In Bhopal, evenings often unfold on the terrace — families sitting under open skies, neighbours calling across railings, the smell of dinner drifting up from kitchens below. It’s a city where life follows a familiar rhythm. Most girls grow up knowing what’s expected of them, what’s within reach, and what’s best left alone.

But one evening, a young girl looked up and saw a plane passing overhead. It was a small moment, the kind no one else would notice. But she stayed there, watching until the sky was empty again. She didn’t know where the plane had come from or where it was going. She just knew it had moved — and something inside her had, too.

She didn’t tell anyone. Not then. But the thought stayed with her.

That girl was Poonam Devrakhyani.

And that passing plane would come to mean far more than she ever imagined. Years later, she would find herself in a cockpit, thousands of feet above the ground — not just flying, but paving the way for others like her to do the same.

In a candid interview with The Better India, Captain Poonam, now a Flight Operations Inspector with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), shares the journey and struggles that led her to become a pilot, and what it takes to handle flight challenges like engine failures and other critical situations.

Breaking tradition to live a dream

Telling her family and community she wanted to be a pilot was met with shock. “It just wasn’t something girls did. Especially not in a place like Bhopal,” Poonam recalls. Complicating matters, her parents were already caring for her disabled brother, Vijay Devrakhyani. “They had so much on their plate. Sending me for flight training felt out of reach, both financially and emotionally.”

Vijay lives with almost 98 percent locomotor disability and cerebral palsy. Most of the family’s resources went into his treatment, and for years, their lives revolved around his care. But Vijay had a way of defying limits. He went on to earn places in the Asia Book of Records, Limca Book of Records, and India Book of Records for performing the highest zipline by a person with locomotor disability. Watching him push forward, despite every challenge, gave Poonam a kind of strength she held close.

She wasn’t one to let her passion fade. Eventually, her parents saw how much it meant to her and, despite everything, supported her dream. “Their belief in me meant everything. I knew I wasn’t doing this just for myself, I was carrying their hopes, too.”

To ease the financial burden, Poonam took on odd jobs, such as washing aircraft, working shifts in coffee shops, and anything that helped her stay in training. “It wasn’t glamorous, but every little bit helped. Every shift got me closer to the sky.”

And her undying spirit did pay off — not all at once, but over time, in the hours she carved out between flights........

© The Better India