The sky's the limit for Malaysia's first female helicopter pilot

Lt Kol Norhana almost became a secretary, it not for her determination to be a pilot. Photos: Lt Kol Norhana Abd Manaf

Lt Kol Norhana Abd Manaf grew up around helicopters, so being the country’s first woman helicopter pilot is especially significant for her.

Near her family home in Hulu Langat, Selangor, was the Higher National Youth Skills Institute where she could see helicopter pilots undergoing their training. Lt Kol Norhana remembers vividly the sound of rotor blades roaring in the sky as the pilots took off and landed.