History: IAF father-daughter duo flies the same formation in Hawk-132 trainer jet
New Delhi: First time in the history of the Indian Air force and India recently witnessed an unprecedented sight when a father-daughter duo created history in the Air Force by flying as part of the same fighter formation.
Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma is a seasoned fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and his daughter Ananya Sharma was commissioned as a fighter pilot in December 2021, flew in the same formation of Hawk-132 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) at Air Force Station, Bidar on May 30, 2022.
The IAF on Tuesday tweeted, “Father-daughter duo created history on 30 May 2022, flew in same formation of Hawk-132 ace at AirForce Stn Bidar, where Flying Officer Ananya Sharma is undergoing training before graduating onto faster & more superior fighter aircraft of @IAF_MCC. There has not been any previous instance in the IAF where a father and his daughter were part of the same fighter formation for a mission. It was the mission where Air Cmde Sanjay and Fg Offr Ananya were more than just father and daughter. They were comrades, who had full faith in each other as fellow wingmen would.”
Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF in 1989 and has had an extensive experience in fighter operations, having commanded a Mig-21 Sqn as well as a frontline fighter station.
Meanwhile, after completing her B Tech in Electronics and Communication, Ananya was selected for training for the flying branch of IAF. She was commissioned as a fighter pilot in December 2021. She is currently receiving training at the IAF Station in Bidar before moving on to more advanced fighter planes. According to Air Commodore Sharma, as a child, Ananya would always say that she wanted to be a fighter pilot just like him.
(Vinayak)
