UNIPATH STAFF | Photos by Bahrain Defence Force
Sheikha Aisha bint Rashid Al Khalifa — the first Bahraini woman to graduate from the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst — has established another first for her country.
In July 2018, she became the first woman in her country to pilot a warplane. The historic one-hour flight out of Sheikh Isa Air Base was observed by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Prince Khalifa had two reasons for attending — he is one of Bahrain’s top government officials and the grandfather of Sheikha Aisha.
The prime minister praised the flight aboard the BAE Hawk as an important first for the Royal Bahraini Air Force, describing it as a “remarkable accomplishment that embodies determination and the spirit of defiance of Bahraini women.”
Sheikha Aisha follows a trail blazed by Maj. Mariam al-Mansouri, who became the United Arab Emirates’ first female fighter pilot in 2007. Maj. al-Mansouri piloted F-16 fighter jets against Daesh in Syria.
The sheikha’s attendance at Sandhurst, the military academy in Great Britain, comes with a long pedigree. Many Middle Eastern leaders have received an education there. They include His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai. Sources: Emirates Woman, Al Bawaba