Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator known for setting many firsts in flying and for being a test-pilot of the German ‘Luftwaffe’. Born in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century it was her parent’s dream that she become a doctor like her father. However, in her own words, all she ever wanted to do was to fly as unfettered and free as a bird. Though she started training to be a doctor, she left it midway. She first trained to fly a glider and then easily transitioned to powered aircraft. Her skill as a pilot soon came to the notice of the high officials in Hitler’s air division and she was invited to become a test pilot. Reitsch was never a militarypersonnel and never went into actual combat. Her loyalty to Hitler came under scrutiny after WWII but she remained unrepentant about her beliefs till the end of her life. In her later years, she helped set up gliding schools in India and Ghana. She remains a revered figure in the flying world and is acknowledged as a legendary figure in the field of aviation.
