Nagpur: Nagpur-based Antra Mehta, flying Officer with Indian Air Force (IAF), has become first woman fighter pilot from Maharashtra and tenth across India. Antara graduated from Air Force Academy in Hyderabad on Saturday and will now be inducted for further training as a fighter pilot.
She is the only women officer from her batch to be selected for fighter stream. From basketball court to cockpit, Antra aced it all.
Antra cracked the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview in her third attempt through AFCAT Entry from 2 AFSB Mysore.
After completing her schooling from Mount Carmel Girls School in the city, Mehta pursued her engineering degree from Ramdev Baba Engineering College. She has also been a national-level basket ballplayer. Later, she received training from the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad, to pursue her childhood dream of joining IAF.
She honed her skills flying the Pilatus PC7 and then for stage two at Fighter Training Wing she flew Kiran MK 1 aircraft. A combined passing out parade was held at Hyderabad. Antra's advanced training will continue at Air Force Station in Kalaikonda and Bidar.
She attributed her success parents Ravi Mehta and Punam and sister Deepshika.
Who are the first female fighter pilots?
Bhavana Kant, Mohana Singh and Avni Chaturvedi were the first women to be inducted as fighter pilots in the IAF. Being the first 3 women fighter pilots, they were awarded Nari Shakti Puraskar.
In Oct 2015, the government of India had allowed induction of women into the fighter stream of IAF on an "experimental basis" for a period of five years. For the first time, when this position was opened for women, six women had entered the training but only these three could qualify for further levels.
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