Indo American News • Friday, May 07 , 2010
online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com
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Friday, May 07 , 2010
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Business IndoAmerican News
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Lady Pilot from Punjab Gets Her Wings BY JACOB DAVID HOUSTON: Mandeep Kaur, 25, hails from Barnala, a small town in Punjab, India, which has now become a district. She lays claim to being the first lady pilot from Punjab. She has received her commercial pilot license from the MVPAeroAcademy, Texas in March 2009. She has accumulated 290 hours of flight training over 13 months. She is now a proud certificate holder and operator for 3 commercial licenses - for flying a private Cessna, instruments rating, Pipers Warriors - Single Engine plane and Multi rating on the Duchess BE 76 (Beechcraft) 4 seater, twin engine. It’s been a tough and intensive time for me, she says, with a brief hiatus from training for the hurricane season here in Texas. She has now been approved by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) as a licensed commercial airline pilot. Still she has a long ways to go before she can truly get her hands on the joy stick of a large commercial airliner. Sarla Thakral in 1936 was the youngest to become a woman pilot in India. She was only 21, supported by her husband and father in law to achieve her dream. Mandeep Kaur is well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a commercial pilot and holding a job in any of the top prestigious airlines in India like Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Spice Jet, Indi Go, Air India, Paramount, and Go Air. These hold an operating percentage in India’s share market. India has its share of lady pilots in Delhi and other metropolitan cities. Air India encourages flights with all women crew on certain days of the week in a bid to encourage gender equality and helping bring India to the forefront of world aviation commerce. According to the Hindu, India’s National Newspaper, 136 women pilots operate in India flying domestic and international routes. Women represent 18% of the work force according to Sunil Kishen, Executive Director, Southern Region for Air India. To honor International Women’s Day, March 8, 2010, Air India operated 12 flights, both domestic and international with all Much like any other lady, Mandeep Kaur loves life and is seen toting a designer handbag. She is now closer to her dreams of flying high.
Departures & Arrivals handling check-in baggage. I worked there a year and a half. I was qualified as the Best Employee of the year at the Delhi Airport. Working with their talented staff motivated me to become a lady pilot.” Taking a commercial pilot’s license has been a gruelling 13 months of training. Mandeep Kaur now plans to go back this month to India to get it approved by the Director, General Civil Aviation in India before she can apply for a regular pilot’s job. Indo American News wishes her the very best in her pursuit.
women crew on board. Mandeep Kaur could not have realized her goal of becoming a commercial pilot at a better time. She has a bachelors degree focusing on Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. She came to Houston on an N1 Visa. Her recency training for multi-rating commercial pilot’s license took place at David Wayne Hookes Airport in Spring,Texas. “I had no idea that I’d want to be a commercial pilot” she says, “till I got selected to work as ground crew with Kingfisher Airlines, at the
world markets
Wednesday, may 05, 2010 dow jones
10868.12 • -58.65 • -0.54%
nasdaq
2,402.29 • -21.96 • -0.91%
bombay sensex
17,087.96 • -49.18 • +0.07%
colombo asi
4,219.76 • 14.25 • 0.34%
dhaka GI
4587.88 • 39.25 • 0.86%
Karachi 100
10561.74 • 93.98 • 0.90%
nepal NEPSE
419.28 • 13.83 • 3.41%
Gold $1172.00 per oz.
44.97
Ind. rupee
Silver 83.89 $17.63 Pak. rupee per oz. 69.00 Platinum taka $1665.00 per oz. 113.62 S.L rupee
Brent $81.79 Spot +1.07% Spot Bid Prices Bloomberg.com
71.98
Nepal rupee
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www.gorelianceusa.com INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 07 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM