For decades, the Indian Air Force kept its fighter cockpits off-limits to women, but when the door finally opened in 2016, the trailblazers seized the opportunity with unmatched grit. The legendary MiG-21 Bison, a machine notorious for its raw power and unforgiving handling, became the proving ground for India’s first women fighter pilots. They learned to tame the beast just as generations of their male counterparts had done, showing that gender had no bearing on courage or capability. On Friday, as the MiG-21 took its final bow with a ceremonial flypast over Chandigarh, Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, a woman pilot, fittingly led the farewell—an emblematic moment in history that symbolized how far the IAF has come.
The Soviet-designed MiG-21 entered Indian service in 1963 and quickly became the backbone of the Air Force. It was the stepping stone for nearly every Indian fighter pilot for decades, thanks to the absence of advanced trainers. Known as both a warhorse and a widow-maker, the MiG-21 was demanding to fly but forged resilience, skill, and grit in those who mastered it. For women pilots, entering this legacy was not only a test of skill but also a statement—proof that they could excel in the very arena once deemed too dangerous for them.
Among the pioneers were Squadron Leaders Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth, and Mohana Singh Jitarwal. They were the first trio commissioned in 2016, cutting through skepticism to script history. Avani Chaturvedi took the spotlight in February 2018 as the first woman to fly a solo sortie on the MiG-21 Bison from Jamnagar, cementing her name as a pathbreaker. Bhawana Kanth soon followed, and by 2019, she became the first woman pilot cleared for daytime combat missions. Mohana Singh Jitarwal, carrying forward her family’s Air Force legacy, flew frontline missions with No. 3 Squadron “Cobras” and proudly showcased the Bison during Republic Day flypasts.
The legacy did not end with the first cohort. Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh, commissioned in 2017, quickly made her mark as the youngest fully operational MiG-21 pilot before transitioning to the cutting-edge Rafale in 2020. With aspirations reaching as far as space missions, she represents the bold ambition of this new generation. And Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, commissioned in 2018 as the only woman in her batch of 35 pilots, has since become one of the most visible faces of this historic transition. Flying tandem with the Air Chief Marshal in August, and later leading the MiG-21’s last flypast, Sharma demonstrated not just skill but also symbolic leadership at the sunset of an era.
The MiG-21 will forever be remembered for its dual legacy—of being India’s most iconic fighter and of being the jet that allowed women to break into one of the toughest clubs in military aviation. These women did not just fly a machine; they carried forward a tradition of grit while dismantling stereotypes that had stood for decades. With its retirement, the MiG-21 passes into history, but its story will always include how India’s first women fighter pilots mastered it and claimed their rightful place in the sky.
