Niloofar Rahmani
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Afghanistan's first female fix-wing Pilot; Aviator; Best-selling Co-author of Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan's First Female Pilot
Niloofar Rahmani became the first female fixed-wing pilot in the Afghan Air Force in 2013. Because of her courage, she is the Recipient of the State Department International Women of Courage Award, Recipient Daughters of Greatness, and The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. She speaks three languages and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the Japan Times, and The Independent, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, among others.
OPEN SKIES
MY LIFE AS AFGHANISTAN’S FIRST FEMALE PILOT
“In this exhilarating debut, Rahmani tells the inspiring story of how she became the Afghan Air Force’s first-ever female pilot.”
— Publisher Weekly
What people are saying.
“In this exhilarating debut, Rahmani tells the inspiring story of how she became the Afghan Air Force’s first-ever female pilot. Born in 1991 in Kabul, under the Taliban regime, she spent her childhood in Pakistan as a refugee and returned to her homeland with her family in 1999. Delivered with compassion and courage, Rahmani’s heart-racing account will leave readers gripping their seats. This is a vital work of the highest order.”
— Publishers Weekly
“In this timely, compelling, and important title, Afghanistan’s first female fixed-wing pilot details her struggle to serve her country. Rahmani weaves her personal history into a broader review of Afghanistan’s past, detailing the years of war her family experienced. It is impossible to not share in Rahmani’s frustration and fury as she recounts the continuous roadblocks her fellow Afghans placed in her way. Not simply an inspiring title, this is a memoir of devastation and determination that brings the country’s trials into sharp focus.”
— Booklist
“Her story of perseverance and triumph will be an inspiration not only for women but for anyone striving to achieve a difficult goal in the face of opposition.”
— Jim DeFelice, coauther of American Sniper, Code Name: Johnny Walker, and Every Man a Hero
“As a young Afghan woman who dreamed of becoming an Air Force pilot, Niloofar Rahmani confronted far more than technical challenges; she faced the opprobrium of an entire society.”
— Pamela Constable, author of Playing with Fire and former Kabul and Islamabad bureau chief for the Washington Post
