Priya Adhikari: Nepal’s First Woman Helicopter Captain Flies 100 Rescue Missions

Priya Adhikari, Nepal's first woman helicopter captain, has flown around 100 rescue missions in less than a week as helicopters continue evacuating survivors from flood-hit areas near the Nepal-Tibet border.

At Timure in Nepal's Rasuwa district, several helicopters have been operating simultaneously to reach people affected by devastating floods and landslides. With thick mud making landings extremely difficult, pilots have had to coordinate continuously over radio while carrying out rescue operations in dangerous conditions.

Adhikari, 40, has been flying almost continuously during the emergency. She said the scale of the disaster has been unlike anything she has experienced during her years of high-altitude rescue operations.

Around 20 helicopters have been involved in operations around Timure, where many people remain missing. At times, five or six helicopters have had to operate around the same location while coordinating the evacuation of survivors.

The challenging conditions begin even before survivors can be brought aboard. Heavy mud has covered some landing areas, making it unsafe for helicopters to land and shut down their engines. Pilots therefore have to keep the aircraft powered during rescue operations.

More than 200 survivors were evacuated from the affected area during the first two days. Army Augusta helicopters were among the aircraft involved in the rescue effort.

Adhikari described the devastation she witnessed from the air, with bodies scattered across areas hit by flash floods. Several hydropower projects were also destroyed, adding to the scale of the damage.

Despite the destruction, seeing survivors provides moments of relief for the pilot. She said that whenever she lands and sees people waving, she is reminded that they have survived the disaster.

The rescue missions have also carried a heavy emotional impact for Adhikari. Although the people she evacuates are strangers, witnessing the devastation from the air and seeing survivors and bodies below has made the experience deeply difficult.

She also compared the scale of the flash floods with the devastation caused by Nepal's 2015 earthquake, saying the recent disaster has been even more overwhelming.

Adhikari's journey to becoming Nepal's first woman helicopter captain was unconventional. She initially studied environmental science and later worked as a member of cabin crew. A helicopter joyride eventually inspired her to pursue aviation as a career.

She travelled to the Philippines for helicopter training and accumulated the flying experience required to become a captain. In 2017, she became a full-time helicopter pilot.

Over the years, Adhikari developed expertise in high-altitude rescue operations across the Himalayas. Her missions have included rescuing injured climbers from Mount Everest, with some flights conducted at altitudes of around 6,200 metres.

Her career also involved overcoming doubts about whether a woman could become a helicopter captain. She eventually broke that barrier and became the first Nepali woman to reach the position.

Years of high-altitude flying and rescue experience have prepared Adhikari for some of the most demanding conditions pilots can face. However, the scale and intensity of the latest floods and landslides have tested even that experience.

As rescue operations continue across the disaster-hit region, Adhikari and other helicopter pilots remain focused on reaching survivors stranded by the floods and landslides.