Where eagles dare

Three Indian Air Force officers, who become the first all-women crew to fly a medium-lift helicopter, talk about their mission and their aim of inspiring women to believe in their dreams.

Parul Bhardwaj, a flight lieutenant with the Indian Air Force is often tasked with missions that require her to take some of the world’s most advanced helicopters to the skies. Delivering when called upon by the nation fills her with a sense of patriotic fervour. “It was a great feeling,” she says about her experience of flying the MI-17 V5, considered one of the most powerful inventories in the IAF arsenal. “We have previously flown aircrafts such as the Cheetah which is lighter than MI17V5. It was a different experience to get trained on the warship inventory,” says Parul, who along with flying officer Aman Nidhi and flight lieutenant Hina Jaiswal became the first all-women crew to embark on a Battle Inoculation Training Mission. “I was joined by two lady officers in the cockpit. While performing pre-takeoff checks, I was surprised to learn that female officers were also manning the air traffic  and radar control stations as well,” shares the captain who topped her basic helicopter training and was key to the IAF’s activities in Russia. “It was a great feeling to know that we will be the first all-women crew to fly this helicopter and will inspire others who want to do something for the country,” she says.

Road to success
While a day’s mission may not sound challenging,  the journey to the cockpit wasn’t easy for these women officers. Apart from the physical training, there were multiple tests to clear. Parul and her team completed their basic flight training at the Helicopter Training School at Hakimpet in Secunderabad, Telangana, followed by advanced training at Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru.  Each day of training brought a new set of challenges for the pilots. “We would be given small assignments everyday where we would be expected to prepare the brief and discuss it with the crew, taking into consideration imaginary emergency situations. We were trained run through a list of checks before any mission, explains Parul. The rigorous training also made sure that the pilots are always battle-ready. “I don’t think anyone who goes through this training would ever forget anything during a flying mission,” says co-pilot Nidhi recalling the time when they were not allowed near the aircraft. “I still remember how excited we were while performing the checks for the first time,” she adds.

Touted as a significant inventory in the IAF arsenal, handling of the chopper was so far reserved for male pilots. But when asked if being women made the training and the mission more challenging, the ladies answer in negative. “The challenges were similar to what any of our male counterparts would have faced. The training does not discriminate between men and women,” says Parul.

While only a handful of combat roles in defence forces have been open for female officers, these women are trailblazers in their respective fields.  Parul is one of the first female officers to be in missile combat crew while Hina Jaiswal is the first female flight engineer to be inducted in the IAF.  The particular branch was reserved exclusively for male officers till 2017. “My contribution will be equal to my male counterparts, nothing less. Here, we don’t have reservation system and only merit works,” says Nidhi, the first woman IAF pilot from Jharkhand who also feels that this mission also proved that gender doesn’t make any difference. “We have proved to the nation that there is nothing that women can’t do,” she flaunts proudly.

Bound by duty
Hailing from different parts of the country, what kept them together was their camaraderie and sportsmanship. “If a mission fails or goes wrong, all of us will die. Our lives depend on each other. So we need to have that kind of love for each other when we are flying together,” shares Nidhi. And struggling to rise against the adversities brought them closer.  

“We have been trained to fight together and we have seen each other suffer, struggle and learn from it. This is a basic requirement and it didn’t matter where we come from and what our backgrounds are,” explains Hina, who prior to being selected for the Indian Air Force, was a part of the entertainment industry. “You need to be bold in both the fields. I wanted to be a real-life hero than reel life,” says the flight engineer. Another aspect that bound them together was their sense of duty towards their country. “Being selected for the Indian armed forces and flying one of the combat helicopters filled us with a sense of pride. This in itself is an achievement for all three of us. But we would like to dedicate our achievement to the rigorous training we underwent,” adds Parul.

While the mission was to open the window for women pilots to fly combat helicopters, it also paved the way for many women in the country to aspire and achieve. “Women need to dream because once you dream, you will have ways and means to achieve it,” suggests Nidhi, while Parul urges women to participate in making the country proud. “Serve the nation by any means, doesn’t matter whether you are into defense forces or a civilian because each step counts,” she insists, to which Hina adds, “Women can do wonders. One needs to have confidence. If you have faith in yourself, then you achieve what you wish for.”