Columnists

On Cloud Nine

by I. J. SINGH

Years ago, an immensely popular program on television was "What's My Line," in which a panel of prominent judges quizzed a guest to guess his or her profession.  At that time, I was one of only two or three men in New York City who wore a turban, so I got invited. 

I thought of that experience when I recently met a young Sikh woman who, I realized, would have been perfect for that role.

When Arpinder Kaur came to America at 14 years of age, it was her first flight ever.  In those pre-9/11 days, the pilot allowed her a view inside the cockpit.  She absolutely fell in love with the idea of flying.  After a utilitarian step  -  a degree in Information Technology  -  she decided to pursue her dream. There were no flyers in her family or her social circle, but learning to fly became her search for the exotic.

Now Arpinder is a 27-year-old new mother who makes her home in San Antonio, Texas.  When she and her physician husband, Pritpal Singh, moved, she piloted the plane from Kansas to San Antonio. I suppose that might have scared a lesser man.

Arpinder became amritdhari in 1995, and obtained her private flying license in 2003.  By the next year, she had a commercial pilot license with complex gear and instrument rating to fly a 4-seater Cessna. This qualified her to work not only as a pilot, but also to serve as an instructor.

One needs 1500 hours of flying to earn an Airline Transport Pilot license; Arpinder has already completed 920 hours and has also obtained a multi-engine rating. She hopes to complete all her requirements in the coming year.

Visiting with her reminded me of a time over 30 years ago, when I was on a cross-country flight on a discount airline, appropriately called Peoples Air.  It was my first experience flying with a woman pilot. It was a time when women were rarely seen in a role other than that of mother, school teacher, nurse or secretary.

Times are a-changing, and for the better.

Now there is hardly a profession that is still closed to women.  Women astronauts are around us, as are professional jockeys.  But women pilots in commercial airlines are still a rare breed in the United States. 

Soon, when you hear someone announcing, "This is your captain speaking," it may well be Arpinder Kaur  -  an amritdhari Sikh woman, wearing a dastaar.

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