The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a statement issued to themedia informed that for the first time in India, an all-women crew on Monday(May 29, 2019) flew a medium-lift helicopter.

Comprising Flight Lieutenant Parul Bhardwaj (Captain),Flying Officer Aman Nidhi (co-pilot) and Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal (flightengineer), the crew flew a Mi-17 V5 helicopter for a Battle InoculationTraining Mission. The flight took off and landed from restricted areas at aforward air base in the South Western Air Command.

Flight Lieutenant Parul Bhardwaj, who hails from Mukerian inPunjab, incidentally is the first woman pilot to fly the Mi-17 V5.

Ranchi's Flying Officer Aman Nidhi is also the first womanIAF pilot from Jharkhand while Chandigarh's Flying Officer Hina Jaiswal hailsis IAF's first woman Flight Engineer.

It may be mentione here that the three pilots had undergonebasic flight training at the Helicopter Training School at Air Force Station,Hakimpet followed by advanced training at Air Force Station, Yelahanka.

Squadron Leader Richa Adhikari, the unit engineeringofficer, certified the helicopter airworthy.