Is it safe? Meet Captain Savita Singh who’s shattering stereotypes as ministers make promises to ladkis & bahins
Captain Savita Singh, likely India’s only woman helicopter pilot engaged in election campaign flying, has been at the controls, landing in places like Shegaon, Parli, Dharni, and Khamgaon, where politicians deliver speeches centered on government schemes like the Ladki Bahin program, aimed at empowering women.
“Yes, there is a definite element of surprise, even shock, when the crowds see a woman pilot step out of the cockpit,” Capt. Singh, a 51-year-old former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who now serves as a pilot-in-command on an Agusta 109P, told ToI. With 17 years of civil aviation experience under her belt—first with Pawan Hans and now as a charter operator—Singh is no stranger to navigating the demanding world of political campaign flights. Having logged over 7,000 hours in the skies, she recounts the reactions of her high-profile passengers when they see her in the cockpit. Often, she says, politicians respond with surprise, even bemusement.
Recalling one memorable encounter, Singh shares, “We were readying for takeoff when someone in the back tapped my co-pilot’s shoulder and passed him a chit. He read it, laughed, and refused to share it with me until we landed. Only then did he tell me that a senior cabinet minister had asked if it was safe to fly with a woman pilot. I would have told the minister, ‘If you are doubtful about flight safety, you may disembark,’” she says with a smile.
Campaign flights bring their own set of challenges, distinct from her days with the IAF or even from offshore flights to
