Fighter pilot father-daughter made their name in the history of Indian Air Force (IAF) by flying together. Air Commander Sanjay Sharma and his daughter Flying Officer Ananya have become the first father-daughter duo in the Air Force to fly fighter aircraft together. Sharma described the air formation with his daughter as the “biggest day” of his life.
Air Force fighter pilot Sanjay Sharma and his daughter Ananya did this feat on May 30 at Bidar airbase in Karnataka, but the incident did not make media headlines till now. Both took off in their respective planes and created a unique formation in the sky. The flight came into limelight when their photographs surfaced on Tuesday. According to an Air Force official, there are many instances of father-son flying fighter jets together in the Air Force, but this is the first case of father-daughter flying together. Ananya joined the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot in the year 2021, while her father Air Commodore Sharma joined the Air Force in 1989.
The father and daughter flew the British-origin Hawk-132 (Hawk-132) state-of-the-art Trainee Trainer (AJTs) aircraft. The incident happened seven years after the decision to induct women as fighter jet pilots in the Air Force. After joining the Air Force as a trainee in 2016, Ananya had understood that she was going to fulfill her life’s dream. Earlier, Ananya had done B.Tech in Electronics and Communication. He was then selected as a trainee pilot in the Air Force.
Air Commander Sharma has vast experience of flying many fighter aircraft including MiG-21. Ananya is currently training for Hawk Agent aircraft. She will also fly front-line fighter jets soon after graduation. Ananya grew up in the family of an Air Force officer, so she is well aware of the merits of the Air Force. The father-daughter duo will not lag behind in getting rid of the sixes of the country’s enemies when needed.