New Delhi: In a historical moment, Indian Air Force got its first batch of women fighter pilots on Saturday when flying cadets Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chatuvedi and Mohana Singh were inducted into IAF’s fighter squadron.
They have cleared the first stage of training and each has about 150 hours of flying. The women, who broke the barriers to etch their names in the history of Indian Air Force, will get to fly fighter jets like Sukhoi and Tejas next year after completion of stage-III training at Bidar in Karnataka.
All three were commissioned into the Indian Air Force at the passing out parade at the Indian Air Force Academy in Hakimpet, Hyderabad where Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was also present. Among 130 trainees at the parade, there are 22 women officers including 3 fighter pilots.
Avani Chaturvedi, hailing from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, comes from a family of army officers. She was inspired by her brother who is also in the army.
She always wanted to fly and joined the flying club of her college.
Bhawana Kanth hails from Darbhanga in Bihar. As a child, she always dreamt of flying planes.
She opted for fighter stream after successfully completing her stage I training.
Daughter of an officer in the Indian Oil Corporation, she set the goal of becoming a fighter pilot and serve the nation.
Mohana Singh comes from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Her grandfather was a flight gunner in Aviation Research Centre and father is a warrant officer in the IAF.
Mohana is excited to continue the family legacy of serving the nation. .
Air Chief Arup Raha has said that the woman fighters will get no preference and will be assigned as per requirements of the force.
Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots.
However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream.
