Shivangi becomes Navy’s first woman pilot
Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi of the Indian Navy on Monday became first naval woman pilot and joined operational duties in the presence of top naval officials at its base. It is a very proud feeling for me. It is a different feeling,” Shivangi said. Fulfilling her long-cherished dream, she received her ‘qualification wings’ from the chief of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral AK Chawla.
KOCHI: Sub-Lieutenant Shivangi of the Indian Navy on Monday became first naval woman pilot and joined operational duties in the presence of top naval officials at its base here.
“It is a very proud feeling for me. It is a different feeling,” Shivangi told reporters here.
Fulfilling her long-cherished dream, she received her ‘qualification wings’ from the chief of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral AK Chawla. “I have been craving for this for a long time. It is a great feeling,” she said.
She joined the Indian Navy as its first woman pilot on completion of operational training here.
Hailing from Muzzafarpur in Bihar, Shivangi would be flying the Naval Dornier surveillance aircraft. As part of her training, Shivangi has flown Pilatus PC 7 Mk II, Basic Trainer at AFA and completed Dornier Conversion with the Indian navy in Kochi.
She would continue her training at INAS 550, the Dornier squadron at INS Garuda, to become a fully operational pilot on Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) aircraft.
Later, interacting with the media, she said she started dreaming of becoming a pilot ever since she saw a chopper carrying a minister landed in the neighbourhood of her grand parents’ place in Bihar during her childhood.
She got ‘super-inspired” when she saw the helicopter and the man flying it. She said her family is supportive and they never questioned her wish to join defence forces. “In fact, they were proud,” she said. Shivangi, also thanked the Navy staff and Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) for their support.”They have always encouraged me, she said.