We know that the boy ruler of the Hermit Kingdom has an affinity towards aviation, as pictures of him as a child in cockpits have surfaced and he is constantly giving 'field guidance' to fighter squadrons. But now, he has taken triumphantly to the skies, appearing to pilot, with some very hands on help, the most advanced aircraft in North Korea.
Wow, he must have that checklist really down!:
Kim Jong Un as a young boy clearly had a fascination with aviation:
The An-148-100Bs, one of which Kim Jong Un is seen piloting in the video above, were acquired by North Korea via Ukraine in the last few years and are flown by Air Koryo, North Korea's national airline. One of these jets also serves as Kim Jong Un's personal taxi around the region. The Cold War era pair of IL-62M airliners that served as VVIP transports in the past are said to have fallen into disrepair and are very prone to breakdowns, leaving some questioning how Kim Jong Un would travel for international trips in 2015.
There has been some speculation that these short-takeoff and landing capable An-148s may be put into service for international VVIP missions, which would require a lot of stops as they have a range of only about 2,200 miles. If none of North Korea's usual VVIP aircraft are used for international trips, than Kim Jong Un may have to take one Air Koryo's standard airliners, presumably a TU-204. Although doing so would greatly impact the airline's international operations as there are only a small handful of long-range jets in service with Air Koryo.
See what it is like to fly as a passenger on a North Korean AN-148:
North Korea's rapidly aging aircraft inventory was not an issue for Kim Jong Un's father, nor would you have ever found him behind the yoke in the cockpit, as he had a strong fear of flying. Instead, Kim Jong Il traveled by train, ranging as far as Moscow on certain occasions.
Although this is the first visual proof of it, Kim Jong Un is rumored to have 'taken the stick' while flying before, but then again he is also said to have done just about everything else possible and impossible as well.
Will the 'Young General' continue with his aviation fascination, possibly becoming a pilot himself one day, or was this just another photo op?
Stay tuned to our wacky and wild coverage of Un's adventures to find out.