Kazakhstan’s first woman war pilot lives her dreams

By Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AA) - Kazakhstan’s first and only woman war pilot Ardana Botay said on Tuesday her childhood dreams have come true.

"I remember me and my dad were flying to Almaty in a passenger plane when I was a child. Then I realized how important it is to have a right and quick decision-making process in a pilot's life. Pilots are guardians of the sky,” Botay told reporters.

She started her aviation education at age of 16.

She graduated from Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Academy and now works for Kazakhstan Air Force as a war pilot since 2010.