Sarla Thakral Biography 
Sarla Thakral was an Indian pilot who owns the credit of being the first Indian woman to fly an aircraft. She earned an aviation pilot license in 1936 at the age of 21. Her name was entered into history books after she flew a Gypsy Moth solo. Interestingly she wore a sari for her first drive. She successfully completed 1000 hours at Lahore Flying Club. Her husband P. D. Sharma was also an Indian pilot who is the first Indian to get his airmail pilot's license, flying between Karachi and Lahore. Tragically, Captain Sharma died in an airplane crash in 1939. Sarla couldn’t earn her commercial pilot license because of the outbreak of World War I.
India’s first woman in air, driving an air craft, Sarla Thakral was born in Delhi in 1914. Childhood of Sarla Thakral was spent in Delhi of undivided India. She got married at the age of 16 to P.D. Sharma, an air pilot. Quite interestingly, Sarla was married into a progressive family which had nine pilots including her husband. Later she too started dreaming to fly an aeroplane and she started gathering courage for this effort. She got support from her husband and her father-in-law, and she started off with her training. Meanwhile she was blessed with a baby girl.
In 1936 when she was only 21 years old, she got her aviation pilot license. Modestly dressed in Saree, Thakral flew a Gypsy moth solo from Lahore Flying Club, entering her names in record books as the first woman to fly an aircraft. She later completed one thousand hours of flying in the aircraft owned by the Lahore Flying Club. Interestingly she never faced any opposition from any outer society for her venture. Very soon she gave birth to a second girl.
Her husband died in a plane crash in 1939. Sarla Thakral made her way to Jodhpur and applied for a commercial pilot’s license. World War II broke out and all flying was suspended. Deeply hurt she returned to Lahore and started studying in Bengal school of Painting. She did a diploma course. After partition, she moved back to Delhi with two daughters, and being a practiser of Arya Samaj, she married R. P. Thakral in 1948. She later earned name as a successful businesswoman and painter.
Published: February 03, 2019
Updated: February 03, 2019
