With Wings of Steel (Published in Make in India Magazine – 2016)

Last year, for the first time, the Indian Air Force recruited three women fighter pilots in its ranks. But women in the IAF have been exploring new frontiers for years

These five women have flown in from different Air Force bases from across the country early this morning to Hindon Air Force Station near Ghaziabad. Much has been said and written about the allure of men in uniform, but these spirited young women officers in their crisp IAF blues are overwhelmingly charismatic. All five are not only exploring new frontiers in male-dominated bastions but also responding to a higher calling to serve the nation.

Wing Commander SK Minhas
First woman Cat Aye fighter controller, 19 years of service
Joining the IAF was an obvious choice for Minhas, whose father was himself an engineer in the Air Force. Her father’s last posting was in Chandigarh, where Minhas first began to dream of a career in flying. It was the lure of the uniform and the fact that she belonged to a generation that grew up fascinated with Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

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