Afghanistan's First Female Fixed Wing Fighter Pilot Great Encouragement to Afghan Women
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10 سال پیش
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Afghanistan's first female fixed-wing fighter
Afghanistan's first female fixed-wing fighter pilot has proved to her country that fighter pilots do not have to be male and is encouraging Afghan women to have bigger dreams.
Niloofar Rahmani, 23, is a fighter pilot in the Afghan Air Force. She joined the air force in 2009 and passed the tests to qualify as a fixed-wing fighter pilot in 2012.
Rahmani said she first began dreaming of becoming a pilot when flying kites as a child. She said Afghan people love flying kites and that she wished to one day be able to fly as freely as a kite.
"It was a dream of a child. When I was a child, I was dreaming to be a pilot. I think, in my country, it has to be someone to start it. It has to be someone to change a custom or, I can say, a rule which is like 'females not allowed'. There needs to be someone to break the glass wall so it will be easier for everyone else," said Rahmani.
However, becoming a pilot was not easy for an Afghan girl. Rahmani has made great efforts to fulfill her dream, including learning English in order to communicate with her American instructors.
Rahmani said she was extremely excited when she qualified to fly a fighter independently in 2012.
"I think I feel more safer when I'm in the air and I feel really different. I think it's just me focusing in one thing in life, so nothing else is bothering me. And I think this is the only time my mind is happy," said Rahmani.
Young Rahmani has received support from her family, but some conservative people are still opposed to her career as a pilot. She said the Taliban sent her threatening letters in early 2013 when she was assigned to a mission in Kabul.
"They don't want me here anymore. So they were thinking like how they're going to make me like to quit. So I was receiving many phone calls and many threats. I was ignoring them, but finally I have received a death threat letter in my house. That makes my life and my family's life very difficult," said Rahmani.
Rahmani said she will never give up on her dream, despite the threats. She hopes her success will encourage disadvantaged Afghan women to achieve more and live better lives.
"I need to go farther, farther in my future, like a very bright future, and be something for other females that are coming behind me. So my plan is like to be instructor of pilots soon to train the young generation," said Rahmani. More on: http://newscontent.cctv.com/NewJsp/ne...
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Niloofar Rahmani, 23, is a fighter pilot in the Afghan Air Force. She joined the air force in 2009 and passed the tests to qualify as a fixed-wing fighter pilot in 2012.
Rahmani said she first began dreaming of becoming a pilot when flying kites as a child. She said Afghan people love flying kites and that she wished to one day be able to fly as freely as a kite.
"It was a dream of a child. When I was a child, I was dreaming to be a pilot. I think, in my country, it has to be someone to start it. It has to be someone to change a custom or, I can say, a rule which is like 'females not allowed'. There needs to be someone to break the glass wall so it will be easier for everyone else," said Rahmani.
However, becoming a pilot was not easy for an Afghan girl. Rahmani has made great efforts to fulfill her dream, including learning English in order to communicate with her American instructors.
Rahmani said she was extremely excited when she qualified to fly a fighter independently in 2012.
"I think I feel more safer when I'm in the air and I feel really different. I think it's just me focusing in one thing in life, so nothing else is bothering me. And I think this is the only time my mind is happy," said Rahmani.
Young Rahmani has received support from her family, but some conservative people are still opposed to her career as a pilot. She said the Taliban sent her threatening letters in early 2013 when she was assigned to a mission in Kabul.
"They don't want me here anymore. So they were thinking like how they're going to make me like to quit. So I was receiving many phone calls and many threats. I was ignoring them, but finally I have received a death threat letter in my house. That makes my life and my family's life very difficult," said Rahmani.
Rahmani said she will never give up on her dream, despite the threats. She hopes her success will encourage disadvantaged Afghan women to achieve more and live better lives.
"I need to go farther, farther in my future, like a very bright future, and be something for other females that are coming behind me. So my plan is like to be instructor of pilots soon to train the young generation," said Rahmani. More on: http://newscontent.cctv.com/NewJsp/ne...
Subscribe us on Youtube: @cctvvideonewsagency
CCTV+ official website: http://newscontent.cctv.com/
LinkedIn: LinkedIn: cctv-news-content
Facebook: Facebook: 756877521031964
Twitter: Twitter: NewsContentPLUS
10 سال پیش
در تاریخ 1394/02/18 منتشر شده
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