Good Sports: FLYING SIKH
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.]
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