IAF plans to recruit more women officers

MUMBAI: The Indian Air Force is planning to recruit more women into its various branches, said Air Vice Marshal P S Ahluwalia, air officer commanding, maritime air operations.
Addressing the inaugural session of a three-day conference on ''Women in Aviation'' recently, he said that at present there were about 450 women in the officer cadre, which is four per cent of the total work force.
"We want to increase this number," he said, adding that the IAF was planning to give them permanent commission.
The meeting was jointly organised by the Mumbai branch of the Aeronautical Society of India, the Indian Women Pilots'' Association and the Ninety- Nines, an organisation of women pilots.
While lauding the role of women in the IAF, he said there were some practical problems in making them fighter pilots.
"The design of the cockpit may not be suitable for the build of an average Indian woman," he said.
This apart, he said, it would be difficult for women to operate from air bases, which are located at heights and close to the border. "Operating fighter planes involves high-intensity flying which can cause problems for women," he said.
Kota Harinarayana, designer of India''s indigenous fighter—the Light Combat aircraft (LCA)—said of the total number of scientists and engineers connected with the LCA project 25 per cent were women.
"Their contribution was extraordinary and without them the project would not have succeeded," he said.
The LCA had its maiden flight on January 4, 2001. Mr Harinarayana said the women scientists and engineers designed the carbon brakes for the LCA, handled the mission software, tested the flight control systems and worked on the systems integration.