quote:
September 15, 2011
Col. Latifa Nabizada, the only female pilot in the history of Afghan aviation, travels to some of the most remote and dangerous corners of her country with a devoted partner next to her in the cockpit — her 5-year-old daughter, Malalai.
They walk hand in hand as they head into the hangar at Kabul's Military Airport, and then board a chopper. They have flown together on more than 300 missions over the past few years, and Nabizada acknowledges the risks of having her daughter onboard.
But she says she has no choice. The air force has no child care facility.
Trust me, when I have my daughter with me on the flight, I am really worried from the moment we take off to the moment we land.
"Trust me, when I have my daughter with me on the flight, I am really worried from the moment we take off to the moment we land," says Nabizada. "For me, it's my profession to go to dangerous areas. So if anything happens to me, it is expected. But why should something happen to my daughter? I am really worried."
U.S. military advisers have asked her not bring Malalai on missions — or at least move her out of the cockpit. But the little girl won't stand for it.
"As soon as they moved her, Malalai would throw a tantrum," Nabizada said. "She would grab my uniform and cry. Anyhow, I am confident of my abilities to control the helicopter while my daughter sits next to me."
The colonel says things could change next year when her daughter turns 6 and can start school.
