India gets first three women fighter pilots

India gets first three women fighter pilots

Hyderabad: Flying Officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh on Saturday, 18^th June 2016 created history by becoming India's first three women fighter pilots when they were formally commissioned into the Indian Air Force.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar commissioned them into the IAF after they successfully completed their training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Hailing from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan respectively, the trio was the cynosure of all eyes at the Combined Graduation Parade at the academy and said they were happy over the opportunity given to them to serve the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet from his personal Twitter handle: "It is a matter of immense pride & joy to see the first batch of women fighter pilots being inducted in our Air Force. More power to them."

The three women, who broke the gender barrier to etch their names in IAF history, will get to fly fighter jets next year only after the completion of stage-III training at Bidar in Karnataka.

The women, who earlier flew the Pilatus and Kiran jet trainers, will now get to train on the Hawk advanced trainer jets for a year before they can fly the supersonic warplanes.

They were visibly elated after the defence minister conferred on them the 'President's Commission' to formally induct them into the IAF.