Kottayam: The co-pilot hovered the Dauphin-N3 Pawan Hans helicopter 11 feet above the terrain as the pilot, Captain Reena Varughese, jumped off the steel bird to pick up an injured C-60 commando off the ground. 

The chopper was sitting duck as its rotors kicked up dust in the Maoist stronghold deep in Maharashtra's Koparshi forest, some 100 km off Gadchiroli from where the flying machine had taken off. Captain Varughese knew leaping off the chopper was the only way to rescue the commando wounded in a battle with the Maoists.

Her daring act has left the Maharashtra police in awe, and they are praising the pilot, who has no specific military training. Hailing from Pathanamthitta in Kerala, Capt Varughese has been working with Pawan Hans Limited, India's largest helicopter company, for the past 15 years.   

Capt Varughese shared her experience with Manorama.

What did you feel while evacuating the soldier?
My only thought was to rescue the soldier fighting for the country. We die only once. I wanted to do something good before that.

How did you enter this sector?
I have wanted to be adventurous and fly since childhood. I studied at Mount Bethany, Mylapra, till Class 10. Later, I pursued Plus-II from  St Mary's at Pattom in Thiruvananthapuram. I did my aeronautical engineering course in Coimbatore before learning to fly in the US.

What has been your proudest moment?
I evacuated patients from Lakshadweep during the COVID-19 pandemic and rescued people stranded on various islands during Cyclone Ockhi. I have also worked amidst Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh. 

Is this a woman-friendly sector?
India has the highest number of women pilots. Flying helicopters is more challenging. Fly to your mind's content. My slogan is that no one should ask me to walk since I prefer to fly, irrespective of gender.