India is blessed with a lot of first-time achievers recently and one such instance was when Bhawana Kanth became the first solo female woman fighter pilot in India to fly for the Indian Air Force in 2016.
Bhawana Kanth is a true aviation legend and is the first Indian woman to attain this prestigious title.
In the 21st century, the 29-year-old is a fighter pilot and has made aviation history by donning the prestigious title of the first female fighter pilot in India.EARLY LIFE
Bhawana Kanth was born in Darbhanga, Bihar on December 1, 1992 to a family having roots in India. She has one sister (Tanuja Kanth) and one brother (Nilamba Kanth).
Family Background
She would rather talk about how her maternal family background is a reflection of the absolute best traits any human being can possess i.e their intelligence, their warmth, and love. She believes that fulfilling each other’s basic needs such as food, drink, clothing, etc. is secondary to the love and compassion which makes them go above and beyond what is expected of them and that is called grace.
Education
She completed her schooling at DAV Public School in Barauni refinery. She prepared for engineering entrance examinations in Kota, Rajasthan.
Her outstanding performance in school allowed her to pursue her studies at BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru and she completed her BE in Medical Electronics from there.
Kanth joined Bachelor of Engineering in Medical Electronics from BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru for further studies and graduated in 2014 and was recruited by IT giant Tata Consultancy Services.
Apart from this, she has also been given many awards for her excellent performance both at school as well as in her professional life.
IAF Process & Training
Growing up, Kanth always dreamt of flying planes, eventually taking the Air Force Common Admission Test. And after completing stage one of her training, she was posted to join the fighter stream.
The three women have been trained at the Base Repair Depot in Nasik where they were given thorough training on the operating and flying of the latest MiG-21 Bison, an aircraft that will be decommissioned in a few years.
Kanth cleared Stage I training and opted for the fighter stream. Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi were her fellow batch mates from the Indian Air Force Academy Kakul in 2016.
A graduate of the College of Engineering, Bengaluru, Kanth made her mark when she became a part of the first batch of women pilots to be inducted into the Indian Air Force on October 8, 2016 after Independence Day celebrations.
She became the first woman to be inducted into the history of the Indian Air Force on October 9, 2016 after the Republic Day parade.
Career & Achievements
As a female, she has been breaking barriers and many records. Kanth is the first woman fighter pilot in the history of the Indian Air Force. She was commissioned on November 8, 2016, at a parade by President Pranab Mukherjee at Air Force Station, Ambala.
And she said:
'I feel extremely honoured that I am India's first woman fighter pilot to be inducted into an operational squadron of the IAF, But I take this responsibility with both honour and humility.'
She aims to make a mark by becoming not only 'the first woman fighter pilot in IAF' but also 'the best' and strives to be a role model for the younger generation of women fighter pilots. 'I am prepared and confident to face any situation I would be thrown into,' she has said.
Kanth is also one of only four females out of 43 officers selected by the Air Force as women fighter pilots in the 2016-2017 batch.
As a new inductee into the training program, she had cleared many tough tests before being awarded India's first solo air fighter pilot licence.
One of her biggest achievements came when she flew a Mig-21 aircraft as a part of an all-women team in October 2018.
Not just that, she also made history by becoming India's first female fighter pilot instructor in December 2018.
Bhawana Kanth, the first woman fighter pilot of India, was selected for the Republic Day parade in 2021.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) was founded on October 8, 1932 and flies over 200 types of aircraft. The Indian Air Force has served the nation with valour and sacrifice.
In this march of time, the IAF has made a lot of progress in terms of technology, infrastructure and even human resources.
The IAF is one of the most respected forces in the world and so it is no surprise that we have a number of women who have joined this force.
But Bhawana Kanth is an inspiration to these women as well as to young girls who aspire to be fighter pilots in the future. 'I am very proud to be associated with such an elite force which has iconic figures like Dhangar, Gill, and Sinha,' said Kanth.
Today, the IAF has women fighter pilots serving in all branches of the force. And with this, we hope to see many more women in the IAF in the future.
We salute Bhawana Kanth for being a true aviation legend and making us proud as Indians.
This legendary woman has not only made Indians proud but also stands for the true capabilities of women who have long been undermined. She gives many the courage to break the glass ceiling and soar high.
The sky is the limit and women can be part of professions that are still male-dominated.
Has Bhawana Kanth inspired other women who wish to be fighter pilots in the future?
Bhawana Kanth is the first Indian female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force quite alright. But that’s not all that makes her extraordinary. She also excels at academics and is known to be extremely courageous.
A look into her life reveals many qualities that she has, and it is inspiring to see the traits that a girl can grow up to possess. She is an inspiration for not just girls, but also women in all fields.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best qualities Bhawana Kanth possesses:
• She is courageous
• She believes in empowering women in India, who have been traditionally discouraged from following careers like aviation or engineering.
• Despite being faced with many obstacles, she never gave up on her dream of becoming a fighter pilot and succeeded despite facing initial disbelief from those around her.
• She is an excellent example of how one can balance a challenging career along with academics and family time.
• She follows a strict fitness and diet regimen and this shows her dedication to her profession.
• She has won many awards, one of which being the prestigious ‘Raksha Mantri Award for Best Flying (Female) Pilot in 2016.
Conclusion
It's a story of a successful journey for Bhawana Kanth. On March 16, 2018, she became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo in Mig-21 Bison Aircraft.
She was commissioned as Flying Officer in September 2016 and got her wings as a fighter pilot on April 11, 2017, becoming the first woman to join India’s Fighter Pilot Squadron.
Since the beginning of her training, Kanth has stood out as one of the best trainees in her class. She learned various aspects of flight and fighter operations in a very short span of time.
She told the Times of India 'When I visited the exhibition during my days of training and saw the helicopter moving around, I became keen that I should also do something like this. And my mother told me it is possible and I started working towards achieving it'.
Keep fighting on and keep inspiring others just like Bhawana Kanth.
FAQs
Who is Bhawana Kanth?
Bhawana Kanth is the first female to ever achieve the feat of being a woman fighter pilot
What are Bhawana Kanth’s Achievements?
Asides being the first woman fighter pilot, she was selected for the republic day parade and one of her biggest achievements was flying the Mig-21 aircraft as part of an all women team
Who was the first woman fighter pilot in india?
Bhawana Kanth is the first woman fighter pilot to fly for the indian air force.