Rahul Singh

rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com

New Delhi : 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.

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.