With a hint of swagger, Afghanistan's first female pilot since the fall of the Taliban is defying death threats to infiltrate a male preserve.

Dressed in khaki overalls, aviator shades and a black headscarf, 23-year-old Niloofar Rahmani cuts a striking presence as she walks across the tarmac at the Kabul Air Force base, which is otherwise devoid of women.

"Ever since I was a child, when I saw a bird in the sky, I wanted to fly a plane," she said at the base.