Keyword- Harita Kaur Deol Life Journey
Read and be inspired from the First Woman Pilot Harita Kaur Deol’s Life Journey-
Harita Kaul Deol was born in Chandigarh on November 10, 1971 into a Sikh family. Her father Colonel Deol served in the Indian Army. Little is known about the childhood of the officer who made history as the first female Air Force pilot to fly solo. Until 1992, the IAF did not allow female pilots to fly solo. The gender-sensitive equation we see in the Armed Forces today is a relatively new scenario. Previously, the military consisted primarily of male officers. But in 1992, the Pentagon made a historic policy change by allowing women to serve as pilots. In 1992 the IAF gave them eight vacancies. More than 20,000 female candidates from all over the country enthusiastically applied. Among them, 500 passed the entrance exam. Ultimately, only 13 applicants were deemed suitable for the position after undergoing rigorous tests, interviews and medical examinations. Harita Deol was one of them. These women were to be accepted into the Air Force Transport Fleet. Thus, in 1993, Harita Deol was appointed to the Air Force Short Service Committee (SSC). She completed her initial training with other cadets at the Air Force Academy in Chandigarh, Karnataka. They then underwent further training at the Air Transport Training Center (ALFTE) at Yelahanka Air Force Base. After training, Captain Harita Kaul Deol became the first female pilot to fly solo. On September 2, 1994, a young officer flew solo in his Avro HS-748. She was only 22! The brave girl flew for about 30 minutes on her first flight and expertly piloted her plane. Though closely watched by air traffic controllers, she didn’t worry neither her colleagues nor her superiors. She spoke confidently as if she were writing her own story for every woman in heaven. Air Force Brigadier General P. R. Kumar, commander of the Air Force Aviation Training Facility (ALFTE), was responsible for the individual review of his flights. He was deeply impressed by her performance and couldn’t help but congratulate her.
“She had her confidence and she controlled the plane well,” she said. Takeoff and landing went well. The standards she set were much higher than I expected. Girls express their thoughts more clearly.
As she stepped off her plane, she was greeted with thunderous applause, hugs and congratulations. Speaking to the long-awaited media executives, she said:
She said, “…it was my first time playing solo, so I was happy that the instructor’s expectations were met…first with her parents, then over the weekend, with her friends, and then I’m done with her today.” Congratulations on your success. “
What she did was no small feat. She did something she had never seen or thought before. In this solo flight, she proved to the Air Force and the world that women can do anything given the chance. Unfortunately, this brilliant officer died tragically two years later in 1966. On 24 December 1996, his 24 pilots, including Harita, flew from Chennai to Hyderabad. Lieutenant Harita flew an HS-748 Avro as co-pilot. During the flight, the plane encountered not only wing fatigue, but also technical breakdowns. The plane crashed and exploded near the village of Bukkapuram, Andhra Pradesh. Passenger died in an accident. The nation and air force had to bear this heavy loss in the form of this brave officer, but the official sacrifice will never be forgotten. She may no longer be with us, but her story will forever be an inspiration to all women across the country. She was the first person to touch the sky with her own power, and this tells us that “the sky’s the limit” is true.
Also Read: https://storiesofindia.org/desraj-jyot-singh-true-life-journey-about-an-auto-driver/