Endangered

Flying to a new high

Women as flying officers are doing an ace job, even outperforming the men. Madhu Prasad finds out more.

Today, women have excelled in every field and it holds good with the case of the Indian Air Force (IAF) too.

History tells us that the first licensed woman pilot was the Harriet Quimby of United States who flew in 1911 but her actual induction into the U S air force was decades later. In India too, the induction of women in the IAF was cleared in 1990 but the actual induction process started in 1992.

Training is the key to the IAF’s secret weapon: the quality of its people, claims the IAF. By investing in young men and women, the IAF maintains a decisive edge over potential enemies. “Hard in training - easy in battle” is an IAF motto. And women are IAF’s most valuable resource says, Air Force Technical College, Commandant, Air Commodore, Kamal Singh. Quite satisfied by the performance of the women officers during the last decade, Singh says in certain cases they outperform men.

The entire women officers under technical branches are trained at Air Force Technical College in Bangalore. “They are treated at par with their male counterparts and women in IAF have proved themselves,” he added. “We believe in equality and the Indian women officers are second to none, ” Air Commodore says adding that, “There is no gender bias in the IAF.”

“Today, women are in every branch of the IAF except for the combat pilots. Giving their best in every mission, women officers are present in all the branches of Air Force both technical and non-technical,” Mr Singh said.

For Flying Officers Neha Puri, Limna Narayanan, Manpreet Kaur and a host of other, apart from offering you a career opportunity that is exciting and fulfilling. “Air Force offers you an unparalleled way of life. As an officer with the Indian Air Force, you will lead and manage, and will be posted either as a pilot, or a navigator, or a technical or a ground duty officer in any one of the Air Force bases,” they say.

Flight Lieutenant Bismi Devaseey, who is a transport pilot with the IAF, believes in, “Live for today, plan for tomorrow and party tonight.” She is currently posted at the Yelahanka Air Force base and loves every moment of flying. When on the ground, she likes to unwind with a game of tennis. “For me, to be a pilot is more than just a career option. My husband is also an aviator, and seeing him in his flying gear always fascinated me. If asked about my ambition in life, I would always say, the culmination of everything I had ever wished for.”

For Administrative Officer, Shilaja, life in the Air Force is a unique combination of discipline and excitement. But one thing is for sure, there is never a dull moment. We begin work as early as 7:00 am to prepare for our briefing and mission. After the mission and de-briefing sessions are over, a game of tennis and a social evening with colleagues is the perfect way to relax.

But there are always times when one is required to be on duty almost around the clock. “One such instance was during the emergency situation when I was ordered out on a CASEVAC (Casualty Evacuation) at 1 am. The casualty had occurred in the adjoining village where I was posted. Missions like these are routine. But every mission brings with itself a new challenge and a new thrill. I guess that’s the best part of being in the Air Force,” she said.

According to Indian Air Force Spokesperson, Wing Commander Raghunath, because of the women who broke barriers in the field of flight, there exists one more way for women to dare. The first woman who reached the top of the world by climbing Mt Everest was Junko Tabei in 1975. Without the tenacity of women such as these, surely more boundaries would still be in place. One would see far fewer women standing in the ration line than before lifts in corporate offices and even fewer women elected to political office, he added.

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