Eurofighters escort Patil's special aircraft

Vienna, Oct 5 (PTI) In a rare honour, two Eurofighter
Typhoon combat jets escorted the Air India One aircraft
carrying President Pratibha Patil as it entered the Austrian
airspace.
Within seconds of entering the Austrian airspace from
Switzerland on Tuesday, two mean looking and gleaming jets
appeared suddenly on the left side of the President's plane.
Had the people on board including journalists not known
before about the fighters escorting the plane, many would have
skipped a heartbeat to see the combat jets right next to them.
Within seconds, those inside the Presidential aircraft
started shooting the jets in frenzy. But, only with their
mobile phones and cameras.
The jets are one of the latest combat aircraft that was
also used in the Libyan war to bomb Muammar Gaddafi's
strongholds.
The Eurofighters are one of the shortlisted contenders in
the Indian MRCA tender to purchase 126 "Medium Multi-Role
Combat Aircraft". The other competitor remaining in the race
is the French Rafale fighters.
After about two minutes, one of the jets suddenly pulled
back and flew to the other side of the aircraft.
From the flight attendants to the security on board and
journalists, everyone was just interested in getting the
perfect shot of the plane which in between also opened its
co-passenger shield as a mark of respect.
But the best view was just before the landing as all
three aircraft lost altitude and the jets were just at an
arm's length. One could see the fighter pilot sitting inside
the cockpit.
If that was not enough, President received a 21 gun
salute at the Vienna airport. It was indeed a sight to see the
guns firing away as Patil shook hands with Austrian delegation
that had come to welcome her.
Patil soon disappeared as the long siren blazing carcade
drove away to the one of the oldest hotel in the city, Hotel
Imperial, where the President is staying. Heavy police
presence was seen around the hotel.
Back in Switzerland too, President had received heavy
security cover. There was even an anti-riots vehicle parked
outside the President’s hotel in Geneva. The vehicle almost
looked like a tank.
The heavy presence of policemen outside the hotel was all
together a different experience for the locals as police can
hardly be seen on the roads on a normal day.
President was being provided security by the Swiss
special police. She even got an aerial cover whenever she
moved out of the hotel.
Patil always had stern looking Swiss commandos carrying
bags guarding her all the time. Inside the bag, the commandos
held on to their assault rifles, which looked like an MP5 gun.
Even the hotel that she stayed in Swiss capital Bern was
also heavily secured. It was just walking distance from the
Swiss parliament and the National Bank.