Niloofar Rahmani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niloofar Rahmani
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Rahmani in 2013
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| Born | 1992 (age 32–33) Logar, Afghanistan |
| Allegiance |  Afghanistan |
| Service/ |
Air Force |
| Years of service | 2012–2018 |
Niloofar Rahmani (Persian: نیلوفر رحمانی) was born in the early 1990s. She made history as the first female fixed-wing pilot in Afghanistan's Air Force. She was also the first female pilot in the Afghan Air Force after the Taliban government ended in 2001. Even though her family received threats, she bravely continued her training. In 2015, she won the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award for her amazing courage.
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Early Life and Dreams
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Niloofar Rahmani was born in Afghanistan in 1992. Her family spoke Persian. For a while, she lived with her family in Pakistan before they moved back to Kabul in 2001.
From a young age, Niloofar dreamed of becoming a pilot. To make her dream come true, she spent almost a year studying English. This helped her get ready to attend flight school. She is from the Tajik ethnic group.
Becoming a Pilot
In 2010, Niloofar joined the Afghan Air Force Officer Training Program. She worked hard and graduated as a Second Lieutenant in July 2012. During her training, some doctors in the Afghan Air Force tried to say she wasn't strong enough to fly. But Niloofar was determined. She was the only female student in the program.
Niloofar found inspiration from two female helicopter pilots from the Soviet era, the Nabizada sisters. Her father also greatly encouraged her to achieve her goals.
Flying Different Planes
Niloofar's first time flying alone was in a Cessna 182 plane. She wanted to fly even bigger aircraft, so she went to advanced flight school. Soon, she was flying the C-208 military cargo plane.
Normally, women pilots were not allowed to transport injured or deceased soldiers. However, during one mission, Niloofar landed and found injured soldiers. She bravely decided to fly them to a hospital. When she reported what she had done to her commanders, they did not punish her.
Facing Challenges and Seeking Asylum
When Niloofar's achievements became public, her family started receiving threats. These threats came from some family members and from the Taliban, who did not approve of her career choice. Her family had to move several times to stay safe.
Despite these challenges, Niloofar remained strong. She hoped to fly an even larger C-130 plane. She also wanted to become a flight instructor to inspire other women to follow their dreams. In 2015, she began training on C-130s with the US Air Force. She finished this program in December 2016. After that, she asked for asylum in the United States. Niloofar hoped to eventually become a military pilot for the United States Air Force.
In April 2018, Niloofar Rahmani was granted asylum in the United States. Her lawyer was International Attorney Kimberley Motley. Today, Niloofar lives in Florida with her sister, who is also trying to get asylum. Niloofar works as a translator, using her skills in Persian, Dari, and English.
In 2021, Niloofar published her autobiography, titled Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan's First Female Pilot.
See also
In Spanish: Niloofar Rahmani para niños
- Afghan Air Force
- Bibi Ayesha
- Latifa Nabizada
- Khatool Mohammadzai
- Women's rights in Afghanistan
