Do get fascinated watching a plane zoom above your head? The minute we hear the whirring sound of the plane, we instinctively, turn up to see it. So it isn’t a surprise, that many of us always wanted to be a pilot when we grow up. And while many of us eventually shifted our dreams, a young girl from Surat not only lived up to her dreams but also became the youngest commercial pilot in India. This is her triumphant story of struggle and success. Read on to know more.
Maitri Patel Is India’s Youngest Commercial Pilot At 19 Years
Maitri Patel is your average 19-year-old girl from Surat, Gujarat. But what is unusual about her is her fiery determination to achieve her dreams. Today she has achieved it by becoming India’s youngest commercial pilot. This inspirational story does not begin in the air, it starts closer to the soil. Maitri’s father Kantilal Patel, is a farmer and had always wanted his daughter to achieve her dream, travel the world, and fly a plane. To fulfil his daughter’s flying ambition, he even sold a piece of his land to enrol his daughter in a flight training course in the United States. Given the opportunity, Maitri worked hard and completed the 18-month course in a record 11 months alone!
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She Wanted To Be A Pilot After Seeing An Aeroplane For The First Time
Speaking with India Today, Maitri mentioned, that she was only 8 years old when she saw an aeroplane for the first time. And at that very moment, she decided she wanted to become a pilot. After completing her training in just 11 months, Maitri called her father to the USA. And then she flew at an altitude of 3500 feet. It was truly like a dream come true moment for the determined and proud farmer’s daughter. Maitri’s accolades have spread across the country and even Shri Vijay Ramniklal Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat met Maitri Patel and congratulated her for her achievement. The CMO also has tweeted about her. You can check it out below.
CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp today met 19-year-old Maitri Patel, a farmer's daughter from Olpad, Surat, and congratulated her on becoming the youngest female commercial pilot after receiving vocational training in the US and also wished this pride of Gujarat a sky-touching career. pic.twitter.com/R4qHdbOQkb
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) September 7, 2021