How many of you know Sabina Shrestha? Let’s know who she is!
Sabina Shrestha a 36 years old Nepalese woman has scripted history by becoming 1st female Pilot Instructor of Nepal.
Sabina Shrestha flew on the airplane when she was 11 for the first time and fascinated with flying ever since. The journey began when her mother showed how different it was than any other career, so her mother was the source of inspiration and encouragement. She is the daughter of Shanker and Sharda Shrestha and raised with her younger sister in her hometown Kathmandu, where she had spent her childhood.
She had completed her class 12 at Shivapati Inter College in New Dehli and received one-year training. She had completed her graduation from Siddhartha Banasthali School and took a flying lesson in Texas, getting her instructor pilot rating after winning a scholarship from ‘Ninety-Nines’, an organization of women pilots in America.
” Even back I wondered how such a huge and heavy metal craft flew in the sky“- Sabina Shrestha
She was flying from the age of 19. She started off flying to STOL airfields, to remote areas of Nepal, carrying cargo and passengers where there were no means of transport. She said,” I still remember people being amazed and whispering to each other about a lady in the cockpit. Those were my moments of joy and pride and still bring a smile to my face.”
Sabina who is a senior captain at Yeti Airlines, the leading domestic airlines has recently acquired her Instructor Pilot License. Though she started flying on the Twin Otter aircraft she had got a lot of opportunity and experience of flying different aircraft, including SAAB 340, and Jet stream 4. She had got the license of Instructor Pilot on Jet- stream 4.
“If others were to get support like me from their families, there would be more number of women pilots in Nepal” – Sabina Shrestha
Now Sabina has begun the journey working as an expert trainer providing training to emerging Pilots, operation testing the aircraft’s route, and Test Pilot.
She is the inspiration to all the women who are willing to be a Pilot and to those parents who think that women cannot be a Pilot.
“LIVE THE LIFE YOU HAVE IMAGINED”
