View source for Niloofar Rahmani

{{Short description|First female Afghan Air Force pilot}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Niloofar Rahmani
| image         = Niloofar Rahmani.jpg
| alt           = 
| caption       = Rahmani in 2013
| birth_date    = {{birth year and age|1992}}
| birth_place   = [[Logar Province|Logar]], [[Afghanistan]]
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| other_names   = 
| serviceyears  = 2012–2018
| allegiance    = {{flag|Islamic Republic of Afghanistan|name=Afghanistan}}
| branch        = [[Afghan Air Force|Air Force]]
| notable_works =
}}

'''Niloofar Rahmani''' ({{langx|fa|نیلوفر رحمانی}}, born early 1990s<ref>[https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-641-60334-8 ''Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan’s First Female Pilot'']. Publishers Weekly Newsletter, Juli 2021</ref><ref name=":0"/><ref>''Niloofar Rahmani''. In:  Thomas H. Johnson, Ludwig W. Adamec: ''Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2021, ISBN  9781538149294, pp. 416-417</ref>) is the first female fixed-wing Air Force aviator in [[Afghanistan]]'s history and the first female pilot in the [[Afghan Air Force]] since the fall of the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Taliban]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02wyft8 | title = The Conversation: Pilots Niloofar Rahmani and Esther Mbabazi | date= 25 July 2015 | access-date = 13 July 2017 | work = BBC News }}</ref> Though her family received death threats, she persevered to complete her training and won the U.S. State Department's [[International Women of Courage Award]] in 2015.<ref name="Women of Courage (2015)" />

==Early life==
[[File:130514-F-ZE564-001 (8770933734).jpg|thumb|2nd Lt. Niloofar Rahmani stands alongside the other four graduates of undergraduate pilot training just prior to receiving their pilot wings at a ceremony on 14 May 2013 at [[Shindand Air Base]], Afghanistan.]]
Rahmani was born in Afghanistan in 1992 in a [[Persian-speaking people|Persian-speaking]] family. She lived with her family in [[Afghans in Pakistan|Pakistan]] before returning to Kabul in 2001.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/meghara/the-badass-afghan-pilot-who-went-massively-viral-is-now|title=The "Badass" Afghan Pilot Who Went Massively Viral Is Now Living In Exile. She Just Wants To Be Able To Fly Again.|last=Rajagopalan|first=Megha|date=December 14, 2019|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en|access-date=2019-12-15}}</ref> Since she was a child, she had a dream of becoming a pilot and spent nearly a year studying English to be able to attend flight school.<ref name="Jawad (2013)">{{cite news|last1=Jawad|first1=Sayed|title=First Female Afghan Air Force pilot graduated in 30 years|url=http://www.khaama.com/first-female-afghan-air-force-pilot-graduated-in-30-years-1453|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Khaama Press|date=16 May 2013}}</ref> She is of [[Tajiks|Tajik]] descent.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oQT3DwAAQBAJ&dq=niloofar+rahmani+%22tajik%22&pg=PT117|first=Niloofar|last=Rahmani|authorlink=|title=Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan's First Female Pilot|pages= |publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]]|date=July 26, 2021|isbn=9781641603379 }}</ref>

== Flight career ==
[[File:Nilofar Rahmani in May 2013.jpg|thumb|2nd Lt. Niloofar Rahmani in 2013]]
She enlisted in the [[Afghan Air Force]] Officer Training Program in 2010 and in July 2012 graduated as a [[Second Lieutenant]].<ref name="Women of Courage (2015)">{{cite news|title=Biographies of 2015 Award Winners|url=https://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2015/bio/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307040454/http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2015/bio/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-03-07|access-date=10 March 2015|publisher=U.S. State Department|date=March 2015}}</ref> Throughout the program, Afghan air force doctors attempted to deem her physically unfit to fly; she was the only female candidate in the program.<ref name=":0" /> Two female helicopter pilots during the [[Soviet]] era, the [[Latifa Nabizada|Nabizada]] sisters, along with her father, served as inspiration for Rahmani's achievement.<ref name="newscentral">{{cite news|title=MilitaryFirst Afghan female pilot aims to soar|url=http://newscentral.exsees.com/item/73212e35c38ee0cee04cb2fa4d63e78b-22cb9aafefa0a4b2143638d99f89fd1b|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=newscentral|date=10 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105906/http://newscentral.exsees.com/item/73212e35c38ee0cee04cb2fa4d63e78b-22cb9aafefa0a4b2143638d99f89fd1b|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Kovach (2015)">{{cite news|last1=Kovach|first1=Gretel C.|title=Pilot Breaks Gender Barrier|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/mar/10/tp-pilot-breaks-gender-barrier/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=U-T SanDiego|date=March 10, 2015}}</ref>

Her first solo flight was in a [[Cessna 182]]. Wanting to fly larger aircraft, she went to advanced flight school and was soon flying the [[C-208]] military cargo aircraft.<ref name="Lebron (2015)">{{cite news|last1=Lebron|first1=Jennifer|title=First Afghan Woman Pilot Flies with Blue Angels|url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=86024|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=US Navy|date=13 March 2015|ref=Story Number: NNS150313-12|archive-date=16 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316080116/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=86024|url-status=dead}}</ref> Women are traditionally banned from transporting dead or wounded soldiers; however, Rahmani defied orders when she discovered injured soldiers upon landing in one mission. Flying them to a hospital, she reported her actions to her superiors, who imposed no sanctions.<ref name="Naso (2015)">{{cite news|last1=Naso|first1=Bridget|title=Groundbreaking Female Afghan Pilot Inspires in San Diego|url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Groundbreaking-Female-Afghan-Pilot-Inspires-in-San-Diego-295700951.html|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=NBC San Diego|date=Mar 9, 2015}}</ref>

