Women pilots set to conquer the skies

Delhi Oct,22

Three women pilots who are among six pilots of the 27^th Dornier Operational Flying Training  (DOFT) Course graduated at passing out ceremony held at INS Garuda, Kochi today. The three proud women pilots of first batch are Lieutenant Divya Sharma (from Malviya Nagar, New Delhi), Lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop (from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh) and Lieutenant Shivangi (from Muzaffarpur, Bihar).

Rear Admiral Antony George, VSM, NM, Chief Staff Officer (Training) of Southern Naval Command was the chief guest of the event and presented awards to the pilots who are now fully qualified on Dornier aircraft for all operational missions.

The course comprised of one month of ground training phase, conducted at various professional schools of SNC along with eight months of flying training at the Dornier Squadron of SNC, INAS 550. Also the trophy for ‘Most spirited trainee’, instituted in memory of Lt Simon George Pynomootil on 18 Jun 2019, was presented to Lt Kumar Vikram. Lt Simon George Pynomootil was well known for hi spirit and was a qualified Islander pilot who lost his life in a fatal air crash on 17 May 1985.