By Sandip Dighe
Fiza Ahmad (22) did not leave any stone unturned to accomplish her childhood dream – of joining the Indian Air Force (IAF).
And she did it with flying colours.
She achieved all India rank 2 in order of merit of the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT), the results of which were announced recently. Also, she topped the flying branch.
“It is a dream come true moment for me,” Fiza told TOI on Friday.
“I had been preparing hard for the last few years. But I never imagined that I would achieve the top rank. Hard work has paid off for me, eventually,” an elated Fiza said.
She did not have to look elsewhere for inspiration, her father, Colonel Farhad, has been her role model since childhood.
“The love and respect for the armed forces comes naturally to me. These factors motivated me to pursue a military career since the early stage of my academic years,” she said.
Her proud father, who is with NCC Group HQ, Pune, said that Fiza had been ‘crazy’ for flying since schooldays.
“Despite being a meritorious student, we did not pressurise her to explore other career options,” he said.
“We supported her by inducting her into the Bombay flying club, where she flew Cessna – 172- a fixed-wing aircraft- for 65 hours. She could not continue her flying due to Covid – 19 pandemic. But her interaction with an instructor, a retired IAF officer at the club, played a crucial role in her preparations,” he said.
However, the success did not come easy for her as Fiza conference out twice during the Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews.
“It was a tough phase for me. But my discussions with Dad and other officers helped me to overcome my mistakes. As a result, I could crack the interview successfully on the third attempt,” Fiza added.
She also worked hard to achieve the desired physical fitness. “I worked for several hours to shed my weight. I reduced my weight from 82 kg to 58 kg. That is why I cleared physical and medical tests. In this journey, my mother Rubina, an aerobic instructor, guided me scientifically,” she said.
She is all set to join the Air Force Academy (AFA ), Dundigal, in the first week of July.
Fiza aspires to become a fighter pilot of the IAF.
“I am very excited to embark on a new journey in my life. And most importantly, for me to carry forward the military legacy of my father,” she said.
Fiza Ahmad (22) did not leave any stone unturned to accomplish her childhood dream – of joining the Indian Air Force (IAF).
And she did it with flying colours.
She achieved all India rank 2 in order of merit of the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT), the results of which were announced recently. Also, she topped the flying branch.
“It is a dream come true moment for me,” Fiza told TOI on Friday.
“I had been preparing hard for the last few years. But I never imagined that I would achieve the top rank. Hard work has paid off for me, eventually,” an elated Fiza said.
She did not have to look elsewhere for inspiration, her father, Colonel Farhad, has been her role model since childhood.
“The love and respect for the armed forces comes naturally to me. These factors motivated me to pursue a military career since the early stage of my academic years,” she said.
Her proud father, who is with NCC Group HQ, Pune, said that Fiza had been ‘crazy’ for flying since schooldays.
“Despite being a meritorious student, we did not pressurise her to explore other career options,” he said.
“We supported her by inducting her into the Bombay flying club, where she flew Cessna – 172- a fixed-wing aircraft- for 65 hours. She could not continue her flying due to Covid – 19 pandemic. But her interaction with an instructor, a retired IAF officer at the club, played a crucial role in her preparations,” he said.
However, the success did not come easy for her as Fiza conference out twice during the Services Selection Board (SSB) interviews.
“It was a tough phase for me. But my discussions with Dad and other officers helped me to overcome my mistakes. As a result, I could crack the interview successfully on the third attempt,” Fiza added.
She also worked hard to achieve the desired physical fitness. “I worked for several hours to shed my weight. I reduced my weight from 82 kg to 58 kg. That is why I cleared physical and medical tests. In this journey, my mother Rubina, an aerobic instructor, guided me scientifically,” she said.
She is all set to join the Air Force Academy (AFA ), Dundigal, in the first week of July.
Fiza aspires to become a fighter pilot of the IAF.
“I am very excited to embark on a new journey in my life. And most importantly, for me to carry forward the military legacy of my father,” she said.
