Indian Navy’s first woman pilot takes wing

Shivangi joined the navy in June 2018 after undergoing training at the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala.

Sub lieutenant Shivangi on Monday carved out a place for herself in naval aviation history by becoming the first woman pilot in the Indian Navy, a defence ministry spokesperson said. Until now, women officers only served as observers on board aircraft such as the P-8I submarine hunters and Ilushyin-38, also used for anti-submarine warfare.

Sub Lieutenant Shivangi became the first naval women pilot as she joined operational duties in Kochi naval base on Monday. She will be flying the Dornier surveillance aircraft of the Indian Navy. (ANI PHOTO)

The 24-year-old, who grew up in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district chasing dreams of becoming a pilot, is thrilled about being a trailblazer.

“The aircraft doesn’t recognise gender. It doesn’t care whether the pilot is a man or a woman. It’s quite exhilarating that my dream has come true. I have dreamt of flying since I was 10,” Shivangi, who only uses her first name, told Hindustan Times from Kochi.

Southern Naval Command chief Vice-Admiral Anil Chawla awarded her the coveted golden wings in Kochi after she successfully completed a “conversion course” with the Dornier training squadron INAS 550, also known as the Flying Fish.

The development comes two days ahead of the Navy Day on December 4, celebrated to commemorate the attack on the Karachi harbour during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

Shivangi joined the navy in June 2018 after undergoing training at the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kerala.

Life has been hectic after she was commissioned. In the first six months, she underwent rigourous flying training on the Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainer aircraft at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Telangana. A successful completion of the training paved the way for her to undergo the Dornier conversion course in Kochi. The next stage of training will involve flying for another six months at the Flying Fish squadron before she can be deployed on a mission.

“For all those women who aspire to fly, I can only say take the first step and work hard. If I can do it, any woman can do it…As for me, nothing could have been more joyous than receiving my wings in the presence of my parents,” she said. Shivangi said she and her parents plan to celebrate her achievement with a “quiet dinner”.

The navy uses it Dornier-228 fleet for maritime reconnaissance and patrol duties.

While women are not assigned to flying duties in the Indian Army, the ones in the Indian Air Force fly fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters.

“Navy has had women in the air for several years as observers on the P8-Is and Il-38s. But this is the first time a woman officer will fly a plane. It’s a step forward for women to find equivalence with their male colleagues in the service,” said Admiral Arun Prakash, a former navy chief.

He added that in the coming years, women were likely to be deployed on front-line warships as new-construction vessels will have separate accommodation for them.