In daddy's footsteps! Fighter pilot flies Hawk-132 with daughter, netizens on cloud nine

Fathers and sons flying together in commercial or fighter planes is quite a usual sight around the world. However, India recently witnessed an unprecedented sight. Air commodore Sanjay Sharma and his 24-year-old daughter Ananya Sharma flew in the same formation.

The father-daughter duo created history as they were the first to achieve this milestone in the Armed Forces. Sanjay and Ananya flew the same formation of Hawk-132 aircraft at Air Force Station in Bidar.

"The father-daughter duo created history on 30 May 2022, when they flew in the same formation of Hawk-132 aircraft at Air Force Station Bidar, where Flying Officer Ananya Sharma is undergoing her training before she graduates onto faster and more superior fighter aircraft of the IAF," the release said.

There has never been a previous instance where a father and his daughter were part of the same fighter formation for a mission. According to an officer from the air base, Sanjay and Ananya were more than just father and daughter and were comrades who had full faith in each other as fellow wingmen.

According to Air Commodore Sharma, as a child, Ananya would always say that she wanted to be a fighter pilot just like him. He said that May 30 was the biggest day in his life when he flew in the same Hawk aircraft formation at Bidar.

"As a child, I would often ask my father why there were no women fighter pilots. He would tell me in his characteristic style - Don’t worry, you will be one," flying officer Ananya was quoted as saying by The Times Of India.

While women were excluded from combat missions in the Indian Armed Forces, it was not until 2016 that IAF inducted three women as fighter pilots. The IAF has inducted 15 women into its fighter stream since then. These women have already started flying MiG-21s, Sukhoi-30MKIs and Rafales.

The father-daughter duo brought cheers to netizens who celebrated the historic moment by sharing images of the duo on their social media handles.
Ananya is currently undergoing transitional fighter training at Bidar on the Hawks. The training module involves intensive combat manoeuvres and armament firing. The 24-year-old will be posted to a full-fledged fighter squadron in January next year.