Lieutenant Divya Sharma, who hails from Malviya Nagar in New Delhi; Lt Shubhangi Swaroop from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh; and Lt Shivangi from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Credit: Indian Navy
Lieutenant Divya Sharma, who hails from Malviya Nagar in New Delhi; Lt Shubhangi Swaroop from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh; and Lt Shivangi from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Credit: Indian Navy
Muzaffarpur’s Lt. Shivangi was also the first to qualify as a woman naval pilot in 2019
Kochi: Navy has operationalised the first batch of women pilots of Indian Navy on Dornier Aircraft here . The three women pilots were part of the six pilots of the 27th Dornier Operational Flying Training (DOFT) Course, who graduated as ‘Fully operational Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Pilots’ at a passing out ceremony held at INS Garuda, Kochi on October 22, 2020.
The three 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). These officers had initially undergone basic flying training partly with Indian Air Force and partly with the Navy prior to DOFT course. Amongst the three women pilots operationalized for MR flying, Lt. Shivangi was the first to qualify as a naval pilot on December 2, 2019.
The course comprised of one month of ground training phase, which was conducted at various professional schools of SNC and eight months of flying training at the Dornier Squadron of Southern Naval Command, INAS 550.
Lt. Divya Sharma and Lt. Shivam Pandey were adjudged ‘First in Flying’ and ‘First in Ground’ subjects, respectively. Rear Admiral Antony George, VSM, NM, Chief Staff Officer (Training) of the 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 Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South) rolling trophy in memory of late Lt. Simon George Pynomootil for the ‘Most spirited trainee’ was presented to Lt. Kumar Vikram. This trophy was instituted on Jun 18, 2019 during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of INAS 550 to immortalize the spirit of the officer who was a qualified Islander pilot and lost his life in a fatal air crash whilst serving the squadron on May 17, 1985.
– globalbihari bureau
