Father-daughter duo create history, fly Hawk-132 aircraft in same formation

New Delhi: A father-daughter duo recently created history in the Air Force by flying as part of the same fighter formation.

Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma, who is a seasoned fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, and his daughter Ananya Sharma, who was commissioned as a fighter pilot in December 2021, flew in the same formation of Hawk-132 Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) at Air Force Station, Bidar on May 30, 2022.

"Father-daughter duo created history on 30 May 2022, flew in same formation of Hawk-132 ace at AirForce Stn Bidar, where Flying Officer Ananya Sharma is undergoing training before graduating onto faster & more superior fighter aircraft of @IAF_MCC," said IAF on Tuesday.

It added further that there has not been any previous instance in the IAF where a father and his daughter were part of the same formation for a mission. "They were comrades, who had full faith in each other as fellow wingmen would," added the statement.

Air Commodore Sanjay Sharma was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF in 1989 and has had an extensive experience of fighter operations, having commanded a Mig-21 Sqn as well as a frontline fighter station.

With the induction of the first batch of three women pilots, the fighter stream of the IAF was opened for women in 2016.