Bhawana Kanth all set to become 1st woman fighter pilot in R Day parade
Gitanjali Mangal
January 21st 2021 09:38 AM --
Updated:
January 21st 2021 09:46 AM
Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth is set to become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade.
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She will be a part of the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau that will showcases mock-ups of the light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane. Currently she is posted at an airbase in Rajasthan where she flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
Kanth is also one of the first women fighter pilots in the IAF. She, along with Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, was inducted into the IAF as the first women fighter pilots in 2016.
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On Monday, the Union Health Minister took to Twitter to congratulate her saying marking the dawn of empowered women-led New India. "Flt Lt Bhawana Kanth is set to become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade. Indeed a proud moment for the entire country!"
The Indian Air Force (IAF) said, "The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft will feature in India's Republic Day parade on January 26 and culminate the fly-past by carrying out the 'Vertical Charlie' formation."
"The fly-past will culminate with a single Rafale aircraft carrying out a 'Vertical Charlie' formation," IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Indranil Nandi said.
Adding, a total of 38 IAF aircraft and four planes of the Indian Army will participate in the fly-past on January 26.
The fly-past will be divided into two blocks; the first is planned along with the parade from 1004 hours to 1020 hours and the second after the parade from 1120 hours to 1145 hours.
Nandi stated that in the first block, there will be three formations. The first will be the 'Nishan' formation comprising of four Mi17V5 aircraft that will carry the national flag and logos of all three services.
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It will be followed by the 'Dhruv' formation by four helicopters of Army Aviation Corps, he added.
The last would be the 'Rudra' formation which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country's victory in the 1971 war, he said, adding that it will consist of a single Dakota aircraft flanked by two Mi17V5 helicopters.
-PTC News