Women pilots to soon fly Sukhoi, Tejas jets

It was a historic morning at the Air Force Academy in Dundigul, Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday when defence minister Manohar Parrikar commissioned three young women into the IAF’s fighter squadron.

The three, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, successfully broke gender barriers in a male dominated force to became the first-ever women to take up combat roles in the Indian Air Force. They will soon be flying fighter jets like the Sukhoi and Tejas, which were only flown by male officers till now.

Flying Officer Kanth, an engineering graduate and a native of Darbhanga, Bihar, said, “I am here because of my luck and hard work. It was my dream to fly since childhood and that inspired me to join IAF.”

Many people around Fg Off Kanth were not convinced when she told them she wanted to opt for the fighter stream. “People used to say that challenges would keep on increasing, but it sounded clichéd to me,” she says, adding that a successful completion of solo spin in a fighter jet at 20,000 feet during training session skyrocketed her confidence.

For Mohana Singh, it was about carrying forward three generations of family legacy. Her grandfather was a Flt Gunner in the Aviation Research Centre, while her father is a senior IAF official. “This was a dream instilled in me by my parents and grandparents. My grandfather used to go to different places, on various missions. I also wanted to live the same life,” says Fg Off Singh, a native of Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. A singer and a photography enthusiast, Fg Off Singh is also an avid reader.

MP native Avani Chaturvedi got inspired by her few hours of flying experience in the flying club at her engineering college. Also from a military family, Fg Off Chaturvedi’s parents supported her through the process of selection and training.

“My dream is to become a good fighter pilot, on whom my seniors can rely on when it comes to flying for live operations,” says Fg Off Chaturvedi.