Aarohi Pandit, a Mumbai-based, 23 year-old-girl, has done us all proud. She has become the world’s first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).
Landing at Iqaluit Airport in Canada on May 13, she earned herself the title after crossing turbulent weather and difficult terrain over a 3000 km long flight. She took off from Wick, Scotland and took brief stopovers in Greenland and Iceland.
Aarohi is a commercial pilot and holds an LSA license. Along with her best friend Keithair Misquitta she left India for the Women Empower Expedition in a small aircraft named Mahi.
Pandit and Misquitta flew over Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, then to Pakistan, where they landed, making it the first civilian LSA flight to land in the neighbouring country since 1947 and went onto to Iran, Turkey, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, France, and the UK.
Lynn de Souza, the head of Social Access, a not-for-profit firm which organized and sponsored the expedition, spoke to IANS and said, “This is part of her ongoing year-long global circumnavigation flight which was launched with her friend Keithair Misquitta on July 30. Aarohi continued solo from the UK to Canada, and they will return to India by July 30 this year. En route, she set another world record as the first woman pilot to fly solo above the treacherous Greenland ice-cap in an LSA, and is due for at least half a dozen other records by the time she reaches India!”
Talking about her achievements, Aarohi said, “I am so honoured and grateful I could do this for my country and for women everywhere… Flying over the Atlantic Ocean is a humbling experience. It’s just you and your little plane, the light blue sky above and dark blue sea or shining white ice below.”
It is indeed a proud moment for women across the world and especially in India.
Twitterati was all praises for this young lady who did the nation proud. here what they said:
Congratulations, Aarohi! You’re a true inspiration.
Image source: Instagram
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