Enjoy the thrill and excitement of flying, hovering over the steel city, and get an aerial view of the city. A joy ride about 1000 feet above the city is an unforgettable way to experience the breathtaking beauty of Bokaro Steel City and its surrounding areas.

The State Civil Aviation department on Saturday flagged off a glider flying training facility under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved glider flight license course at Bokaro Steel City airstrip here.

Enthusiasts can book a 10-minute trip some 1,000 ft into the skies for Rs 800, informed Mukesh Kumar Deputy Commissioner Bokaro.

A short-term aviation training facility, which is the third of its kind in Jharkhand after Dumkia and Dhanbad, is now available for all selected aspirants who have cleared Plus Two with physics, chemistry and maths, and are at least 16 years of age along with a medical certificate of fitness.

The course fee has been kept at Rs 50,000 (for 20 hours) for general category trainees while there is a relaxation in fees for the reserved candidates.

On Saturday, the facility took off at the airstrip in the presence of a large number of officials, including trainer Captain J P Singh, Balwant Singh instructor, trainees, media persons and visitors.

Talking with the media persons at Bokaro airstrip, Singh said, “These training facilities have been launched with the aim of activating the abandoned or unused airstrips. Here, all interested candidates can use the facility to get trained on glider flying.”