Maitri Patel a 19-year-old girl from Surat, Gujarat achieved her childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Donning the uniform, flying the plane across the vast blue sky, and literally working above the clouds, Maitri has established a milestone by becoming the youngest commercial pilot in India. Maitri came from a poor financial background and hence faced multiple challenges like poverty but still she remained focus towards her goal and fulfiller her childhood dream. After completing her class XII education from Metas Adventist School, which is an English medium school in Surat, Gujarat, Maitri went to the United States to complete her pilot training program.
Maitri’s father Kantilal Patel works in the Olpad area wherein her mother works in the health department of Surat Municipal Corporation. Maitri father sold a piece of his ancestral land to pay for the flight training course fees. The duration of commercial flight training is 18 months but Maitri completed the training in record-breaking 11 months. Her goals were so strong that despite facing multiple challenges she became the pilot at a very young age. The young girl further wishes to become a captain in order to fly a Boeing aircraft.
While talking to India Today Maitri said, “I completed the training in 11 months and called my father to come to the United States, and then I flew at an altitude of 3500 feet. It was like a dream come true for me.”
Further adding on her dream of becoming pilot she said, “I was only 8 years old when I saw an aeroplane for the very first time and that was the moment I decided that I wanted to become a pilot.”
Vijay Ramniklal Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat met Maitri Patel and congratulated the young pilot for her achievement. Taking to twitter handle CMO wrote, “CM Shri Vijay Rupani 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.”
