Avani Chaturvedi: 10-point guide to India's first woman fighter pilot to fly solo

Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi has created history by becoming the first Indian woman fighter pilot to fly solo.

Chaturvedi flew a MiG-21 Bison in her first training solo sortie, in Jamnagar, Gujarat on Monday.

Here is all you need to know about India's first woman fighter pilot to fly solo:

1. Chaturvedi flew a MiG-21 Bison in her first training solo sorti. The fighter jet, MiG-21 Bison, which she flew has the highest landing and take-off speed in the world - 340 kmph.

2. She was declared as the first combat pilot along with two of her cohort, Mohana Singh, and Bhawana Kanth. 

3. The trio was inducted into the Indian Air Force fighter squadron on June 18, 2016. They were formally commissioned by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. 

4. Avani was trained in January along with Mohana Singh and Bhawani to fly a fighter plane and two will soon fly fighter jets.

5. Avani along with Mohana and Bhawani were commissioned as flying officers into the fighter stream after basic training in June 2016 on "an experimental basis" for five years initially.

6. Chaturvedi, who hails from Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, completed her training at Hyderabad Air Force Academy. 

7. She did her schooling from Deoland, a small town in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh. Completing her Bachelors in Technology from Banasthali University, Rajasthan in 2014, she passed the Indian Air Force exam.

8. Chaturvedi was inspired by her brother who is in the Army. She always wanted to conquer the skies and hence joined the Flying Club in her college. Her hobbies include playing chess, table tennis and to do sketching, painting. 

9. Her father, Dinkar Chaturvedi, is an executive engineer in Water Resource Department of MP government and her mother is a home maker. 

10. Chaturvedi's achievement has put India on the list of the countries such as Britain, the United States, Israel, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to fly fighter jets.

(With ANI inputs)