Two from Bowenpally don the Air Force blue

HYDERABAD: A girl from Bowenpally aspired to become an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, but could not make the cut as she failed to meet the laid down criteria. But, the determined Hyderabadi did not get discouraged. She donned the IAF blue uniform and graduated in flight cadet administration on Saturday.

In 2003, Kirti Singh, who was then in class 3, moved to Hyderabad as her father, who was in the Indian Army, was transferred to MCEME. Since then, the Singhs have made Hyderabad their home. After graduating in electronics and communication engineering from St Martin’s Engineering College, Dhulapally, Kirti joined a software company and even worked for a few months, but her heart was in the uniformed service.

“It was rigorous training, which will teach you not to give up even in the weakest moment. In the first month, I found it very difficult, but because of my passion for the defence services, I could overcome all hardships, Kirti told STOI.

Her first choice was to become a fighter pilot, but she could not meet IAF’s criteria of 162.5 cm minimum height and eye sight of 6/6, without spectacles. She settled for the next best option, administration.

Another Hyderabadi, Akash Saraswat of Bowenpally, studied at Narayana Junior College in Bowenpally, bucked the trend of pursuing engineering or medicine. Instead, he chose the armed forces as his father too retired from the IAF. He joined the National Defence Academy. In December, 2017, he was sent to the Air Force Academy and became a fighter pilot. Akash’s father Niranjan Singh Saraswat was an air man.

In a tribute to his father, Akash along with his family members spoke to media personnel at a hangar at the AFA, Dundigal, where Niranjan last worked before he retired from service.

The two Hyderabadis claimed their defence background propelled them into the uniformed service and IAF became their natural choice for career.