The legendary Indian runner Milkha
Singh was known as The Flying Sikh, but
that’s a nickname that applies to Arpinder
Kaur as well.
A pilot for Envoy Air, the largest regional
carrier for American Airlines, Kaur
is the first female Sikh pilot in the U.S. and
the first Sikh pilot, male or female, to wear
a turban on the flight deck, according to
the airline.
Kaur fell in love with aviation as a
teenager, but didn’t pursue her dream until
she had earned an IT degree and married
her boyfriend, Pritpal Singh. Though
she was veering from a traditional career,
her parents and
husband supported
her desire
to attend aviation school and become a
commercial pilot.
Kaur sees herself as a role model for
girls, encouraging them to follow their
dreams.
“My main thing is to tell them, you
are able to do what boys are able to do,”
she told EnvoyAir.com. “We have so many
strengths. We’re capable of so many
things. I tell them to pursue those dreams,
because you’re able to become what you
want to become.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]