Air force to allow female fighter pilots (From Asian Image)

Air force to allow female fighter pilots

3:00pm Wednesday 18th November 2009

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The Indian Air Force is hoping to allow women to fly fighter jets provided they agree not to have children until their mid-30s.

P K Barbora, vice chief air marshal, said: “In a few years’ time, we might see this change coming in with certain pre-conditions that until this age we request you to be happy, be married, but no offspring.”

Investments made on fighter pilots are only recovered by the government after they have served more than a decade of their service, he added.

Women who do eventually join up to become fighter pilots may not be allowed to have children until they complete 14 years’ service.

Mr Barbora also suggested that women on pregnancy leave would affect the service as they would not be allowed to fly for 10 months.

Meanwhile, India’s president Pratibha Patil will fly in the backseat of the country’s most advanced fighter jet just a month before she turns 75.

Her 30-minute sortie from an air base in Pune on November 25 will be aboard a Sukoi-30. The pilot will see that the supreme commander of India’s armed forces feels no discomfort by flying at 0.9 Mach - just under the speed of sound.

A detailed medical check-up has shown that Ms Patil, who will turn 75 on December 19, is fit to fly in the jet. She will undergo another round of medical check-ups before the flight.

By Dielle D’Souza

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