Putin admits piloting of fighter jet easier than hang-gliding
MOSCOW. Sept 6 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted that it was easier for him to pilot a fighter jet than a hang-glider.
"A fighter jet [was easier to pilot]. The pilot gave me the joystick and I made a couple of maneuvers, a barrel roll, under his guidance. This [hang-glider] is a much more sensitive gear. Adrenaline rushes as soon as turbulence starts. But it is so interesting and beautiful. This is a truly pleasant feeling. I recommend anyone wishing to try it," he said in an interview with Izvestia published on Thursday.
The newspaper asked Putin how he started flying a hang-glider. "It all started from white cranes. The program was launched after I had been told that white cranes raised at a farm were taught to fly with the help of a hang-glider. We were late last year - cranes are acquainted with the hang-glider sound while they are still inside an egg. So we agreed to do that within a year," he said.
Putin has been a patron of leopards, tigers and some other species. Asked which species might be next, he said, "We shall see. We need to speak to specialists. This is not just for fun; there must be some use. Specialists will decide what is more important. By the way, they recommended the [white crane] program, it was not spontaneous."
Putin took part in the "Flight of Hope" project of Russian ornithologists saving a rare crane species, Siberian white crane.
On his way to Vladivostok to attend the APEC summit, Putin came to Salekhard and took a helicopter to the Kushevat ornithologist station. He spoke to members of the "Flight of Hope" expedition and took part in an experiment of showing a flight route to white cranes raised at a farm.
Putin made three flights on a hang-glider the nestlings take for their leader, the first flight was familiarizing and in the other two he was accompanied by cranes. Cranes were let out of their cage, and only one of them followed the hang-glider at first. Putin told reporters later that the wind was too high and the hang-glider was moving too quickly, so cranes simply could not catch up.
The second flight was successful - five cranes followed the hang-glider at first but only two were left after several circles. They flew for about 15 minutes catching the wind.
