Quick Info→
Hometown: Ludhiana, Punjab Age: 41 Years Husband: Vineet Joshi
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Babbal [1]The Indian Express |
| Profession | Defence Personnel |
| Known For | Being the first woman officer to assume command of a frontline combat unit of the Indian Air Force |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 165 cm in meters– 1.65 m in feet & inches– 5’ 5” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Military Service | |
| Service/Branch | Indian Air Force |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Service Years | 20 December 2003 – present |
| Stream | Helicopters |
| Service Number | 27773 F(P) |
| Career Ranks | • Flying Officer (20 December 2003 – 20 December 2005) • Flight Lieutenant (20 December 2005 – 20 December 2009) • Squadron Leader (20 December 2009 – 20 December 2016) • Wing Commander (20 December 2016 – 20 December 2019) • Group Captain (20 December 2019 – present) |
| Military Decoration | She has received the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation Card two times. |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | Year, 1982 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 41 Years |
| Birthplace | Ludhiana, Punjab, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Ludhiana, Punjab |
| School | • Government High School, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (High School) • Khalsa College for Women (Senior Secondary) |
| College/University | Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana |
| Educational Qualification | B. Tech in Electronics and Communication from Khalsa College for Women [2]The Indian Express |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Vineet Joshi (wing commander of the Indian Air Force) |
| Children | She has two sons with Vineet |
| Parents | Father– Harkesh Dhami (retired Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd employee) Mother– Dev Kumari (retired Water Supply and Sanitation Department official) |
| Siblings | Brother– Sarvsureshth Dhami (defence studies professor at a university in Imphal, Manipur) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Shaliza Dhami
- Shaliza Dhami is a helicopter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) who became the first woman pilot of the IAF to take over the charge of a frontline combat missile squadron in March 2023.
- Shaliza became a cadet in the National Cadet Corps’ air wing while pursuing B. Tech at the Khalsa College for Women. While serving as a cadet, she was trained in how to operate a glider and attended many training camps. P. P. Singh, her instructor at NCC, motivated her to become an officer in the Indian Air Force. While giving an interview, her parents said.
What made all the difference was her decision to join the Air Wing of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Her mentor P P Singh, who was from IAF, motivated her to give it a try and there was no looking back. NCC played a pivotal role in her life and decision to join IAF. We never stopped her from attending NCC camps which were held at different locations. She used to enjoy and learn so much in her NCC camps.”
- While giving an interview, Shaliza’s father said that even after being forced to enrol her in a convent school, he enrolled her in a government school as he did not want her to feel inferior to other kids whose parents came to drop them in luxurious cars. He said,
I owned a cycle at that time. The kids who study in a convent school, their parents come to drop them off in swanky cars. I decided that my children will study in the school where children of common men like me study. Had I admitted her to a convent, she might have had an inferiority complex. So, we admitted her to a government school. And look where she has reached today.”
- Shaliza joined the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Telangana after completing her engineering.
- While undergoing training at the academy, she flew her first solo sortie in HAL HPT-32 Deepak, a trainer aircraft.
- She was commissioned as a flying officer in the helicopter branch of the Indian Air Force on 20 December 2003.
Shaliza Dhami (extreme left) posing for a photo with other woman officers of the IAF
- After becoming a wing commander, Shaliza was selected to attend a flight instructor’s course at the IAF’s Flying Instructors School in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. After qualifying as a certified instructor, Shaliza became the first woman officer to have completed the course.
- Shaliza became the first female officer to get appointed as a flight commander of a squadron of Chetak helicopters stationed at the Hindon Air Force Base in Ghaziabad in August 2019. [3]India Today
A picture of Shaliza Dhami taken when she was giving an interview at Hindon Air Force Station
- Later, she was sent to an Indian Air Force’s headquarters situated close to the Line Of Control.
- In March 2023, she assumed the command of an IAF missile squadron deployed near the LOC, thus, becoming the first female pilot of the IAF to be given charge of a frontline combat unit.
- She has registered over 2,800 hours of experience in flying aircrafts as of March 2023.
- When Shaliza was in school, she was interested in playing hockey, dancing, and painting.
References/Sources:[+]
| ↑1, ↑2 | The Indian Express |
|---|---|
| ↑3 | India Today |