Iaf Commissions 30 Women Cadets

December 30, 2011

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[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][left]There are no prejudices in the air and that is why these women cadets opted for flying and more so for the Indian Air Force. For Flying Officer Nazia Nadaf, an engineering graduate from the Army Institute of Technology, Pune, flying has been a childhood passion. Her father, Col. M.M. Nadaf who is retiring on December 31, was very supportive of her decision. She has one grudge though: the IAF’s refusal to allow women fighter pilots. “I actually wanted to be a fighter pilot but right now there is no provision for that. However, I am happy being a transport pilot,” she said.[/left][/size][/font][/left][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][left]Many years ago, playing in the fields in her grandmother’s village, Sapna Awasthi from Meerut saw a plane flying overhead. In that instant, she decided that she would join the IAF and be a pilot. And she has. Flying Officer Sapna Awasthi, who lost her father when she was just nine years old, has a proud family that supported her during her gruelling training. Flying Officer Ginni Choudhary says women cadets get little concession during the training, something she approves of.[/left][/size][/font][/left][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][left]Of the 30 women cadets who got commissioned into the IAF on Thursday, five went into the flying branch — two in transports, one for helicopters and two in navigation. On Thursday, 175 flying cadets including 30 women cadets passed out of the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, near Hyderabad to join their respective branches in the Indian Air Force. Chief of Army Staff General V.K. Singh reviewed an impressive Combined Graduation Parade at the academy on Thursday and commissioned the cadets into the Indian Air Force on behalf of the President of India.[/left][/size][/font][/left][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][left]In his address, the Chief of Army Staff said that the security environment in the region in the last few years has necessitated the induction of ultra sophisticated and costly equipment in the Armed Forces.
An aerobatic display of Sukhoi-30 aircraft and dare devil display by the Akashganga paratroopers were the major attractions after the parade. The Air attache of Pakistan to India was also present at the ceremony.[/left][/size][/font][/left][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][/size][/font][/left][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=3][left][url="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/iaf-commissions-30-women-cadets-397"]http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/iaf-commissions-30-women-cadets-397[/url][/left][/size][/font][/left]