Take up a career in aerospace engineering, says woman pilot

LUCKNOW : Mumbai-based Capt Aarohi Pandit, who made history by becoming the first woman pilot to cross both Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA), on Sunday encouraged students to make aerospace engineering their career because it would allow them to ‘scale new heights’.

“I was invited by the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur at their diamond jubilee foundation day celebrations to share my experience of crossing both Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean solo in a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA). I encouraged students to make a career in the field of aerospace engineering,” she said.

Society of Aerospace Engineers, IIT-Kanpur, along with IIT-Kanpur, conducted “Caelesti Adamantem”, a day-long celebratory event on the occasion of the diamond jubilee year of IIT-Kanpur.

Over a hundred students from 20 different schools in Kanpur, along with their faculty representatives, participated in the event.

Pandit, who shared her flight experiences and motivated students to take up aviation during an interactive session, said, “My goal is to inspire more and more young kids into (taking up) aviation and see the field grow at twice the speed in my country.”

The event comprised two sessions. In the morning session (8 am to 12.30pm) students took part in programmes like “Aerogami: Model Airplane making”, “Up, Up and Away: Model Rocketry”, documentary screening and static aircraft exhibition.

The afternoon session began at 1.45pm with a model display competition, where 12 of the participating schools exhibited their innovative models, judged by a few faculty members of IIT-Kanpur.

Vinyaas Public School obtained the first position in the competition. The second prize went to Onkareshwar Saraswati Vidya Niketan Inter College. Kailash Saraswati Inter College was third.

The display was followed by the post-noon programme, where IIT-Kanpur director Prof Abhay Karandikar motivated the students, followed by an address from the IIT Kanpur Diamond Jubilee chairman Prof Prof Sameer Khandekar.