Air Force Day 2025: From The First Air Marshal To India's First Fighter Pilots, Meet The Women Who Took The Skies By Storm

Nine years ago, I sat in a small examination hall in Varanasi, heart pounding, as I gave the Indian Air Force Common Admission Test. I went on to appear for SSB, but couldn't make it past the final round.

Maybe I didn't have what it took to be an Air Force officer, but it gave me a glimpse into the discipline, the courage, the quiet pride that every officer seemed to carry inside that campus. Since then, every time a Sukhoi cut across the sky or a C-17 thundered above, I couldn’t help but think of the people, especially the women, who have worked, often with no assurance or recognition, to earn their wings in a field that was once unthinkable for them.The Indian Air Force (IAF), which for decades remained a male-dominated bastion, has slowly but powerfully opened its skies to women who’ve proved that grit knows no gender. From being restricted to ground duties to now commanding fighter jets, women in the Air Force have come a long way, and continue to inspire generations.

Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay: The First Woman In Air Force To Hold A Three-Star Rank

Combat roles get all the glory and mentions in annals of history but leadership at the highest level matters too. Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay became the first woman in the Indian Air Force to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, the third-highest rank in the force. Born in Tirupati, and commissioned in 1968, she initially interned at the Air Force Hospital in Bangalore. Serving for 37 years, she specialised in Aviation Medicine and authored 27 papers. She also served at the Halwara airbase in Punjab during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, and earned the Vishisht Seva Medal, along with her husband. And her laurels don't end here. In 1978, she became the first female Armed Forces officer to complete the rigorous Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) course in Wellington. Padma also served as the first woman Honorary Surgeon to the President of India, and in 2020, was conferred the Padma Shri, becoming the first woman IAF officer to receive the honour.

Flight Lieutenants Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth & Mohana Singh: India’s First Women Fighter Pilots

Then MiG-21 Bison which was retired just last month, was legendary. Hard to tame. Yet, it is historical, especially for being the first aircraft that women in IAF flew when they joined the fighter forces. In 2016, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth, and Mohana Singh became the first female fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force, commanding the reins of this mammoth jet. Among them, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi was the first one to fly the MiG-21 Bison solo. Their induction was a declaration that India’s skies belonged to anyone with the courage to claim them.Avani Chaturvedi, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, became the first Indian woman to fly a solo sortie in a MiG-21 Bison, a feat that resonated across the nation. Bhawana Kanth, who grew up in Bihar, followed her passion for flying despite societal norms that still discouraged women from combat roles. Mohana Singh, from Rajasthan, set her own milestones in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, proving her mettle in one of the world’s toughest professions.It was only befitting that when the time came to retire MiG-21, it was a woman, Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, who led the final flypast in Chandigarh.

Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal: The Guiding Force Of IAF

In 2019, a day after the Balakot airstrike, another name emerged—Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal. She played a crucial role as a fighter controller, helping guide pilots in one of the most intense aerial engagements in modern Indian history. When IAF was trying to stop Pakistan's fighter jets, she was the one who guided Wing Commander Abhinandan. While she had advised him to return, he couldn't hear her because the communication system was jammed. He was later unfortunately captured by the Pak Air Force, and subjected him to an intense 60-hour questioning before releasing him at the Wagah Border. For Minty's exemplary service, she became the first woman to receive the Yudh Seva Medal.