Bangalore:Tata group chairperson Ratan Tata today (Feb 9,2007) hit the skies again as aco-pilot in the multi-role combat aircraft F-18 Super Hornet.

The 69-year-old industrialist flew the F/A-18E/F SuperHornet of the Boeing Corporation from the Yelahanka base of the Indian AirForce (IAF) in Bangalorea day after he co-piloted a F-16.

"Tata took off at 9.45 a.m. in the Super Hornet withpilot Dodd Nelson of the US Navy on an hour-long sortie over the Bangalore skies. He wentthrough a pre-flight briefing for about 15 minutes before he embarked into thecockpit," a Boeing official told sources on the tarmac.

During his second sortie, Tata piloted the fifth-generationstrike fighter at the international air-show by taking controls during theflight and engaging with the pilot for manoeuvres within prescribed limits.

Tata had taken to the skies yesterday (Feb 8, 2007) as aco-pilot in the multi-role combat aircraft F-16 in a 40-minute sortie. "Itwas good. A great experience flying F-16," Tata had said after the firstsortie.

The Super Hornet was originally designed for the US Navy asa multi-role carrier-based aircraft.

US-based global aerospace major Boeing is also pitching inF-18 for the IAF order of acquiring 126 multi-role combat aircraft to replacethe latter's ageing Russian-built MiG-21 fleet.