Sabiha Gokchen was not an ordinary girl. For, history remembers her as the world’s first female fighter pilot in the 1930s. And guess what? She was only 23 when she learned to fly. Good news is that today, one of the international airports in Istanbul, Turkey is named after her!
Back home in India, the scene hasn’t changed much over the last eight decades. Stuck in time, the nation still has several reservations as far as commissioning female combat pilots are concerned. Recently, the IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha expressed his objection towards employing women in combat roles. Reason? They are physically not suited for flying for long hours, and biologically unfit to fly fighter jets. Marriage, pregnancy and family roles are other hindrances that may disrupt their strict schedules.
Nevertheless, many countries such as Russia, US, Turkey and even Pakistan have deployed women combat pilots over the years. Those aspiring to become fighter pilots can take some inspiration from these women who have showed the world that they can fly.
Sabiha Gokchen (Turkey): Sabiha became a fighter pilot when she was only 23 years of age. She is reported to have flown 22 different types of aircraft for more than 8000 hours, 32 hours of which were active combat and bombardment missions.
Katya Budanova (Russia): This Russian fighter pilot served the Soviet Air Force during the World War II. Considered a fighter ace, Katya was shot down in 1943.
Lydia Litvyak (Russia): A daredevil so to speak, she holds several records. Lydia was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy plane and to earn the title fighter ace. She also has the highest number of kills by a female fighter pilot in her name.
Jeannie Leavitt (US): The American was the first woman to command an Air Force combat fighter wing in the 1990s. Jeannie is still in service.
Ayesha Farooq (Pakistan): Ayesha is Pakistan’s first female fighter pilot, flying the F7-PG, a Chinese version of the MiG 21 jet. Her primary responsibility is of guarding the border with India.
Image courtesy: Reuters
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