Captain Aarohi Pandit – World’s First Woman To Cross Atlantic Ocean In LSA 

Hello Defence Aspirants,

This post is about a 23-year-old girl who became the world’s first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in LSA.

Key Highlights

• As a matter of fact, Aarohi achieved the feat around midnight on May 13-14.
• when she landed her tiny aircraft at Iqaluit Airport in Canada
• After a gruelling 3,000 km long flight, under adverse and extreme weather conditions
• The following take-off from Wick, Scotland (United Kingdom), with brief stopovers in Greenland and Iceland.
• This is part of her year-long global circumnavigation.
• Moreover, Aarohi continued solo from the UK to Canada, and they will return to India by July 30 this year.
• Aarohi is an ardent fan of the legendary American aviator, Amelia Earheart – who became the world’s first woman to make a solo transatlantic flight in a bigger aircraft, 87 years ago, on May 20, 1932.

Achievements

• Pandit together with Keithair Misquitta left India on the Women Empower (WE) Expedition in the tiny aircraft christened ‘Mahi’.
• Pandit and Misquitta flew over Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, then to Pakistan, where they landed hence making it the first civilian LSA flight to land in the neighbouring country since 1947
• And furthermore went onto to Iran, Turkey, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, France and UK.
• After landing in Iqaluit, Pandit proudly exhibited the Indian Tricolour presented to her by the Indian Ambassador to Canada Vikas Swarup.
• Moreover, En route, she set another world record as the first woman pilot to fly solo above the treacherous Greenland ice-cap in an LSA.

About ‘Mahi’

• First, it is a tiny Sinus 912, a single-engine, ultralight motor glider.
• Second, Sinus 912 weighs a little of 400 kg
• Third, manufactured by Pipistrel of Slovenia.
• Furthermore, it is also the first Light Sports Aircraft (LSA) to be registered by Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India.

Stay connected to DDE to know more about India’s Pride.

Jai Hind