Family happy as flight Lt Shivangi Singh set to join Rafale squadron

With Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh set to becoming first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale, the latest induction in the Indian Air Force, her Varanasi-based family has expressed happiness. The IAF officer's mother said she was always treated as 'beta' (son) and not daughter by them.

Varanasi: The family of Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, who has been under conversion training to be the Indian Air Force’s first woman fighter pilot for Rafale squadron, has expressed happiness that their daughter would soon be flying the newly inducted advanced fighter jet.

Her mother Seema Singh told ETV Bharat here that the family is happy but there is fear as well as Rafale is the advanced fighter jet and she would have to fly it.

She, however, said that Shivangi was never treated as a girl by them and her father would always fulfil all her demands and ensured her space to do what she was interested in.

"She was always doing well in her studies and was good in sports too, her mother said, adding that the family was happy that Shivangi would now fly the newly inducted and highly sophisticated fighter jet.

The IAF officer's father Sushil Singh also expressed happiness over the development, saying she has certainly made the family proud.

Flight Lt Shivangi Singh was commissioned into the IAF in 2017 as part of the second batch of women fighter pilots. She is currently undergoing conversion training and will soon become a formal part of the 17 Squadron, ‘Golden Arrows’ in Ambala.