Women pilots in the IAF have broken another glass ceiling, with Squadron Leader Saanya becoming the first woman officer to earn the coveted Category-A Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) qualification.
Terming it to a historic first, the IAF said on Monday that her achievement embodies dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. “A proud milestone for the IAF and an inspiration for aspiring aviators across the nation,” the IAF said on its X-handle.
Commissioned in June 2015, Sqn Ldr Saanya belongs to the 42 Short Service Commission Course (Women) for pilots on the Flying Branch which had six women. She was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader in June 2021.
According to IAF officers, a Category-A QFI is the highest instructional rating awarded to military aviators, and marks them as an exceptionally skilled pilot who is certified to train and evaluate other military pilots and instructors.
Such instructors undergo a 22-week course at the Flying Instructors School (FIS) located at the Air Force Station Tambaram, near Chennai. The rigorous training involves over 200 hours of ground-based courses and extensive flying instruction phases.
On successful culmination of the course, Cat-A QFIs are mandated with training ab-initio pilots as well as mentoring experienced operational pilots, evaluating other instructors and assessing flight skills.
The IAF has a structured grading system to evaluate and categorise the instructional skills of its pilots. Below the top tier Cat-A QFI is the A-Category comprising highly capable and skilful instructors with considerable experience. This is followed by the B-Category who are capable of standard instruction and below this is the C-Category comprising trainee or probationary instructors.
The IAF opened its doors to women pilots in 1994 in the transport and helicopter streams. In 2016, it opened a new chapter when the first women pilots were inducted into the fighter stream.
Initially, women pilots flew Cheetah and Chetak helicopters and smaller transport aircraft like the twin-engine AN-32 and Dornier-228. Later, they graduated to heavier helicopters like the Mi-17 and Dhruv as well as multi-engine and strategic airlifter like the IL-76. They now also form part of Rafale and Su-30 fighter squadrons.
Women officers in the IAF have now also assumed command roles, heading various operational establishments in 2023, Group Captain Shaliza Dhami, a helicopter pilot, became the first woman to command an IAF combat unit, a frontline surface-to-air missile squadron in the western sector.
In 2019, she became the first woman Flight Commander, when she took command of a Chetak helicopter flight at the Hindon Airbase. She is also the first woman Qualified Flying Instructor.
