Accomplished pilot who had a big dream

New Delhi: Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who briefed the media on Wednesday alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi on India's 'Operation Sindoor', is an accomplished helicopter pilot who has flown a variety of aircraft and taken part in rescue operations in extreme conditions to evacuate civilians.

At the briefing, the two women officers -- Vyomika Singh and Sofiya Qureshi -- sat on the dais flanked by Misri, who delivered the opening statement from the government on 'Operation Sindoor'.

The two officers then shared details about the sites hit by the Indian forces.

Vyomika, who's married to an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, had shared how her name, perhaps, carried her destiny to become a pilot during a panel discussion hosted by a private channel in 2023.

"I was in Class-6 when the Eureka moment happened - I realised that I wanted to be a pilot and own the sky. We were having a discussion in the class on the meaning of names. Somebody shouted, ‘You are Vyomika, which means you own the sky'. Since that day, I wanted to be a pilot. This was in early 1990s,” Vyomika recalled during the panel discussion.

During the interaction that hailed the spirit of 'Nari Shakti', she also shared her journey into the IAF and how she earned her wings.

From dreaming to be a pilot, to logging over 2,500 flying hours, Vyomika has operated several helicopters across some of the country's most challenging terrains, from the high-altitude sectors in Jammu and Kashmir to the remote areas in the Northeast.

In 2020, she led a rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh, flying in extreme conditions to evacuate civilians.

“It has been an excellent experience (in the IAF), and I love it,” the IAF officer told the private channel, as she shared what it meant to fly a helicopter in different weather conditions and negotiate it.