Indigo passengers on board a New Delhi-Raipur flight were in for a pleasant (mostly) surprise when they were told that their pilot was none other than Union Minister for Skill Development, Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

While most passengers were happy to learn that a minister was shepherding them, some were not so pleased and wondered if the minister was attempting to revalidate his commercial pilot's licence.

Others wondered if the Director General of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security would permit this since he was not on the roster.

Rudy often gives lectures to commercial pilots and his observations are sharp and his instructions are taken seriously.

Rudy has often expressed a desire to pilot long-haul  flights, especially abroad. For this he may have to undergo training, which has not been possible given his commitments.

During the 11th biennial edition of AERO INDIA 2017 at Yelahanka Air base in Bengaluru, Rudy had said he has flown a Sukhoi-30 (pictured).

Rudy has undergone training for a pilot for three years in a few aviation universities under skill development studies.