Three aces: First women fighter pilots of Indian Air Force

(From left): Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh with their mothers Radha Kanth, Savita, and Manju Singh

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

The trio, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, successfully crossed the gender barriers in a male dominated force and 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.

For Bhawana Kanth, an engineering graduate and a native of Darbhanga, Bihar, her childhood dream came true. “I am here because of my luck and hard work. It was my dream to fly since childhood and it inspired me to join IAF,” says an excited Bhawana. Many people around Bhawana were not convinced when she told them she wanted to opt for the fighter stream. “People used to tell that challenges would keep on increasing and so will the gradient, 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. When she is not flying fighter jets, she likes to play badminton, and take part in adventure sports.

For Mohana Singh, it was about carrying forward three generations of family legacy. Her grandfather was an Flt Gunner in the Aviation Research Centre, while her father is also 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 Mohana, a native of Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. A singer and a photography enthusiast, Mohana is also an avid reader.

MP native Avani Chaturvedi got inspired from her few hours of flying experience in a flying club at her engineering college. Also hailing from a military family, Avani’s parents supported her throughout the process of selection and training. “My dream is to become a good fighter pilot, on whom my seniors can rely when it comes to flying for live operations,” says Avani.