From Paper Plane to Fighter Plane
Rajasthan’s first female pilot, Mohana Singh, used to make paper planes in her childhood believing that one day she would fly in the sky. After completing her engineering degree, she faced failure multiple times. After working in corporate for some years, she finally became the first fighter pilot along with Bhawna Kanth and Avani Chaturvedi. Squadron Leader Mohana Singh, who flies MiG-21, is now the first female fighter pilot to fly Tejas.
The Incident of Strong Determination
Pratibha Poonia, from Churu district, is the second female pilot from Shekhawati to fly fighter planes. Currently, she is posted in Nal, Bikaner. Pratibha’s father, Chhoturam Pooniya, a former soldier, is currently working in the excise police in Sardarshahar. He narrates the childhood story of Pratibha when she was 4-5 years old, a plane crashed near their village. Pratibha lost one of her shoes during the crashed plane visit. When she returned home, her mother scolded her, and she replied, “Don’t worry, I will bring the shoe back on an airplane.” Pratibha had a dream to fly in the sky since childhood. She joined NCC in college and learned horse riding. She doesn’t get disheartened by difficult situations, but instead, she fights them.
Monitoring the Border
Priya Sharma, born in Ghoomsar, is a Flight Lieutenant in the Indian Air Force. Currently, she is posted in Bikaner, monitoring the Indian border. Priya’s father, Manoj Sharma, is also in the Indian Air Force. Since childhood, she used to watch her father flying fighter planes and had a desire to do the same. So, she decided that she would fly fighter planes like her father when she grew up.