Meet Ayesha Aziz, a Kashmiri who became the youngest female pilot in India at the age of 16.
Ayesha Aziz hails from a part of the country that rarely makes headlines for the achievements of its natives. She is a proud Kashmiri who believed in her dreams and did not stop until she fulfilled them. Aziz, now 25, received her student pilot’s license in 2011 immediately after passing her Class X examination. She began training to fly the MIG-29 jet the following year at Russia’s Sokol airbase. She graduated in aviation from the Bombay Flying Club (BFC) to get her commercial pilot license after clocking 200 flying hours in 2017. She is currently working with GoAir Airlines.
Aziz dedicates her success to her parents, who supported her at every step of the way. Her mother is from the Baramulla district of North Kashmir and her father is a businessman from Maharashtra. They are extremely proud of their daughter and of the fact that she is motivating other women.
Aziz’s achievements were brought to light when she attended the Lal Ded Khatoon-e-Kashmir Award 2021 in Srinagar to honor Kashmiri women achievers in different fields. She is a beacon of hope for several Kashmiri women who wish to make a name for themselves. During her interaction with a few at the event, she motivated them to follow their dreams. Aziz is closely attached to her roots in Kashmir and the women natives of the area. In an interview with ANI last month in this regard, she said, “I think Kashmiri women are doing very well, especially in education. Every other woman in Kashmir is doing her Masters or her doctorate. People of the Valley are doing great”.
Aziz was attracted to planes since she was in Class VI and was fascinated with the accomplishments of astronauts Sunita Williams and late Kalpana Chawla. As per her father, she has also undergone astronaut training at the NASA-Huntsville Space Centre. In 2018, she was felicitated with the First Ladies’ Award by the President of India. She also made it to the Top 100 women achievers that year.
Aziz was determined to attain her goal from a very young age. While most teenagers at 16 are still figuring out what career to choose, this Kashmiri girl was already on her way to become the youngest female pilot in the country. Talking about her love for flying, she added, “I chose this field because I have loved traveling since a very young age and was very fascinated by flying. One gets to meet so many people. This is why I wanted to be a pilot. It is quite challenging because this is not like a normal 9–5 desk job. There is no fixed pattern and I have to constantly be ready to face new places.”
She is a true epitome of women power. She inspires us to work hard towards our goals every day and that we can achieve anything we put our minds to. We at Fuzia applaud Ayesha Aziz and her exemplary career in the otherwise “male dominated” field. They are a source of inspiration to us and our women readers. Hats off to her!
You can also read more such stories in the blog section of the Fuzia website. Also, check out the inspiring story of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman head of WTO.
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Image credits: Ayesha Aziz’s Instagram (@captayesh)
Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.