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Flying into the history books

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  • Flying into the history books

    Karachi - 27/01/2006 -The first Pakistani passenger plane with a female pilot and all-woman crew flew on a domestic flight this week, making aviation history in the Islamic nation, an airline official said on Friday.

    Now the pilot, Ayesha Rabia Naveed, 48, who already has 6 000 hours experience flying as a co-pilot with Pakistan International Airlines, aims to captain larger jet airliners for the national carrier.

    The 40 passengers aboard on Wednesday's PIA flight from Islamabad to the eastern city of Lahore were told before takeoff that the pilot was a woman, but only found out afterward that it was a first.

    After the safe landing in Lahore, colleagues showered Naveed, co-pilot Sadia Aziz, and flight attendants Shazia Kauser and Tauseef Ashraf with petals and garlands as they left the Fokker turboprop plane.

    Despite opposition

    "That was a nice feeling and great sense of achievement for me," said Naveed.

    "I am trained on all types of equipment in the PIA fleet like the Boeing 747 and Airbus, and I had been flying them as a co-pilot. I believe days are not far off when I will be flying them as pilot-in-command," she said.

    Despite opposition from hard-line religious groups that often discourage women from jobs traditionally performed by men, PIA said it was proud to have the first all-women crew in the airline's 58-year history.

    The airline has 548 male and six female pilots. Until Wednesday, women had only served as co-pilots.

    Naveed learned to fly by taking lessons with a flying club in Lahore before joining PIA 15 years ago.

    She said she had no apprehensions before the historic flight, which she described as "smooth all the way".

    "There was no point of being scared as we are trained equally as our male colleagues," Naveed said.

    http://www.news24.com/News24/World/N...870803,00.html
    Welldone girls (or should I say Aunteejees )!
    Proud to be Pakistani :)

  • #2
    Neo,

    Interesting co-incidence that the flight was in a Fokker.

    India’s first all female crewed flight was also in a Fokker F 27 back on 29th November 1985.

    Which Fokker is this one? An F-27 as well?

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Hari_Om
      Neo,

      Interesting co-incidence that the flight was in a Fokker.

      India’s first all female crewed flight was also in a Fokker F 27 back on 29th November 1985.

      Which Fokker is this one? An F-27 as well?
      I didn't know you had Fokkers aswell

      PIA is still operating 7 Fokker F-27's on very low density domestic network. Average age of these pioneers is 30+ years
      Last year PIA ordered 7 ATR-42-500's to replace them, first aircraft is due in May this year.

      Btw. a Dutch joke;

      How do you call the first Fokker aircraft? :)

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Neo
        Btw. a Dutch joke;

        How do you call the first Fokker aircraft? :)
        The Mother of Fokkers?

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        • #5

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Bluesman
            The Mother of Fokkers?
            Correct!!

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Neo
              I didn't know you had Fokkers aswell
              India did certainly operate F27’s, though not anymore.

              As another factoid, an Indian F27 named Ganga played the leading role in an Indo-Pakistan flap back on 30th January 1971.

              PIA is still operating 7 Fokker F-27's on very low density domestic network. Average age of these pioneers is 30+ years
              Long in the tooth as the old girls may be, the F27 was no blot on Dutch Aviation’s escutcheon. If anything it burnished the escutcheon. 581 aircraft built (excluding the 206 close related ac built by Fairchild) and some of those still in service 50+ years after maiden flight, is a respectable record.

              Are the F27’s of the PAF and PN also being replaced ?

              Last year PIA ordered 7 ATR-42-500's to replace them, first aircraft is due in May this year.
              ATR-42-500's?

              I thought the PIA F27 replacement deal was going with Saab 2000 to bulk up the PAF’s Saab 2000 / Erieye deal with the DHC Dash 8 being the outside contender.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Hari_Om
                India did certainly operate F27’s, though not anymore.

                As another factoid, an Indian F27 named Ganga played the leading role in an Indo-Pakistan flap back on 30th January 1971.
                Yes, now I remember.

                Long in the tooth as the old girls may be, the F27 was no blot on Dutch Aviation’s escutcheon. If anything it burnished the escutcheon. 581 aircraft built (excluding the 206 close related ac built by Fairchild) and some of those still in service 50+ years after maiden flight, is a respectable record.
                Indeed, a very impressive history for such a small country.
                The civil aviation branch ceased to exisit due bankcruptcy, but Fokker is sill an established name in space industry.

                Are the F27’s of the PAF and PN also being replaced ?
                They might get replaced by P-3C Orions for MP role, but I have no official link to support that.

                ATR-42-500's?

                I thought the PIA F27 replacement deal was going with Saab 2000 to bulk up the PAF’s Saab 2000 / Erieye deal with the DHC Dash 8 being the outside contender.
                Yes, Saab and Alenia were shortlisted, but Saab won the military order only.
                ATR-42 is more reliable and efficient in mountanious area and hot climate as is seems.
                Here's the report;
                Purchase of ATR 42-500 Turboprop Aircraft Toulouse , 03 November 2005
                PIA inked an agreement with ATR for the purchase of seven new ATR 42-500 aircraft on November 2, 2005 at PIA Head Office. The agreement was signed by Mr Tariq Kirmani, Chairman & CEO of PIA and Mr Filippo Bagnato, CEO of ATR in the presence of the General Consuls of France and Italy.

                The aircraft will replace PIA’s aging F-27 aircraft fleet operated on socio-economic routes. The 7 firm 48-seat ATR 42-500 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2006 and 2007 with delivery of the first aircraft to PIA in May 2006.

                The total value of the contract is approximately US $100 million.

                At this auspicious occasion, Mr Tariq Kirmani said that “PIA carried out an in-depth evaluation of all aircraft available in this turboprop aircraft category. Demo flights were also conducted during the evaluation, the aircraft were gauged on various performance attributes for instance, passenger appeal and comfort, aircraft maintainability, operational durability and economics. PIA selected ATR 42-500 aircraft as it best suited these parameters".

                Mr Filippo Bagnato stated: “PIA is the second new customer to choose our aircraft this year. Once again, this commercial success is evidence of the strong resurgence of the turboprop aircraft in the regional aviation market. I’m very proud of the decision in favour of ATR. The ATR 42-500 offers a combination of exceptional overall performance and comfort unmatched in its class. The ATR 42-500 has outstanding performance when operating from hot-and-high & short runways, while maintaining the operating economics and reliability. This 48 seater aircraft has a specially designed low noise cabin interior providing maximum comfort to the passengers”.

                The purchase transaction of seven turboprop aircraft from ATR shall further strengthen Pakistan’s economic ties with France and Italy in particular and with Europe in general for years to come.

                Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 758 aircraft (398 ATR 42s and 360 ATR 72s).From January 1st 2005 onwards, ATR has sold 70 new aircraft including the 7 ATR 42-500 to PIA. ATR 42-500 aircraft are operated by several airlines around the globe substantiating its position as market leader among other turboprop aircraft.

                About PIAFounded in 1955, Karachi-based PIA operates 66 destinations (42 international and 24 domestic). With over 19,000 employees, the airline operates a total fleet of 39 aircraft, 9 of which are regional aircraft.
                About ATRToulouse, Southern France-based regional aircraft manufacturer ATR is the world leader in the 50 to 70-seat turboprop market. ATR is an equal partnership between Alenia Aeronautica (Finmeccanica group) and EADS. ATR is certified ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q 9001:2000 and EN/AS/JISQ 9100, the worldwide quality standard in the field of aeronautics.

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