One Among The Firsts - Kavita Barala

Kavita Barala became the first woman navigator of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Barala will be the first women navigator to salute the India's first woman president Pratibha Patil on this year's Republic Day. Kavita Barala who hails from Jaipur also aims to navigate the frontline fighter jet Sukhoi-30 and attain the title of becoming the first female co-pilot of a multi-role aircraft. While interacting with the media, Kavita said that when she joined the Air Force Academy at Andhra Pradesh, she found that no woman had wished to become a navigator.

As a result of which she set up her mind to become a navigator. She completed her training successfully at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal in Andhra Pradesh and became a navigator. Before Kavita's achievement, the IAF had no female navigator since its inception about seventy-five years ago. Although the choice of becoming a navigator in the IAF was open to women but before Kavita Barala no woman dared to give it a try.

The 5.3-feet exuberant Kavita Barala completed her training as navigator in 2008 for AN-32 transport aircraft. At present, she is undertaking training for navigating during bombing and relief operations at the Agra air base. Kavita stated that after completing her on-going training, she wants to get training for navigating Sukhoi-30. After having the navigation skills of Sukhoi-30, Kavita will become the first Indian woman to sit in a fighter jet.

Source: IndiaServer, Blog Do Vinna