When her achievements were publicized, Captain Rahmani's family received threats from both family members and the [[Taliban]], which disapproved of her ambition and career choices. The family has had to move several times<ref name="Women of Courage (2015)" /> but Rahmani was resolute and aimed to fly a larger [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130]] plane and become a flight instructor to inspire other women.<ref name="Kovach (2015)" />  She began training on C-130s with the US Air Force in 2015 and completed the program in December 2016, following which she applied for asylum in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/celebrated-afghan-woman-pilot-requests-asylum-in-u-s-1482555662|title=First Female Pilot in Afghanistan Requests Asylum in U.S.|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=December 24, 2016|access-date=December 24, 2016 |quote=Now, more than three years after she earned her wings, the 25-year-old Afghan air force pilot hopes to start a new life in the U.S. where she has applied for asylum, saying her life would be in danger if she returns home. |first=Margherita |last=Stancati}}</ref> Rahmani hoped to eventually become a military pilot for the [[United States Air Force]].<ref name="usaf">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/opinion/a-female-afghan-pilot-soars-and-gives-up.html | title = A Female Afghan Pilot Soars and Gives Up | date= 23 December 2016 | access-date = 13 July 2017 | newspaper = New York Times | author = Ernesto Londoño }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/12/29/duty-desertion-afghanistan/McEKj4yQNmLcJ9GkpW6IcM/story.html | title = Duty or Desertion in Afghanistan | date= 29 December 2016 | access-date = 13 July 2017 | newspaper = Boston Globe | author = Andrew Watkins }}</ref>

== Asylum ==
Rahmani, who was represented by International Attorney [[Kimberley Motley]], was granted asylum in the United States in April 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=March|first1=Stephanie|title=Former Afghan Air Force pilot Niloofar Rahmani granted asylum in the United States|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-01/afghan-air-force-pilot-niloofar-rahmani-granted-asylum-in-us/9713680|access-date=1 May 2018|work=ABC News|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=1 May 2018}}</ref> She lives in Florida with a sister, who is attempting to gain asylum as well. She works as a translator in [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Dari]] and English languages.<ref name=":0" />

In 2021 she published with ''Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan's First Female Pilot'' her autobiography.<ref>Barbara Spindel: [https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2021/0819/Afghanistan-s-first-female-pilot-paid-a-steep-price-for-the-freedom-to-fly ''Afghanistan’s first female pilot paid a steep price for the freedom to fly'']. Christian Science Monitor, 19 August 2021</ref>

==See also==
*[[Afghan Air Force]]
*[[Bibi Ayesha]]
*[[Latifa Nabizada]]
*[[Khatool Mohammadzai]]
*[[Women's rights in Afghanistan]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*[https://www.niloofarrahmani.com/ official website]
* {{YouTube|meBhryut6jI|Afghanistan's first female military pilot given asylum in US}}, May 9, 2018, [[Fox News]].
* {{YouTube|pEZM3WPVQyE|La prima pilota afgana chiede asilo agli Usa: temo per la vita}}, December 28, 2016, [[ASCA (news agency)|askanews]].
* {{YouTube|v-u0ZVRiGbY|Niloofar Rahmani, primera piloto militar afgana: de heroína a traidora}}, December 27, 2016, [[Euronews|euronews (en español)]].
* {{YouTube|RdjOIOiQowM|Niloofar, première femme pilote en Afghanistan}}, April 29, 2015, [[Agence France-Presse]] (AFP).
* {{YouTube|nAaoDJvkShc|Niloofar Rahmani: First Female Pilot in Afghanistan}}, May 8, 2015, [[TOLOnews]].
* {{YouTube|Cdb1PXtS2es|First female Afghan pilot visits San Diego}}, March 10, 2015, [[KGTV|ABC 10 News]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151122192559/https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/women-make-change/2015/11/meet-afghanistan-female-fixed-wing-pilot-151106124527043.html Meet Afghanistan's first female fixed-wing pilot (archived)]. Al Jazeera English, 9 November 2015.
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02xbfmq "We were wrong …and now we're proud of you"]. The Conversation, BBC 17 July 2015 (audio, 2 mins).
* [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.3183186/death-threats-force-afghanistan-s-first-female-air-force-pilot-to-quit-1.3183197 Death threats force Afghanistan's first female Air Force pilot to quit]. As It Happens, CBC radio, 8 August 2015 (audio, 6:47 mins).
{{International Women of Courage Awards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahmani, Niloofar}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Afghan aviators]]
[[Category:Afghan female military personnel]]
[[Category:Women aviators]]
[[Category:Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award]]
[[Category:Interpreters]]
[[Category:Persian–English translators]]
[[Category:English–Persian translators]]
[[Category:Women in 21st-century warfare]]
[[Category:21st-century American translators]]
[[Category:Afghan emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Afghan Tajik people]]
[[Category:1992 births]]
[[Category:People from Logar Province]]