The Indian Air Force Just Got its First Female Flight Commander

We’re all asked to reach for the sky, though few actually manage to conquer such heights. But not Shaliza Dhami. The woman officer for the Indian Air Force (IAF) just became the very first female flight commander in the country.

Being the IAF’s first female Qualified Flying Instructor for Chetak and Cheetah helicopters and also second-in-command for a Chetak helicopter unit at Hindon Airbase, Dhami has shattered the glass ceiling and paved the path for more women officers to reach such high places.

Growing up in the city of Ludhiana in Punjab, Dhami had dreamed of joining the air force since her high school days, according to a blog posted by a military, airforce and internal security media publisher. Now a Wing Commander, she has clocked over 23,000 flying hours, along with bringing up a nine-year-old daughter.

Wing Commander Dhami is also the first woman officer to be granted permanent commission for a long tenure with the IAF. Women officers have been allowed to do Short Service Commission since 1994, with the IAF recruiting their first female fighter pilot force in 2016. However, it was only in March 2019 that they were given the legal right to be considered for permanent commissions and asked to be considered equal to their male counterparts.

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Today is a historic day for Indian Air Force.
Wing Commander Shaliza Dhami has taken over as Flight Commander of an operational unit. She is first lady officer who got a permanent commission and first lady QFI too. @IAF_MCC pic.twitter.com/E7xUgsZT0D

— Subodh Srivastava (@SuboSrivastava) August 27, 2019

Her achievement is going to give wings to aspirations of so many others. She came into news in 2017 as the first woman flying instructor in @IAF_MCC Congratulations on the new feather in your cap Wg Cdr Shaliza Dhami. Fly high forever! 🇮🇳🙏#ShalizaDhami https://t.co/TYiBtMmkN1

— Vani Chauhan 🇮🇳 (@Vani_Chauhan) August 27, 2019

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