59.98.234.122 at 15:05, 13 November 2022

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{{short description|India’s first women combat pilot}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Avani Chaturvedi
| image = File:Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|10|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Satna, Madhya Pradesh|Satna]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| education = [[Banasthali University]], [[Rajasthan]], [[India]] (B.Tech Computer Science)
| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| occupation = [[Fighter Pilot]]
| rank = [[File:Indian IAF OF-2.svg|25px]] Flight Lieutenant
| unit =
| spouse = Flt Lt Vineet Chikara
| children =
| relatives =
| awards =
}}
[[File:The Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF) Arjan Singh along with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (cropped).jpg|thumb|(L-R) [[Mohana Singh Jitarwal]], Avani Chaturvedi and [[Bhawana Kanth]]]]
'''Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi''' (born 27 October 1993) is an Indian pilot from [[Rewa, Madhya Pradesh|Rewa]] district, [[Madhya Pradesh]]. She was declared as the first woman combat pilot along with two of her cohorts, [[Mohana Singh Jitarwal]], and [[Bhawana Kanth]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Avani-Bhawana-Mohana-become-IAFs-first-women-fighter-pilots/articleshow/52805137.cms|title=Avani, Bhawana, Mohana become IAF's first women fighter pilots - Times of India|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/First-batch-of-three-female-fighter-pilots-commissioned/article14429868.ece|title=First batch of three female fighter pilots commissioned|last=Krishnamoorthy|first=Suresh|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> The trio was inducted into the [[Indian Air Force]] fighter squadron in June 2016. They were formally commissioned by then [[Defence Minister of India|Defence Minister]] [[Manohar Parrikar]] on 18 June 2016, to serve the nation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/iaf-pilots-with-indias-first-female-fighter-pilot-test-f-21-simulator/articleshow/70254376.cms?from=mdr|title=IAF pilots test F-21 simulator|last=Gurung|first=Shaurya Karanbir|date=2019-07-17|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Avani was born on 27 October in 1993. Her father, Dinkar Chaturvedi, is an superintending engineer in Water Resource Department of Madhya Pradesh government and her mother is a home maker. She completed her schooling from Deolond, a small town in [[Shahdol district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.pradesh18.com/news/madhya-pradesh/mp-girl-avani-chaturvedi-to-be-one-amongst-indias-first-three-women-fighter-pilots-878414.html|title=MP girl Avani Chaturvedi to be one amongst India's first three women fighter pilots|website=english.pradesh18.com|access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref> Completing her Bachelors in Technology from [[Banasthali University]], [[Rajasthan]] in 2014 where she joined the college's flying club which fascinated her to fly. She passed the AFCAT and further was recommended by AFSB.

Chaturvedi likes to play chess, table tennis and to do sketching and painting.

Avani's elder brother, who is an officer in the Indian Army, inspired her to join the Indian Air Force. She also has a few hours of flying experience in the flying club of her college [[Banasthali University]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ssbtosuccess.com/flying-officer-avani-chaturvedi/|title=Interesting Facts about Avani Chaturvedi, First Female Pilot To Fly Mig-21|last=Team|first=Editorial|date=2018-02-23|work=SSBToSuccess|access-date=2018-02-23|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==
She was selected for training at the [[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]] and completed the training at the age of 25. After further training, Chaturvedi became a fighter pilot in June 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-22 |title=The first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43151117 |access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=For IAF's first women fighter pilots Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth & Avani Chaturvedi, sky is no limit |newspaper=The Economic Times |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/for-iafs-first-women-fighter-pilots-mohana-singh-bhawana-kanth-avani-chaturvedi-sky-is-no-limit/articleshow/52816373.cms |access-date=2016-12-09}}</ref>

In 2018, Chaturvedi became the first Indian woman pilot to take a solo flight in a [[MiG-21]]. In 2018 Avani was promoted to the rank of [[Flight Lieutenant]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-a-first-woman-fighter-pilot-undertakes-solo-flight-in-mig-21-5073511/|title=In a first, woman fighter pilot undertakes solo flight in MiG-21|date=2018-02-22|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-02-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

Chaturvedi is posted in [[Indian Air Force]] [[No. 23 Squadron IAF|No. 23 Squadron]] ''Panthers'' in [[Suratgarh]], [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/flight-lieutenant-bhawana-kanth-is-indias-first-woman-pilot-to-qualify-for-combat-missions-2041527|title= Bhawana Kanth Is India's First Woman Pilot to Qualify for Combat Missions |publisher=NDTV|access-date=23 May 2019}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==
In 2018, she was honored with the [[doctorate degree]] from Banasthali Vidyapeeth.

On 9 March 2020, Chaturvedi was awarded with [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] by President [[Ram Nath Kovind]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/flying-mig-21-bison-matter-of-pride-flt-lt-bhawana-kanth-11583759611965.html|title=Flying MiG-21 Bison matter of pride: Flt Lt Bhawana Kanth|date=2020-03-09|website=Livemint|language=en|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Avni Chaturvedi married [[Flight lieutenant|Flight Lieutenant]] Vineet Chikara in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amarujala.com/chandigarh/india-s-first-female-fighter-pilot-avani-chaturvedi-got-married|title=देश की पहली महिला फाइटर पायलट अवनी चतुर्वेदी परिणय सूत्र में बंधीं, जानें-'हमसफर' के बारे में|publisher=Amar Ujala|date=2019-11-29|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Gunjan Saxena]]
* [[Mohana Singh Jitarwal]]
* [[Bhawana Kanth]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7izQ4A7zwJc Women Fighter Pilots]. [[Veer by Discovery]]

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaturvedi, Avani}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1990s births]]
[[Category:Indian women aviators]]
[[Category:Women from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian women in war]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force officers]]

Avani Chaturvedi - Revision history

59.98.234.122 at 15:05, 13 November 2022