom fighter arrived in Bengaluru on September 8 by air to visit his grandchildren residing in JP Nagar, not knowing his family had arranged a birthday surprise for him. “Thathaiah loves flying. Before coming here, he flew from Rajahmundry airport to Chennai to attend some work and from there, he took the flight to Bengaluru. When he was 96, he had flown to South Africa. So, five of his grandchildren decided to give him a flying surprise here,” said Arvind Rongala, one of his grandkids.
The family drove the senior patriarch to the Jakkur aerodrome on Saturday morning on the pretext of a picnic. His joy knew no bounds when he spotted a Zenith Air 701 two-seater microlight aircraft. “He walked enthusiastically towards me and boarded the plane with ease. Never in my flying career have I witnessed such a senior man so eager and daring to take the flight. He is truly an inspiration and it was indeed an honour to fly him,” said Captain Audrey Maben who holds the honour of being India’s first woman microlight flight instructor.
“It was a great feeling to see Bengaluru from the top and I hope to do it again,” a spirited Rongala said, after flying for 12 minutes. He even co-piloted the tiny aircraft during a bit of choppy weather with the guidance of Maben, who was awed by his age-defying alertness and swift manoeuvering in the cockpit. He returned to Nidadavole on Wednesday evening.