Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 12:42 AM IST
Ayesha Aziz: The youngest Indian pilot who plans to fly MIG-29 in Russia
'I want to reach the edge of space, for which we are talking terms with the Russian agency to fly the MIG-29,' she said.
Jammu: A commercial pilot licence has brought this 21-year-old girl from Jammu and Kashmir “unbound happiness” as she has not only achieved her dream but has also become the youngest pilot in India.
Ayesha Aziz, who got her licence last month, has already set her next target – to fly a MIG-29 fighter jet at Russia's Sokul airbase.
"I want to reach the edge of space, for which we are talking terms with the Russian agency to fly the MIG-29. So, that is going to be the next expedition – to fly the MIG-29 fighter jet," NDTV quoted Ayesha as saying.
Ayesha Aziz, who studied in Mumbai and whose parents hail from Baramulla district in north Kashmir, was awarded a student pilot licence by the prestigious Bombay Flying Club when she was just 15.
She has also earned Flight Radio Telephone Operator's Licence (FRTOL) and is a member of Indian Women Pilots Association (IWPA).
While she was studying in class 12 at Christ Church School in Mumbai, a NASA team visited the school and selected her, along with two boys, for a space training programme.
During the two-month course, she received advanced training in space shuttle mission, multi-axis training, micro-gravity, manned manoeuvring unit and extra vehicular activity (EVA).
